TOPIC:

Hey there, starting a new project. Got a 1981 KZ750 LTD off a friend for $500, which I will be paying for after I manage to get it running.

It doesn't start. So far I've gone over and cleaned the carbs, installed and charged a new battery. It has power now, and the electronic ignition engages the starter, but I don't think it's making a spark. The bike came with a couple buckets of parts, and there was a second coil in there, so I don't know if that one will work or what, but I intend to find out and update. I have new plugs for it as well, so on the weekend hopefully I can sort that out. It had some crappy pod filters, but I ordered some Unis for her, however the carbs were jetted with 125/66, which I think is a little low on the primary. I've read people like the tune with 140's on the main and 70's on the secondary. I also put a set of super bike bars on it today, but the master cylinder was banging against the giant stock gauges, so there's that to change too!

Here's a few things I want to do to it:

1. Mini gauges and a mini ignition key (anyone know where to find something like that that fits this bike? Dimecity?)
2. Internal chop on the forks to lower the front end a couple inches
-2a. Eventually I would like to swap in a GPZ750 front end for a little less rake and less height on the front
3. Chop frame by about 4-6" and weld a tail loop
4. LED mini signals
5. New tires
6. New wheels (I like the look of the 80's Honda mags with the triangular 5 spoke pattern)
7. Rewire and reroute electrical system and tuck everything
8. Someday in the far future I will pull the engine and take it apart and go over everything

Welcome aboard!

I'd be very careful about chopping the forks to lower it. If you reduce the travel too much you could end up with a big problem if you hit a bump and the forks bottom out (not cool). As an alternative you may want to slip the fork tubes up through the triple tree. It would accomplish the same thing (lowering) but you could easily adjust how low and how much fork travel you might lose. Ed

I also have a tank from a z650SR that I would like to swap in, but the frame on my bike is a little wide, and I think the tank might be too long. The mounting tab is also horizontal rather than vertical...I wonder if I could fix all that somehow?

Here are some pictures of work in progress:

Hey Ed, thanks for the advice!

I thought abut that, but the end of the forks protruding above the top of the triple tree irks my aesthetic sense, and I'm also a pretty light rider. I don't think I've ever weighed more than 145. I would also have to switch to clip ons for that, which I don't think I'm ready for yet.

And BTW my style goals for this bike are Brat style, bobbed tail, cafe informed...hence the Bobcat.

Front forks. You could replace the spacer that sits on top of the fork springs w something shorter --- 1" pvc pipe has been mentioned from time to time. You probably should lower the rear end the same as the front.

PS: your weight is probably close to what Kawasaki used for the suspension specs.

Thanks Martin, I'll look into it.
As far as the rear, can I cut the springs by one coil?
Do you know if anything can be done to make the SR tank fit on the LTD frame?

I removed the spacers entirely from the forks on my '80 KZ750 LTD and used a heavier fork oil to compensate for the reduced travel and it works pretty well. Or as Martin mentioned, you can use smaller spacers to get some height in between.

I didn't drop my rear end, since I was going for a different stance, just remember if you shorten both ends enough, you may have to adjust the side stand as well.

Shimmy, how much drop did you get in the front?

I don't think I want to drop the rear at all either.

I believe the spacers were 80 mm. Because when you install the fork caps with the spacers, you have to push them down a bit, the drop is slightly less than that. It's enough to give the bike a much more aggressive stance so you probably don't need to cut the springs (it might bottom out quite a bit if you went much lower). In any case, taking out the spacers is an easy enough thing to do, so it's worth trying to see if you like how it sits.

Anyone know if a KZ400 seat pan would fit on the frame of the LTD?

I want to do something about the seat, and the LTD seat is so big and ugly. It would be much easier to swap something in rather than have to custom up something. Plus the seat pan on the LTD is metal and the spike strips are a pain in the butt for recovering.

Probably not. Probably the only seats that will be a direct fit will be the 750-Ltd chain drive models & 81-83 650-CSRs & maybe the 80-82 750E Standard (it has a similar frame).

81 KZ650-CSR. same seat. I bent the spikes out to about 45^o & when fitting the cover onto the spikes, I would press the cover against a spike to make a mark, then poke a hole at the mark using a woodworking awl, then fit the cover onto the spike by pressing w a large flat blade screwdriver, then flatten the prong. Make mark on cover, poke hole, fit prong thru hole, tap down prong - etc, etc, etc.

Hey Martin, thanks for the advice dude.

My next area of concentration is making the 650SR tank I have fit on the LTD's frame, Think I could pound a 2x4 or a piece of wood in the frame tunnel of the tank to widen it?