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Picked up a clean 1980 1000 LTD and I was surprised at how stock it was. Excellent maintenance on 15,000+ miles - Complete air box, manual, original dual exhausts... Bone stock!

The paint is close to perfect, but the owner must have been a commuter - leaving the bike in the sun all day, since the right side decals are badly sunburned (flaking)... as are the instruments.

My plan at the time of purchase was to make this a street fighter with modified swingarm, late model front-end and beefed-up engine.

Now, I ask the experts... you! What do you think. Any real value in the bike as semi-original... would probably paint it. Or should I go for the original plan...?

Most of these bikes aren't worth a whole heck of a lot even when fixed up. To me there's nothing better than a bike taken back to close to original condition, although I keep on thinking that doing a KZ With ZRX suspension, swingarm, forks etc would be fun.

In the end do whatever makes you happy.

I personally like turning these retro KZ's into modern looking sport bikes. People harass me for eliminaton my rear fender, but to me it just makes it look more sporty. Im in the process of taking a KZ650 duckbill and attaching It to my KZ1000. I say since the paint is allready faded you might as well give it the look you want. Streetfighter KZ's are getting to be more popular than doing stock restorations these days. Just dont rat it out!!!


Nick

The 1980 1000 LTD is without a doubt my favorite of any of the 1000 LTD's made from 77 to 80. Which paint scheme does the bike currently have the black and silver or the blue with the goofy decals? The black and silver is my favorite of any of the LTD paint schemes and any competent painter would be able to re-do it to better than stock form. Bob Harrington can restore the faded gauges for you no problem, you can find a link to his business on the Z-1 Ent. site.

Since you already have a highly modified bike my vote would be to just restore it and ride it. 15,000 miles is nothing on that bike and since it is a 1980 you have the MKII engine with the big pin crank so it should last forever.

It is the black with pin stripping.

Didn't know about the difference on the 1980 MKII engine. Thanks for pointing that out.

How old are you, Thats a rhetorical question.
I would do my best to restore a 73-74-75 maybe 76
After that I would hop them up, Do what ever trips your trigger.
The rhetorical question? I figure that im not going to live long enuff for a
1978 and up to be worth the trouble.
Now, if you take a 1980 restore it. NOT ride it. Just put it away, In 20-25 years
it mite be worth the trouble. I would rather ride them...
If I where a young man. I would buy every KZ I could get by hands on.
Much better return then the stock market. With half the investment.

XENU

Like many here... just bringing back a part of my past and maybe going beyond... I have been and continue to be involved in the MC industry, but rarely had time to enjoy it... now I have a few bikes, attempting to build a few and even riding more...

I'm asking so many questions, because in the 70s and 80's I was fixated on what I had and never looked at possibilities... now there is a whole community I can ask opinions of and truly appreciate the input.

it is hard for me to not look at these old bikes and want to make em better than they were when they left the factory.
is my idea of better the same as yours?hell i don't know,but i like to ride and want the old looks and sound.plus i want some modern brakes and suspension.so get your goal in line and then knock it out of the park.
theres my.02

You could do both. do your suspension mods without modding the frame, keep and rebuild the original stuff. Get a second set of body work paint one set as you like and the other get done like factory paint...

That way you preserve the collector value AND build your super bike. No reason you can't put the stock suspension on a shelf somewhere rebuilt and ready to install and go at a moments notice.

FWIW, we just sold a 1979 1000LTD which was 95% stock and with 20K miles on it for $3K. All original paint but with 2 small shallow dents in the top right of the tank and a very nice recover job on the seat. A nice looker and runner. Not to my taste, but the guy that bought it had been looking for a nice 1000LTD for 5 years before he found ours. We had it in our stock for almost 2 years, but the boss wouldn't give it away. He said eventually the right guy would show up....
and sho 'nuff he did.

Either I'm a sucker for this old stuff or... I paid $3,200 for the stock 1980 1000 LTD. and it is clean, but standard engine aging is there.