KZ1000 Police (Park Ranger)

I picked up my 1988 KZ1000 Police this afternoon and rode it home from New Hampshire -about 70 miles. The bike has 18k miles and seemed to run pretty well, considering that I believe it sat for quite a while. There was a noticeable "rubbing" that I could hear and feel coming from the front end. Could that be unbalanced tires or perhaps bearings? The engine felt strong but not as responsive as I had hoped and there was more vibration than seemed normal. I plan to begin going through the systems and upgrading as necessary.

All the KZ Police Models I have seen are the standard white and black. This one is green and gray with yellow pinstripe. Anyone else have one of these? It was a former Park Ranger bike.

Among the other possibilities, the "rubbing" you're feeling could be a dragging brake pad. Possible the brake calipers need a little TLC: pull the pistons and shine 'em up with some #600 paper.

As for colors, they came in two varieties; black and white or white and black, take your pick.

There were some odd items later on like a black-topped/white sided tank, white vs, black saddlebags and radio boxes and stripe jobs on the fairing, but the machine came black and white....

Thanks for the advice - I'll look into that.

Attached a photo (not a great one)

Mandrake

70 miles from NH! puts you close to me , probably see you on the road. good luck and happy wrenching!!!

jbw7300 wrote:

70 miles from NH! puts you close to me , probably see you on the road. good luck and happy wrenching!!!

good luck,happy wrenching? i knew i shouldve patented that when i had the chance!:evil: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly:

Green and grey with a yellow pinstripe could definitely be National Park Service color scheme. I know they call 'em "black-n-white's" but...
Maybe Psaur will post a current picture of a National Park ranger in uniform and we'll see. That is the exact coloration of the uniforms down to the yellow pinstripe.
I haven't gotten around to learning how to post pics direct in a thread...lazy or stupid I guess but I'll get there! Must be 'cause I work for the US Forest Service. Oh crap, now I've gone and blown my cover!

neilage66 wrote:

Green and grey with a yellow pinstripe could definitely be National Park Service color scheme. I know they call 'em "black-n-white's" but...

Maybe Psaur will post a current picture of a National Park ranger in uniform and we'll see. That is the exact coloration of the uniforms down to the yellow pinstripe...

Here you go:



Oooops! Wrong one! :blush:

This is more like it:



Custom-tailored, no less....

Of course it's some variation of the Park Service color scheme, but I very much doubt that the factory did a small run expressly for the park service. My guess would be that either a park manager aquired one or a few from a copshop somewhere, and had them done, or a ranger did it or had it done on his own initiative...

I knew the Park Manager at Kissimmee State Park in Florida some years ago, and as it went, he had pretty wide discretionary powers for slush fund money, so I wouldn't be surprised if a couple grand for park service paint jobs found its way into a budget somewhere... (dOOd made absolute *rocketfuel* White Lightning to bOoOt!)

Post edited by: Pterosaur, at: 2006/07/01 00:16

I can't picture this guy on a gocycle....maybe with pikinik baskets for saddlebags!

ambergrismooon wrote:

I can't picture this guy on a gocycle....maybe with pikinik baskets for saddlebags!