La Bruta Z1000J

Ola,

This will become my build thread/log for my kawasaki z1000j from 81? 82?

This will be a slow build, because right now it's in school, and I only get to work on it once a week, and it will depend on funds too of course. Sooner or later it will be sitting at home. I don't mind it since I have another project as well, and it gives me time to think about what I want. It will definitely not be stock.

This is my most powerful motorcycle I owned till now so I can't wait to get on that beast, but as said, it might take some time. And it doesn't matter, since building can be as fun as riding.


The previous owner told me that he thinks the engine seized up from running with too little oil. Its been standing outside for 5 years maybe.

Here she is when I just got her:





I don't believe it seized up, but I couldn't get her into gear. Clutch etc was sticking but I could only get her into 1st an neutral. My teacher said that I should start looking for another engine...

I didn't want to believe that so I googled it, and apparently these bikes have a positive neutral finder? I've just read the whole technical stuff about it and when I look at the parts diagrams this bike should have it too since I can see those three balls. But since I haven't started the bike yet I cannot know for sure.

I'll be checking if the engine is loose or not, try to get her running, and if not do a compression test and see what has to happen. I will see, but I'm confident it will be ok.

Pull the right side timing cover (two bolts, round cover) and try to rock the crank with a 17mm wrench (pull plugs and put a little penetrating oil or motor oil in there to see if it moves at all.

Good luck, love the J models.
pS if you are doing a rebuild/restore you don't need to "find another engine" they're dead simple to work on, learn now so you have the base to work on if you wanna go bigger, change cams etc.

Bike wont shift into 2nd unless you're moving forward.
Try to turn engine by hand to see if it spins.
If not, dissassemble.. low oil probably means seized pistons, and in the worst of the cases a damaged crank.
Only one way to find out...

Hello Lacher...where are you located? Nice save of the J model, BTW.

Thanks for the tips everyone. Mcdroid I'm from Belgium. And thanks

Guess what.

The engine is not seized (yihaaa!). Turned the crank and it was loose. Took a car battery and checked for spark, and didn't get spark on two cylinders. And yes!
The only problem there was, was that a wire from one of the coils got loose :laugh: Soldered it, took some gas, and tried to start it..

Guess what! It ran.... Didn't even have to clean the carbs. There must have been some very good pure gasoline in it I don't know, otherwise I cannot imagine it would have started after sitting outside for 5 years! It reacted very good on the gas, no sputtering, no backfire, nothing. Perfect idle, unbelievable.

Then I was obliged to clean the brakes since they were dragging badly. Cleaned the calipers. Still have to bleed the front calipers but I didn't have time left. Now I can roll it onto the bench without help now hehe. Forgot my camera, but I'll be going tomorrow too to get some picture updates.

PS: Got it shifting through the gears now while it was running. So it has that positive neutral finder stuff for sure! That made me happy

Good news on the J model! I thought you might be in Europe...the tank style on the Euro models is the GPz tank...in North America, we got the smaller tanks.

Nice!
Post pics!!!

McDroid don't forget us in Canada we got that tank on the J3 too. Larcher that is awesome that it runs so well after 5 years outside. Good luck

Mcdroid wrote: Good news on the J model! I thought you might be in Europe...the tank style on the Euro models is the GPz tank...in North America, we got the smaller tanks.

barney wrote: McDroid don't forget us in Canada we got that tank on the J3 too. Larcher that is awesome that it runs so well after 5 years outside. Good luck

Mcdroid wrote: Good news on the J model! I thought you might be in Europe...the tank style on the Euro models is the GPz tank...in North America, we got the smaller tanks.

Yeah...I figured you would catch me on that one :laugh:

Teehee :laugh: :blink:

Yes I think I can call myself a lucky man :laugh:

Anyways, I took out the front end to see what difference it is with a kawasaki zx7r front end but found some problems.










So I'm not sure but I think this suspension is very short. In total with the wheel I think there is a difference of 12cm + the offset. In total I think the zx7r is approximately 102cm, and stock 113cm. I don't have my measurements by hand.
Plus, the steering stem is very thick on the zx7r, and I think 2cm shorter, so I would have to mill a new steering stem and press it in. But I don't have a milling machine. I'm still thinking what to do.


I still need to investigate, but I see a lot of people using gsxr forks? Are they longer? Is the stem length the same? Thickness? I have to research.

I did start cleaning the brakes of the zx7r anyways, calipers and mc.





Next week I'll do the fork seals since one is leaking. But I don't know yet if I will be using the front end. I have to dig into that.

The easiest way would be to swap the stems. If you need to make for size difference you can have a collar made. I had to have made when I swapped stems on my Honda to run zx9 forks. Fortunately for me the zx9 stem was hollow ans the right size for my Honda stem to be pressed in to. My buddy cut the zx9 stem and used part of it as a collar.