77 650 Rip-Down

Hey everyone. I just thought I'd post my project here.

I'd love to tell you what I'm doing with my bike but ....I don't know yet.

I'm gonna paint her and I'm gonna change up the rims to the mags. (If I can find a rear...I have the front)

I'm gonna switch up the speedometer/tach to an acewell digital. and I am gong to change up the headlights to a set of Duals.

Other than that...I'm just playing it by ear. It took me 10 hours yesterday to get it from a functioning bike to a duffel bag full of "what the hell" and a frame and a motor.

Wish me luck.

here's some pics. this is the original shape of my bike

Thanks to voodoosoup for the Idea about the acewell speedometer and the headlamps....they look amazing.

Keep us posted as you go.

What area you in? Add that to your signature in your profile.
I have an 18" 650C3 rear mag, but shipping could cost a fair bit if your far away.
You'd have to change your swingarm, brake system, etc to fit it though.
A rear mag with drum brake could be less involved.

Yeah I found a rear mag with a drum brake, think it came from not a 650 though, I cant remember what, maybe a 80 or 81 KZ550. I went through the parts fiches for mine and the bike the wheel came from and it had the same brake assembly and axle/spacers so i went for it. That was back when i was a fiche whore, althoguh I think I still am, I've been on kawasaki.com today more than I've been here lol.

I have thought about changing the brakes and stuff to fit a mag but I really don't want to make this any more difficult than it already is. I'll be lucky to get this baby back together again.
thank you though. I'm gonna wait until a mag with the drum comes up again. I'm all about direct bolt on....I'm such a wimp.

he he he

I just bought an 82 kz550 rear mag and I am hoping (and Praying) she's gonna fit

My poor bike (frame and motor) is sitting in my driveway all covered up and we're trying to recover from the emotional shock of a mid April Blizzard......ack!!!

Lenwoodbluz wrote:

Well, I got my motor out and I soaked her in degreaser and powerwashed it. I had pretty high hopes for this whole procedure, but alas, I guess 31 years of baked on dir

t was a bit much for my powerwasher.

I decided to bring it in for some sand blasting (yeah!!! More money spent) and I also brought my body parts in for painting.

They should be done next week. Now I have to paint my frame and all the parts that I want black on the bike.

I wanted to paint the mag rims black but I think I'll wait until next year and I'll get them powder coated.

I don't know that I be so gung ho about sand blasting that engine. Lord knows I'm the laziest man alive when it comes to cleaning stuff up and I'll always take the least labor intensive option. That said, sand blasting is too aggressive on aluminium and you have to be really careful because sand will get into places you don't want it to and do damage down the road. Since you have it out I think I might try something like simple green and use a wire brush to scrub all the old crap off. Then hit it with a pressure washer again.

Damn...it's a bit too late as it is in the shop now.

I'm gonna be stuck with hoping and praying for no damage.
worst case scenario, new motor..(that's a pretty bad scenario)

thanks for the info...next time...no sandblasting I never even thought about damaging the motor.

The shop may have a different media to use instead of sand. Maybe plastic, walnut shells, glass bead.

Did you seal up every opening real good?