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Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK

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08 Dec 2019 10:10 - 08 Dec 2019 16:04 #815078 by Stu23
Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK was created by Stu23
Hi All. I've spent the last couple of nights browsing through your very impressive project threads and thought I should maybe register and say hello. Turns out I registered here three years ago - Ah, then it's definitely time to say hello!

Name is Stewart, but I go by Stu... I live in the South of the UK, about 100 miles West of London in the sleepy county of Wiltshire, a few miles North of Stonehenge.

Got my first bike on my 17th birthday which was now almost 45 years ago. I'm a prolific bike swapper, so may have had about 50 bikes over the years, only 3 of them bought new. The first new one I bought was a '79 z400b Kawasaki (kz400 in the States). Loved that little bike and managed to buy it back again 30 years later and rebuild it quite nicely. About 4 years ago, I made the mistake of selling it again... crazy, in retrospect.

Only other Kawasaki I've owned was a 1987 GPz1000RX or 1000 Ninja. Had that in 1990 or so, but sold it when the kids came along.

Anyway, middle of 2016, and missing the z400, I decided to buy a bike I'd always fancied. A Zephyr 750. OK, not really a KZ, but certainly of the bloodline. I'd always liked the idea of having an old Kawasaki 4 and modernising it just enough to make it handle better, and the Zephyr with its 17" wheels and (slightly) more modern brakes seemed like a good place to start. It didn't hurt that they are a cheap way into a classic style bike, either. I'm an engineer, and pretty pragmatic, so paying a fortune for a genuine older 650 or 750 didn't seem like much sense when I was looking for a bike to modify a bit.



Anyway, not going to turn this into a project thread; it's all documented over on Zephyr-Zone if you're interested enough and it's not nearly as impressive as some of the builds on here.

Stu's Project

The idea was to turn it into something that to the casual observer looked like a slightly hot rodded seventies bike. I think I've achieved that. Wouldn't fool the discerning members of this forum, but the man in the street would be taken in, especially as she came from the PO already wearing a seventies registration (I didn't ask... just bought it quickly!).

I've just got her running again and done the first few miles on her. She's running well and I'm loving it so far. Looking forward to getting the last few niggles sorted over the winter and putting some miles on her in the spring.
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Last edit: 08 Dec 2019 16:04 by KZQ. Reason: Re-attached pictures.

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08 Dec 2019 16:12 #815090 by KZQ
Replied by KZQ on topic Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK
Hey Stu,
Thanks for signing on! Sorry your first post didn't show up right away. We've got it set that way to prevent the spamsters from spewing on the site. Your next post will have to be approved also but after that you'll be able to post at will with no help from the Mods. I'm going to follow your link to the Zephyr Zone to see your project.
Welcome to KZRider!
Bill

www.KZ1300.com
Riders:
1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 W3, 1976 KZ900, 1979 KZ750 Twin, 1979 KZ750 Twin Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 2000 Valkyrie, 2009 Yamaha Roadliner S. 1983 GL 1100
Projects:
1985 ZN1300

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08 Dec 2019 22:13 - 09 Dec 2019 04:14 #815107 by Stu23
Replied by Stu23 on topic Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK
Thanks, Bill. Let's get post #2 out the way then... a couple of pics of my previous two projects.

My 79 z400, that I bought new in May1980 and tidied up in time for her 30th birthday. Wish I still had her around.





And (nothing'to do with old Kawasakis but hopefully interesting) the Ducati MHR, similar story, bought new in 1982, bought back in 2004 and rebuilt. She won Classic Bike of the Year, in Classic Bike magazine, in 2008/9. Picture at the Verandah, Isle of Man, 2012. No regrets selling this one... too cranky for me these days.

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Last edit: 09 Dec 2019 04:14 by KZQ.

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10 Dec 2019 10:44 #815178 by gazzz
Replied by gazzz on topic Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK
Hi Stu,

Glad to see you here and glad you returned to your project and finished it!

Kawasaki KZ650 cafe-racer: in progress

Kawasaki Zephyr 750 (810ccm, 4in4, spoked wheels)
Honda CB815 "Eight Fifteen" cafe-racer
Yamaha XJ "Eight Ball" cafe-racer

www.gazzz-garage.com

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14 Jan 2020 07:00 #817069 by ronnieV
Replied by ronnieV on topic Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK
Nice bike. I too own a zepher, but it's the 1100. Owned it many years and love it's styling of the old z1

77 ltd1000 80 ltd1000 78kz1000a ,02 red zrx 12r, 94 cb1000 big one ,03 valkyrie (my couch) 65 olds 442
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14 Jan 2020 21:22 #817095 by scubaanders
Replied by scubaanders on topic Zephyr 750 in Wiltshire, UK
Nice work ther Stu. Look great.
/Anders

Gpz750R1 1982
Gpz750A1 1983
Gpz1100A2 1984
FZ750 1985
Gpz900R -91

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