Old owner, new member

Hello to all.While searching for some place where Kawasaki motorcycles
are the main topic, I was fortunate enough to find KZRider!
My first bike was a 1969 500 purchased in 1974 and ridden from
Dayton, Ohio to Myrtle Beach and back. The next bike was a
1975 500 bought new and ridden until 1980 or ‘81 (gotta check
the title). I then bought the 1976 KZ900 which is the reason for
my desperate search for a site such as this.This bike was first owned my Tom Sudman (yes, that Tom Sudman)
and later sold to my best friend. Some time after that, my friend
sold to his uncle, and I later bought it. I rode it religiously every
year, including two trips to Gatlinburg, Tenn. Around 1988, my
friend and I took it down to the frame and motor.
I had the tank, side covers, and tail custom painted, added a Denko
header, and did some minor upgrades.
In July of 1991, I put it away to insure a safe and healthy wedding
that August. After that life, work (and lack of same), health, etc, got in
the way of saddling up again.
And that brings me back to my reason for being here...I want to
resurrect the lady. I’ll try to post a couple of pictures when permitted. I could only find
1 of the ‘69 (and its hard to see) and I’ve only got 2 good ones.Thanks for “listening” and I look forward to and appreciate any help
I can get.Bob 

Welcome to the forum. You'll find lots of useful info and help here. Let's see some pictures!

Welcome aboard. Looking forward to the pictures.

Welcome!

You may download the manuals for free, right here: 
www.kzrider.com/filebase/category/18-kz900

H.

Welcome. Lots of help here you just need to ask. Unfortunately we don’t have an electronic FSM in the data base. You can get them of evilbay from about $50.00. This is the closets thing we have in our files. Looking forward to seeing the denco. Hopefully it’s the dual cone left exit. 

www.kzrider.com/modules/ServiceManuals/K...op%20Manual%20Z1.pdf

Evilbay item number 334443413165. Copy the number open evilbay, paste in the search and hit search. Unfortunately the forum stopped letting us post links. The smart guys know how to make hyperlinks. I’m not that talented. 
 

Not the best but acceptable FSM scan quality, covers Z1, Z1A, Z1B, KZ900, KZ900 LTD.

PDF password is: z1e

kz900.com/books/pdf/KZ900-Z1-SHOP-man.pdf
kz900.com/books/pdf/1976_KZ900_Parts_Manual_R.pdf

 
 

Thanks for the kind welcome!
And the info on manuals! I've got an old Clymer manual, but I'll take all the help I can get.
After posting my intro, I posted a second time relating more info on my experience with Mr. 
Sudman. When (if) Bill releases that post, I have a little more to add to that. 
In the mean time, I'm going to try to round up the pictures I have and learn how to post them.
Thanks again, one and all.
Bob

Welcome to KZRider 
 I OKed both your posts. You could post pictures at anytime including your first post .
Looking forward to seeing  the pics
Please when posting pictures as a last step click the insert all tab  to complete the install
otherwise they wont appear full size until I catch them and  do it myself
Dave

Thank you, Dave.
Did you happen to see the 2nd post I made? I didn't keep a copy, so I'm not sure what all I included
in regards to the background on the bike  or my involvement with Tom Sudman. I'd like others to know
a little more about the bike and Tom. If not, I'll try to repeat it (with a little more that I learned today!).

wrote:

Thanks for the kind welcome!
And the info on manuals! I've got an old Clymer manual, but I'll take all the help I can get.

Thanks again, one and all.
Bob

That Clymer is good for putting under the side stand. 

LOL! I've heard that before. My friend is a certified auto mechanic and he had no use for it when we last worked on it!

Pics...finally! (I hope)A little more info before the pics. My friend advised me that the bike was, indeed, raced my Tom Sudman. Before selling to my friend, Tom retired it to near stock condition, with tank, air box, exhaust, and Kawasaki carbs. According to him, the cam was not switched back.I only met Tom once. Shortly after buying the bike it died on my way home from work. When we couldn’t figure out what was wrong, my friend called Tom and he agreed to check it out. Turned out to be a bad stator and Tom quickly replaced it. When I asked how much I owed him, he told me not to worry about it. He wasn’t going to need it anyway. He was as nice a guy as others have said.On to the pics. These are all of the bike shortly after clean-up and painting. It still looks this way, but with extra layers of dust and some minor chrome pitting and rust. (Was trying to get some current ones, but storms prevented it). The last pic is of the ‘69 and is hard to see, but I’m still looking for more. (The long, red hair is now considerably longer and lighter with a lot more white!)