77 KZ650-C

A year ago, I fell in love...She was beautiful. A 77 KZ650C

I see why. Very nice!!! (although I am kind of partial to that colour, as it is almost the twin of mine )

Cool, another KZ650 owner added to the family!
Welcome to KZr Virii.


Absolutely loved the auto-biography....you'll fit in around here just fine. :silly:

Yep, your bike sure is a beaut. And I really like that shade of blue on her!
I'm sure it's comfortable, but that seat looks kind of odd on her. Have you considered trying to locate an original seat or having that one recovered to the original style, or even to a diff (cafe' perhaps) style?


I almost forgot!
If your imaginary spiders aren't fixed yet, please be sure to keep them away from my imaginary garden slugs. Last thing we need around here is cross-breeding on a grand scale! :woohoo: :silly: :laugh:

Very nice. I'm kinda partial to the '77 650 Custom.

I gotta say that I am somewhat puzzled by that round add-on beside the right handlebar switch controls. I think you should take it off as it reallyl doesn't suit the bike. In fact you should send it to me and I wll dispose of it properly...since I am looking for a nice original front master cylinder for my old 650 Custom:)

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you are going to be a regular contributor to Kzr.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Thank you all, I'll pass on all the fine comments to her this afternoon. At the moment, the sun must be basked in for some. For others, such as myself.......Well, in an effort to avoid shock when emerging from the dungeon that is my office, I've lined my desk with an array of 6 monitors.

Not quite natural light but I suspect it will leave me either tan or at least leave the spiders sterile.


I have often given some thought to the seat. While somewhat comfortable, it also has the benefit of giving the feet at the end of my decidedly short legs some purchase on the asphalt they couldn't otherwise have and so discard the idea quickly. I have wondered, however, what other seating options people prefer. It's true, the original seat with the "strap" has a nice look. It would be interesting to see pictures of what others have done. I've honestly gotten use to seeing it and so it's a little odd to me to see others that have a stock seat.



The paint.....ah, yes, the paint. I spent a couple hours a day for a couple of weekends trying to get it just perfect. Sanding and filling and making sure there were no traces of that pin striping left (although I'm sure some really appreciate the pin striping, I couldn't stand it) and when I finally had it "just right......I overfilled the tank and came back to find most of it on the parking lot and engine cover. I guess I should have let it cure properly and given it some really nice wax but I was so eager to go for a ride...

In reality, I suppose I should just learn not to try to squeeze every ounce of gas into the tank unless I'm going to run some of it out but as a daily driver easily going in excess of 40-50 miles per day, it usually is a reasonable decision. On this particular day, it was warm and I only rode the full tank a few miles to the office...Oh, how disapointing.

On the bright side, after having done so much work on it (and then redone the same work all over again), I can practically do it in my sleep now.


Speaking of the master cylinder (somewhat), I have wondered about the controls on the opposing handle. With black paint and an offset mirror post, the two sides don't seem to match and I'd often wondered which side (if either) was stock.

hey Virii - Looks to me like the bike sat out in the sun judging from the fading on the 4 way flasher switch on the left side (clutch lever) of the bike.

I repainted mine and they look pretty close to original. I used Testors hobby paint for the yellow red and white, the black was a semi-gloss spray bomb.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Does indeed look that way. I've been considering redoing all the controls and displays. If I can get my hand steady enough, the lettering for the switches could use a once over.

It also appears to me that the transluscent panel for the indicator lights came off at one time and was haphazardly glued on as the glue has stained the inside of the panel and shows through when the indicator is on.

My thoughts were to repaint all the controls, redo the indicator panel and while I'm in there, add some diffusion to the panel and redo the lighting with LED's. That should eliminate the lighting "starburst" or "hot spot". The entire bike could use a conversion to LED's, but I really like the look of it as it is so I'm thinking a subtle and seamless conversion might be nice.


The kill switch is a little rough from weathering and I've just been opting to not use it but a nice rebuild of that would go a long way as well.

Welcome Wolfie.
Tess is a beautiful bike! I'm partial to the 650 Cs as well, as I've had mine for over 20 years.
Love the color, as Blue is my favorite. I had mine painted a Candy Apple Blue many years ago, from the stock Metalic Stardust Silver (looked Sky Blue to me).

Here's a pic showing the seat I'm currently using, one I bought off ebay. It uses the stock pan, but has oviously been recovered:


It's been recomended in the past to not use the kill switch, as over time it will fail. I have since turned my bike off using the key 98% of the time.

Your front turn signals seem to be off a D model 650 (SR) as they're mounted to the handle bars, and not to the headlight bucket. Although you say LEDs are to be used in the fututre.

Post edited by: N0NB, at: 2007/06/13 21:38

Welcome!

It's a pleasure to see such a fine machine. I'm partial to dark blue so your efforts are most appreciated.

Thank you, I've been very happy with her. To this date, I haven't been left standing or let down yet and so being treated nicely seems deserved (cyclical, I know). There is a long list of things to do...hopefully we'll be together a long time....

Incidentally, rstnick, I notice that your rear has a more compact look (no no, I mean your bike!). Is that part of a change you made to compliment your faring?

He is using a fender elliminator, that gets ride of the big chrome monster on the back.


There is a how to, in the file base if you want to make one...now if i could just find a sucker....err i mean friend to make one for me....



:whistle: