TOPIC:

This is a different type of project. I am writing a book about modified KZ's. I'm looking for people who have cool and interesting modified bikes that would enjoy having their bike featured in my book. Modified KZs come in huge varieties. There are cafe racers, drag bikes, choppers, bobbers, street fighters, wild one-off custom bikes, show bikes and more. I would like to have good examples of all of these in the book.
Have you customized a KZ? Do you have some good pictures of it? Please contact me if you would be interested in contributing to the book.

About me
I've been a motorcyclist for 40 years. I was a motorcycle mechanic for a while and I have owned several KZs and GPZs. I recently finished building my own KZ1000 custom bike.

I have worked as a writer, photographer, and video editor for many years. This will be my first book, and it's a labor of love, not a paying job. I think it will be fun and I hope to feature lots of great bikes.
What have you got?

Here's mine:

You may want to include a chapter on the folly of inadequate planning prior to starting the project. I'm sure there are tons of pics available to illustrate why one should lay out a plan before grabbing the hacksaw. The images below show just 3 projects that were started without a clear plan and then were abandoned.







Here, on the other hand, is a pic of a well planned and executed project (1400cc KZ650!)



And then there's this one! WOW!

Those are great! Do you have any contact info for the owners, or just the websites they came from? Maybe I can track them down and ask for their permission to use their bikes in the book.

Im pretty sure the last one is from Alan Millyard. A British guy with a habit of joining two engines together.

Nelson wrote: Those are great! Do you have any contact info for the owners, or just the websites they came from? Maybe I can track them down and ask for their permission to use their bikes in the book.

The 1400 / KZ650 belongs to J. Wilson who is/was a member of KZ650info. He hasn't logged on there is about 2 years, but maybe you can track him down by asking folks there. Here's the link to the picture - forums.kz650.info/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;pic=726

The V-8 Kawasaki is an Alan Millyard. If you do a search online you will see that bike and some other unbelieveable creations including a KZ1300 that was converted to a V-12! (See below).

Here's another successful mod - a turbo. This was done by JB - see forums.kz650.info/index.php?action=profi...=showposts;start=105


V-12

You could devote an entire chapter to Allen Millyard, he has built some rally amazing machines and they still look like they were built by the factory. He built some 4 an 5 cylinder 2-strokes that take a second look to notice that anything is different.

I would also suggest you look into Kawasaki's race bikes from the 70"s. That was an era of unprecedented experimentation by all the manufacturer's but Kawasaki was really thinking outside the box. The built a water cooled 2-stroke 4 cylinder bike with a trapezoid arrangement of the cylinders with 4 independent crank shafts. They also did a 4 square engine with 2 cranks the ran in-line with the bike frame.

I guess that's not really the custom bike stuff, but it some of the more interesting Kawasaki's ever built. Good luck with your book and let us know when you publish it!

Great ideas guys, thanks! The 2 strokes are way cool and I'm a 2 stroke lover, but I'm thinking the book is only going to be about KZs/GPZs because they are so popular with us regular guys and therefore more familiar, bigger audience, etc.

That will be awesome! There are a couple books devoted to just the Z1, and I have a couple of books on Kawasaki motorcycles written by a couple of Brits.

One is "The Kawasaki Story: Racing and Production Models from 1963 to the Present Day" by Ian Fallon

The other is just titled "Kawasaki" written by Walter Mick

Good general reference and the authors may be able to help with images/content/ etc.

thanks, Yeah there are other books, but I don't think they focus on the modified stuff like I have in mind. I'm not planning to write the bike's history or racing stories cuz that's all been done before. I will definitely look up Allen Millyard.

Hey everyone - Don't feel like your bike has to be show quality or as wild as Allen's. I want some regular guy bikes too! Just as long as they have some cool mods that are fairly well done and the bike can be ridden.

Follow the BOTM thread here on KZR, It features the best stock and modified bikes this site has to offer
Look at our Cover fader on the home page showing a Turbo Z1R
Tons more are in process but I can only show one a month
Street Fighter LTD
Dave
Here is a few of pic of my bike. It is not scheduled to be a BOTM as that would make it self serving

Very nice bike!!! Clearly not the product of a 16 year old kid in a hurry with a hacksaw! Ed

LMAO Ed
To bad he doesn't what perfect stockers eh Ed