GPZ750R1 -82 Will it be yet an other green Kwack

I thought that it would never happen again, but I was wrong. The other day my buddy Erik was at a BBQ event with our scubadiving club and one of the club’s members was mumbling about that he needed to clear out his garage and there was a bike that had been standing there for the last 6 six years. He told everybody that the bike could go cheap. When Erik heard that it was a Gpz750R1 -82 he said:

– I think I know the right buyer.



Erik who is a childhood friend of mine and we have shared a lot of interests over the years bikes, road racing and as we grow older technical diving.

Erik called me up and told me it’s time for me to get back on a bike. The price is right he said, the guy selling the bike is asking for a bottle of Whiskey for it.

Done deal, 28 years after I sold my last bike, the Gpz750 -82 that I had raced road racing with I was back.

So last week Erik went to pick up the bike and paid the seller of with a bottle of Highland Park 12 year for a merge 409:- SEK (50 USD). It was a bike in despair and desperate need of love.
We had been told that the starter was bust but Erik managed to get it started, but it ran like a pile #¤%&.

We set this weekend of to get it going. Last week Ordering service parts and chasing down a starter online.
Finally it was time for a Kwack weekend of love!

Up at the crack of dawn we started to rip down the essentials, drain, remove carbs and it was funny how it all came back, all the little tricks needed to get it done without cursing all living things was still there after all these years.





The carbs where a sorry sight, 32 years of grit evenly spread over the floats, jets, the lot and to top it off the hole bike was more or less covered in oil infused road dust.



But before it was time for the Swedish fika break, we had the bike together and a very short shopping list to go with it.
Fired the bike up and at ran almost as bad as before.
-Crap! We forgot to clean the idle jet!
If you don’t get it right the first time, do it again, carbs out, open, clean pilot jets, close back on.
And she runs like a charm!



So now the fun starts.
I will just ride the bike this summer and collect parts to do a little upgrade this winter. I will leave the engine, I am too old and fragile to tune. This time it will be all for the looks.
Anybody with good experiences with Swingarm, fork and wheel swaps?
Pls. let me know because she will need new wheels to carry 21 century tires.

You can still get good tires for it unless you want to drag the pegs a lot.
Steve

Nice find, you gave him the bottle of whisky to drink first then negotiated the price

Those R1 are such great bikes, 75% of an ELR for less than 25% of the price, probably just as rare now. They handle very nicely too.

I'm debating about bright red or white for the respray on mine.

Wow great deal on a great bike. Here is my 82 GPz750R1, turned it into an ELR clone. Used the swingarm and shocks off a 1999 ZRX1100. Swapped a warmed up 82 GPz1100 engine into it also. The thing is an absolute blast to ride. Handles like the 750 but has over 100 HP, weighs 420 pounds and is wicked fast. If you got any ?? let me know.

Baldy that R1 is the ultimate, probably better than the real thing.

What I really like about the old GPz'550 and 750 is not many people 'get' them. Every man and his dog used to like my ELR and GSX11, but the early GPz twin shocks are a bit of a cult bike. Works for me, cheaper for me to hoard

Pretty handy to have a buddy that is between jobs, se the wheels comes off without me even being there. Unfortunately the stock sizes weren’t available at the local rubber dealer, so were still a couple of days away from the real premiere and she will need a road inspection before it’s time.



Tks for the feedback the inspiration pic’s baldy110. Totally awesome!

I think I will stick with the old engine, maybe swap it for a kettle later on, but right now it’s all about the looks.

My original Gpz that bought in 1983 and I used as a Race/Road bike until 1989 served just fine, but it got a bit fragile when I tuned and race it, so for now I will let that part be. Back then it wasn’t much of a looker.



@ Tyrell, my race bike was briiiight yellow with the ELR strips in blue/white for most parts, but it got resprayed a couple of times after I had run out of luck or track, whatever came first.


But after I sold it to another buddy of mine that still cling on to it has turned out absolutely awesome, very much like baldy’s.
Sporting a 1483cc Gpz 1100 engine, carbon fiber tank and all the other goodies one could wish for. (I will ask Tommy if he minds if I put up a larger collection of pics.





Right now I will just scan the net trying to stock up on just the right parts to keep the lights on in the garage this coming winter. Tomorrow I have my sight set on a pair of Öhlins.

Nice find and save, subaanders...I have a special place in my heart for GPz's

Damn, I am really starting to fall in love with the GPZs great find! I don't know what it is about these Kawasakis but I am addicted.

scubaanders wrote:

Holy crap.

Tusch wrote:

scubaanders wrote:

Holy crap.

I'll bet there's a shower of sparks if he ever runs through a right hand turn in a spirited fashion! :woohoo: That pipe is going to ground in a hurry! Why bother with rearsets? :laugh: :laugh: Ed

Don't like it, the exhaust looks ridiculous and that front mudguard and the 17" wheels looks all wrong to me.

each to their own.

That collector is pretty centered. I doubt it will drag. The rear wheel looks out of place though.
Steve