KZR's Bikes of the Month for 2024

Newbie's Project Gone Awry! Handlebar change problems.

  • MikePotter86
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11 May 2008 11:38 - 11 May 2008 11:40 #212818 by MikePotter86
First-off, I'd like to apologize in advance, I am very new to working on my bike, and do not know much about it. I have a friend who usually helps out, but he is out of town for 3 weeks of prime riding season and I can't miss another beautiful day of riding like I did yesterday. I am a starving grad student with no money to spend on a real mechanic.

I have an 81 LTD 750 which had those horrible mini ape-hangers on it that I could not stand. A few weeks ago I posted a project forum to ask for advice on the change, and ended up getting a set of 7/8'' super-bike bars really cheap.

Yesterday I swapped the bars out, and it has become much more complicated than I expected, and I am looking for advice before ordering parts.

1. When I reassembled the bar, without turn signals, got it all ready to start up, and pulled the clutch in, the clutch cable snapped right where it connects to the clutch lever. Could the additional tension have been caused by the handlebar move? What is involved in replacing the clutch cable?

2. I have tried to reassemble the throttle and it will not seat correctly together around the bar, and there is a lot of tension on the throttle cable, which I just replaced 2 months ago.

3. I am looking for advice on new turn signals. Due to abnormally large master cylinder, the signals no longer fit on the bars like they did before, so I am thinking I will move them to the forks just below the headlight. Any recommendations on signals/stems that work for the forks and don't look out of place?

4. Due to the change of the layout of the bars, I can no longer see behind me with the original mirrors, I need something wider to see around myself. Any Ideas?

Thanks for the help guys! I appreciate it.

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/
Last edit: 11 May 2008 11:40 by MikePotter86.

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  • Becker
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11 May 2008 22:01 #212976 by Becker
Well I can't help anywhere else but for turn signals I have ordered four sets of Cat eye turn signals. They work well and mount in the stock location. They stick out about an inch and a half.

78 KZ750B3
79 KZ400 LTD
78 KZ650C2
79 KZ650C3
78 KZ650B2A
80 KZ650F1
80 KZ650E1
81 CB750K Super Sport

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11 May 2008 23:00 #212982 by btchalice
1 the clutch cable is easy you have to remove the shift lever, then the four bolts that hold the sprocket cover on.
the clutch cable hooked to the actuator on the back of the cover just dont lose the ball bearing in the center. if you need pics i can get them tomorrow

2 the throttle probably has an alignment pin that the new bars arent drilled for. i just ground the pin out of my throttle assembly

Terry Meyer / Wichita KS
76 kz900 w/1000 motor TWZTD
I am not driving too fast, I'm flying too low.

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12 May 2008 08:43 - 12 May 2008 08:44 #213042 by cafekz750
I have an '81 KZ750 LTD that I had superbike bars on for years. They will fit and work great but I had to be creative on the routing of some of the components. The link below is to my project, but has pictures of my bike with the superbike bars. The clutch cable was routed over the speedometer and the brake hose over the tach. The turn signals were mounted on KZ1000 stems to homemade plates that attached to the headlight housing. Let me know if you have any questions.

My Bike

*Remember to click on the pictures to increase the size of the pictures*

1981 KZ750H2 - V&H 4-1 pipe, pods, jetted, clubmans, homebrew rearsets, 18" rear wheel and more.
Parting out a 1982 KZ750H3 to fund future projects
2 other non-Kawasaki motorcycles
Last edit: 12 May 2008 08:44 by cafekz750.

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  • MikePotter86
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12 May 2008 12:13 #213082 by MikePotter86
Thanks Guys, I ordered a NOS clutch cable today. Hopefully I will be back on the road by this weekend.

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/

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12 May 2008 13:42 #213087 by mjg15
You should have ordered a clutch cable for a Standard KZ750 (or '82 GPz750) which would have been shorter and fit better . Same with throttle and possibly upper brake hose .

'80 Z750fx
'81 KZ550A
'81 GPz550's, Too many!
'82 KZ1000R
'82 GPz750
'90 ZR550


Project photo album: s163.photobucket.com/albums/t289/mg15_ph...GPz-ZR550%20project/
s163.photobucket.com/albums/t289/mg15_ph...current=DSC01286.jpg

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  • MikePotter86
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12 May 2008 15:57 #213104 by MikePotter86
Perhaps my next project will be to banish the long cables, but I want to have everything needed to take it back to stock in case I want to sell it, or I get nostalgic. I will remember to look for the standard or GPZ cables though, thanks.

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/

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14 May 2008 13:55 #213630 by MikePotter86
The project is coming along nicely. I got my hands on some 77 KZ900 short stems which should screw right into the headlight, I think it ought to look pretty natural. I am picking up my clutch cable tomorrow, after taking it off, I realize it is really not very complicated to replace. Any suggestions on bar end mirrors, or wider mirrors that I can put on the bike?

Thanks,
Mike

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/

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14 May 2008 23:06 #213722 by donthekawguy
You need to use standard cables for the clutch and throttle, but in the mean time you can route them up and over and all over the place. This will take the tension off of them. For the blinkers you can mount a bigger headlight and route the wires in it like a 900 or 1000 uses. Bar end mirrors will work. Just make sure you get the kind with the rubber mounting thinggy. The ones that use the metal expansion thinggy's will always come loose or fall out.

Rathdrum Idaho
1971 Kawasaki g3ss
1972 Yamaha R5 350
1965 Suzuki Hillbilly
1964 Yamaha 125

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15 May 2008 08:21 - 04 Dec 2008 06:11 #213776 by JMKZHI
Replied by JMKZHI on topic .
del
Last edit: 04 Dec 2008 06:11 by JMKZHI.

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16 May 2008 12:45 #214052 by MikePotter86
About halfway done...

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/
Attachments:

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16 May 2008 16:52 - 16 May 2008 17:01 #214086 by MikePotter86

Michael L. Potter
1981 KZ 750 LTD
South Lyon, MI/ Bloomington, IN

www.flickr.com/photos/potterm/
Last edit: 16 May 2008 17:01 by MikePotter86.

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