78 KZ650 Mono Rear Shock Cafe/Brat Style

Hi All

After looking through so many of your amazing projects I thought it was time to start documenting mine. I bought it a few months ago in preparation for getting my license. Family and work stuff has meant that I haven't finished that process yet, but intend to do it over the next month or two.

It was a 78 KZ650 which was modified professionally for a previous owner. He had a ZXR400 front and rear end grafted on. It was what I was wanting from the bike, so when I saw it for sale at a great price I had to jump on it.

When I picked it up it looked like this




The first things I wanted to do was to tidy up the front end. To simplify the controls and to make it much cleaner looking. So I ditched the bars and mirrors it came with. As they were not so clean.
I picked up a Renthal bar in grey along with some new Oury grips and new levers.



I've still got loads more to do on the bars, but I'm waiting on parts. I've bought a new throttle and switch set that looks like this.

These will allow me to remove the tired looking old kawasaki controls for something much more modern and simplified.

Next I wanted to start work on the seat and tail area. I wanted to get rid of the rear fairings/lights and stock seat. I wanted something more brat/cafe style and less bulky.

This meant removing the stock seat and fairing.


Whilst I was doing that I found a long pipe which I didn't know what it did. With a bit of research I discovered that when the previous owners removed the stock air filter the fitted this to the crankcase. It was going to get in the way of my seat plans so I replaced it with a simple filter instead,



For some reason the ebayer I bought it off sent me two so if anyone else needs one let me know. (I'm in the UK).

Whilst doing this I checked over the air filters on the cards and most of the rubber had perished so I've order some new filters.

Next up it was time to crack out the angle grinder and clear up the rear area to make way for the new seat.

Before:


During:


After:



Whilst removing the seat lugs etc I also removed the battery cage as it was very badly made and fitted when they did the modifications to the bike. I think the tried to reuse the orginal one, but I was able to pull it off with my hands the welds were so bad. I also removed all of the tail mounts as they won't work with my new rear light.



I will now have to fabricate and new seat pan and battery box. Along with fabricating a mounting for the lights and number plate at the rear.

For the seat design I want to get something similiar to the look of this one here

brmoto.blogspot.it/2012/03/kawasaki-z500-1981-br012.html

However I plan on using waterproof cordura fabric instead of leather or vinyl. I have a wife who is very handy with the sewing machine who has kindly agreed to make the seat cover for me.

Also I'm rewiring certain sections of the loom as there is some bad bodge jobs I've discovered. Any wiring I'm adding will be properly wired with waterproof connectors and sleeved like you can see me starting to do with the rear light.

That's where I've got to so far, I'm looking forward to making more progress and learning new skills as I go. It's not in the same league as some of the projects you have posted, but I'm trying to read and learn from your projects as I progress.

Nice project Gordy.

Thanks much appreciated.

Looking good, keep up the good work!!

Nice bike. I like the controls you found. Just a heads up the throttle is single cable. Our bikes are push-pull Throttles and require 2 cables to work correctly. You can use the controls but I suggest getting a push-pull throttle from motion pro it is small like the one you have but designed for our carbs.
Keep up the good work.

kaw-a-holic wrote: Nice bike. I like the controls you found. Just a heads up the throttle is single cable. Our bikes are push-pull Throttles and require 2 cables to work correctly. You can use the controls but I suggest getting a push-pull throttle from motion pro it is small like the one you have but designed for our carbs.
Keep up the good work.

That's interesting I didn't know that about the throttle. I will have to check into it. I'd love to use this one if possible as it is not only slimline and aluminium it also has a built in button I was planning to use for starting the bike.
Thanks for the heads up.

kaw-a-holic wrote: Nice bike. I like the controls you found. Just a heads up the throttle is single cable. Our bikes are push-pull Throttles and require 2 cables to work correctly. You can use the controls but I suggest getting a push-pull throttle from motion pro it is small like the one you have but designed for our carbs.
Keep up the good work.

I've just been out to check my bike and there is only one cable coming from the throttle at present. Am I correct in thinking therefore that it isn't currently a push pull?

You can run the push/pull without the push(which really pulls). I have used a singale cable on 26's,28's and currently 29's for years with no issues. The dual system is a safty .
Wayne

kzz1king wrote: You can run the push/pull without the push(which really pulls). I have used a singale cable on 26's,28's and currently 29's for years with no issues. The dual system is a safty .
Wayne

Thanks Wayne, I thought we had to have it. I'll have to try that. Sorry if I misled you Gordy.

kzz1king wrote: You can run the push/pull without the push(which really pulls). I have used a singale cable on 26's,28's and currently 29's for years with no issues. The dual system is a safty .
Wayne

Ah ok, thanks, that makes sense. I'm assuming that the push pull fails to close instead of remaining open. Kind of makes sense. Given it's already had the push pull throttle swapped out I think I will stick with my throttle choice for the time being.

kaw-a-holic wrote:

kzz1king wrote: You can run the push/pull without the push(which really pulls). I have used a singale cable on 26's,28's and currently 29's for years with no issues. The dual system is a safty .
Wayne

Thanks Wayne, I thought we had to have it. I'll have to try that. Sorry if I misled you Gordy.

No need to apologise, I'm very glad you brought it up. I wouldn't have known otherwise.

Do you plan to run a single cable throttle and also remove the kill switch? If so, there is the risk that if the throttle sticks "open" you will not be able to close the throttle or kill the engine quick enough to avoid a serious problem. Ed

a good return spring with a single cable and you should be fine.

when i was young i rode my 78 z1r around with no return spring and used both cables.one to open one to close.
worked just fine .

until i got a lil overzealous with the throttle while turning through a homeland grocery store parking lot :whistle: .

i was going to do a big ol nice broad slide and lost the rear tire out from under me and sent the z1r sailing across the parking lot on it's side with the throttle hung open :sick:.

killed the engine the next day,broke a piston trashed the sleeve,beat the cases up


leon