Entered a \"Bike-Off\"

hello my name is aaron and i may have entered myself into a bike-off with my friend and his 1980 cb750k...I have a 1977 KZ650c and i would like to find out which kawa parts are interchangeable.


thanks for the input...

Welcome!
What are you looking for?

Welcome to the site with another KZ650. Well the 77 650 has a one year charging system, other than that most 650 or 750-4 parts will work. trading body panels would be some work but the engine parts swap good. WE love pics no matter what it looks like.
Mark

what i am looking for is, maybe some options that i can change, such as rear swing arms that fit, different forks, parts like that...

I have some pics but they are too big i have to make them smaller for the server... pics will be up soon...

thanks,
-aaron

If you can post a pic of what you have, with a pic of what you want to do and how much $$$ you want to spend we as a group will be glad to help you with any and all design questions, parts interchangeability and where to find what your looking for.
Wow a group build. I'm starting to tear up.
also be sure to look through the pics in the gallery sections under the members tab. There are some amazing examples there.

Post edited by: Wildh2oskier, at: 2007/08/23 17:21

Finally Pics...









Post edited by: Cpt.Dangerous, at: 2007/08/24 12:49

I am trying to start on the cheap...I am currently trying to open my own business and money is a bit tight for now, but I am starting under the buck a bit...I only paid $200.00 for the KZ, so I am starting off on the right foot. The dent in the tank is almost out...I drained the fuel and filled the tank with air and most of it popped out.

I was hopping to change the swing arm to a superbike swingarm, and also change the bars, maybe clamp-ons??? I have already changed the bars to a straight drag bar that I made on the cheap...

I have to get some of the dugs out with the carbs, they need a good cleaning, but does anyone have the service manual on PDF? that would make my life alot easier...

Guys thanks in advance for your help on this, I may have got in over my head a bit but I hate losing so this will be my new resource for beating him...I hope. I have all the faith in the world in this forum and I am open to any criticisms, options, and thoughts from everyone.

Thanks again
-Aaron

this is what i want to do...does anyone know this owner or what these parts are?

thanks
-Aaron

Doesn't look like much work but it will be

First, that front end is off a superbike of some sort, by the size of it I'd say off an 88-98 1000cc superbike but I might be wrong. Clip-ons, well, ditto, thats probably came off the same bike he got the front end from.

Obviously that paint job ain't stock, and you might want a headlight. I'm not sure about the rear fender, but I bet money that the rear tire was pulled off the same superbike as the front end.

The PODs he is using on his VM carbs are Emgo brand, you can get them from Jeff at z1 enterprises.

I think the lesson here is, find yourself a crotch rocket you can take the suspension/swing arm/bars from and put them on your KZ. Search the forums for each constituent piece (say "rear swing arm" as a possible search and you will find lots of info.

Not to be a killjoy, but I was thinking of this exact same thing for my KZ. It's not as cool but much cheaper and simply "better" mechanically to just to buy a Ninja so thats exactly what I did. I paid $450 for a running 1989 Zx10 in good cosmetic shape (but in pieces)with low miles and I probably could have gotten it for even less. Plus it will see more power (137hp out of the box + upgrades) and less weight than that bike ever will.

I think it's cool that folks do this type of thing, and I think if you budget VERY CAREFULLY you could end up not spending an arm and a leg. Especially if your keeping the motor stock.

Rob, where did you get those
rear controls? I am looking to turn my 77 KZ650 into a somewhat street fighter and I would like to get a set of those controls.

The rearset controls on my bike are off a 2004 GSXR600.

Here's a link to the 650.info site: rear sets

It gives instructions and pics on how I did it.

Cpt.Dangerous wrote:

this is what i want to do...does anyone know this owner or what these parts are?

thanks
-Aaron

wow thats a nice looking bike! id say start by getting it running good first and make list of whats good and whats not.the longer you can keep it drivable while doing your mods the easier it is to see what works and what dont,then you can blow it all apart to make it purty once youve worked the bugs out of itB)

Best bet to go with the updated swingarm and front forks is to get a complete donor bike. It's the little bits that will drive you nuts and end up past time on the build. Plus for points, the wheels will match, and the suspension/tires size/brakes will do even better together.

Most any bike will do, but the Suzuki GSXR stuff is top notch and plentiful. I personally would go with a ZRX setup for you, it has dual shocks (rare nowdays)so there is a little bit less welding involved. You still will have to become very good friends with a machinist, and feed him $$$ well.

(Interesting note to self: what other modern bikes ran dual shocks, for donor purposes. Hmmm.)

Actually, I would go all out with what you have, and save on the fab. Just pick a way to go with it: cafe, drag race, road race, or wild chopper. Clipons are available for your forks, as are apehangers. Custom seat cowls are relatively easy and cheap to build. Paint jobs can be expensive, but most $$$ is in the prep work. Learn to do prep right, talk to the painter, do what he wants you to do the first time, and money will be well saved.

My build (other than the paint):

Change your headlight (I'd go with a bullet style like on the 82GPZ's), get some drilled discs, ditch the mirrors and the turn signals, install a bar end mirror on your clipons, build some rearsets, build a solo seat and a cowl, ditch the front and rear chrome fenders and measure something up for the front fender (84-85TurboGPZ fender comes to mind). Vance and Hines pipe for looks, Pirelli Sport Demons for the name and the look of the tread, a steering damper and fork brace, and then bracing up the stock arm.

That would be my start for a bike build off. I could have it finished and worked out in half the time of the other way, look alot cooler, and work on the details that make a bike stand out.