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Kawasaki KZ 550 A1-A3, C1-C4, D1

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This page was started in June of 2011, and will be under construction for some time.
The Teikei brand, (known as "TK" brand outside of Japan), TK-21 and TK-22 carburetors are
very similar. They were used on early Kawasaki KZ500, KZ550, and KZ400J (inline-four)
motorcycles. The information on this page is for TK-22 carburetors, but some of it will apply to
TK-21 carbs as well.
The TK-22 carbs are a mechanical-slide carb with a single main jet and a single pilot jet. All
variations of those carbs are the same with the exception of the main jet, metering needles (same
shape, but some were not adjustable), and air-screw settings. All used the same pilot jets. The
U.S. models use the non-adjustable needle which is exactly the same as the adjustable needle set
at the second clip from the top. The U.S. models also had caps covering the air screws to prevent
users from adjusting the air screws.
On USA models using the TK-22 carbs, all internals are the same, with the exception of the main
jet on the KZ550 D1, which was slightly larger.
Supposedly, slides with different cutaways exist, maybe for racing, but all of the KZ400, KZ500,
and KZ550 with TK-21 or TK-22 carbs came with the same slides.
Most TK-22 carbs came in silver, but the KZ550D carbs were painted black. Possibly some of
the later KZ550A carbs may have also been in black.

General Technical Specs

(See links below for part numbers, o-ring specs, jet dimensions, needle dimensions, and internal
dimensions.)
This chart represents the models using TK21 or TK22 manual-slide carbs. Later models with CV
type carbs are not represented here. The same bikes, made in subsequent years, using the same
carbs most likely have the same internal setups. For example, the 1981 KZ550C2 and 1982
KZ550C3 would have the same setup as the 1980 KZ550C1, because they also use the TK22
carbs. However, the 1983 KZ550A4 uses different carbs than the 1980 KZ550A1, so its setup
would have to be different.

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Note: All models with TK21 and TK22 carbs have the same pilot jet, slide, and fuel levels.
The West German 550 model is puzzling since it is listed as having the smaller carb, yet the 500
has the larger carb. Maybe it's an error in the Factory service Manual, which is where most of
this information came from.
Clip
pos.
from
top

Pilot
Jet

Air
screw
turns
out

Slide

Fuel
design
level
(mm)

Fuel
service
level
(mm)

Year &
Model

TK carb

Main
Jet

Needle

1979
KZ500B1

K22P-2A

90

4C91-2

32

1-1/8,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1980
KZ400J1

K21P-2A

90

4C91-2

32

1-1/4,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1980
KZ400J1
West
German

K21P-2A

92

4C91-2

32

1-1/2,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1981
KZ550A1
and C1

K22P-2D

92

4D93-2

32

1-3/8,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1981
KZ550A1
and C1
USA

K22P-2C

92

4D92

No
Adjust

32

(1-3/8,
+/- 1/4)

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1981
KZ550A1
and C1
West
German

K21P-2A

90

4C91-2

32

1-1/4,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1981
KZ550D1

K22P-2F

94

4D93-2

32

1-3/8,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1981
KZ550D1
USA

K22P-2E

94

4D92

No
Adjust

32

(1-3/8,
+/- 1/4)

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

1979
KZ500B1

K22P-2A

90

4C91-2

32

1-1/8,
+/- 1/4

2.5

29.5,
+/- 1

3.5, +/1

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The bore of the carbs starts out round at the airhorn, then changes to a vertically elongated circle
at the slide. The circle is about 19.9 mm in diameter, and is stretched vertically at the middle by
2.9 mm. The floor to roof distance is then approximately 22.8 mm (19.9 + 2.9). Then the bore
changes back to circular at the exit port on the engine side.
The airhorn lip outside diameter is nominally 40 mm.
The airhorn lip inside diameter is nominally 37 mm.
The exit port outside diameter is nominally 29 mm.
The exit port inside diameter is nominally 24 mm.
The KZ550's have a carb spacing of 71 mm center-to-center for carbs 1-to-2, and 3-to-4.
The KZ550's have a carb spacing of 92 mm center-to-center for carbs 2-to-3.

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Links to TK-22 pages:

Teikei corporation website in English.
TK-22 parts diagrams and part numbers.
TK-22 carb body port routing.
TK-22 fast-idle modification for choke system.
TK-22 jet dimensions, availability, and drilling.
TK-22 rebuild kits.
TK-22 jet kit.
TK-22 three types of needles.
TK-22 instructions for changing needles.
TK-22 shimming needles to get half-step increments.
TK-22 those darn choke flaps. What to do?
TK-22 adjustments and maintenance.

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