Another KZ1100 Cafe/Streetfighter Build

Haha, no problem. I took off just enough material for them to need to be tapped in with a mallet. Now I need to get the end caps cleaned up and painted, and get some nice bolts for them.

Wow, it's been 8 months already! The project was on hold while I was working on starting a small business. Now that I've got some free time I've gotten a bit more work done on the KZ (though at this point it's more ZX6R than KZ haha).

This is how it sits as of now. I also got the cylinders and head put on, but I need a ft/lb torque wrench for the head nuts.


The main issue I've run into is chain alignment. Based on my measurements the chain line is off by 3/4". There seems to be quite a bit of material that could be machined off of the rear sprocket carrier, though I'm not sure how much can be taken off safely. The largest offset counter shaft sprocket that doesn't require an outboard bearing support seems to be 5/8". If I could take 1/4" off the sprocket carrier and then get a 1/2" offset sprocket- that should work - right? :huh:

yessir you can shave the cush drive down.
i have done several,




the amount that can be removed varies but i have removed as much as 3/8's before.



leon

I measured again and it's actually 7/8" off...

This is all very new to me, but If I run a 530 chain, 5/8" offset sprocket (I think that's safe to run without a bearing support?), and machine the cush drive 1/4" I should be fine - right?
The only clearance I need to worry about is inside the chain/sprocket cover, the swing arm pivot tube, and the tire edge.

:S :S :S :S :S

When I went through this it took a lot of head scratching and measuring.I wanted a 180 tyre but that wouldve meant an offset wheel or a chunk out of the frame downtube. In the end, I shaved the sprocket carrier and went with a 160 tyre and ,I think a 530 chain. This gave me about 7mm clearance twixt the chain and tyre and twixt the chain and the frame downtube.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about frame clearance, as the shaft drive frame I'm using is much wider at the drive side.

Back from the dead!

Since the last update I've gotten the engine back together, carbs cleaned and jetted for pods. It runs okay but has a leak in at least two of the carb boots for sure, so I've ordered a set of new ones. I need to figure out what I'm going to do for exhaust.

I experimented with different shock lengths using laser cut plywood "shocks" and I think 320mm is a good length. Here's how it sits with that length.



As this was originally a shaft drive bike I don't know what gear ratio would be best. I can get 5/8" (12 spline because of the GPZ 1100 output shaft) offset sprockets in 16, 17, and 18 tooth. I'm thinking 17, but would love an expert opinion.

As much as I love the beefyness of that tank, it's too wide at the front and impacts the turning radius with the clip-ons. Unless I want to be honking the horn every time I turn left I'm going to either have to get raised clip-ons or swap to a thinner tank.

Not sure if it's what you're after, but you could always shape the front of the tank to give you a bit more clearance with the clip-ons like this style: www.tabclassics.com/uploaded/1407825734D...617%20(1024x685).jpg

Love the build, by the way. I'd go a touch longer on the shocks, but that's just me. Keep the updates coming!

Tesserac_T wrote: Back from the dead!

.......................As much as I love the beefyness of that tank, it's too wide at the front and impacts the turning radius with the clip-ons. Unless I want to be honking the horn every time I turn left I'm going to either have to get raised clip-ons or swap to a thinner tank.

You really don't need to do either of those things. You can just modify the front fork stops on the frame so the fork movement is limited by the stops before the clip-ons touch the tank since you'll never need that much fork swing when riding anyway. Ed

Shimmy wrote:
... I'd go a touch longer on the shocks, but that's just me. Keep the updates coming!

Would that be for aesthetics or functionality? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to suspension geometry and whatnot so I'm definitely open to advice.

Keep in mind that when you sit on the bike the shocks will compress some. Ed

Tesserac_T wrote:

Shimmy wrote:
... I'd go a touch longer on the shocks, but that's just me. Keep the updates coming!

Would that be for aesthetics or functionality? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to suspension geometry and whatnot so I'm definitely open to advice.

Just looks-wise, I think it'd level it out nicely. Anyone who knows about suspension can go ahead and tell me to take a flying leap.

Also, like Ed mentioned, you'll want to put in steering stops to limit fork movement; the suggestion about the indents at the front of the tank was because sometimes with the modern forks on the old bikes, you have to limit the steering so much you need to do 37-point U-turns, so something like that might give you a bit more movement.