1981 KZ550c LTD

Hey everyone,

Haven't posted in the projects section yet, but figured now was a good time.

A few weeks ago, I picked up a running KZ550 for $600, it was missing a few pieces, kinda ugly, but overall it ran okay. Good starting point! Here it was after I bought it, and only kinda sprayed the grime off:




I had a few issues with weird noises coming from the rear wheel/hub, but got that sorted out with some new wheel bearings, brake shoes, and just some general maintenance. You can read about all that here if you're interested! : www.kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/602890-r...e-hub-grinding-sound


After all that, I was still missing some pieces, like mufflers, ride side cover, air filter cap/baffle plate, inner fender....etc. So I started looking on craigslist for a parts bike or something. Well, I ended up finding another 81' KZ550 LTD, non running, but had a title, and all the parts I was missing, including a 4-1 Vance and Hines Pipe. I bought that second bike for $200. After getting that bike home, and stealing the parts off of it, this is what I ended up with(sorry, terrible pictures, I've been out enjoying the bike!) Painted the rims, forks, took the side covers and gas tank(not in perfect shape, but looks better then the unpainted tank in my opinion!) from the 2nd bike...etc. This picture was before the V&H exhaust was installed.



You can see the other bike in the background. I think my goal is to just keep fixing the small issues that come up, and enjoy it for summer. And start trying to get the 2nd bike running as well, and use that as a project over the winter(get rid of the LTD rear frame, and make it straight for a more cafe style, new powdercoat on things...etc)

I'll be updating this, when I'm not out enjoying the bike, now that its running great. I love the way the V&H pipe sounds!

Big thanks to everyone on this forum so far huge help!!

-Brenton

On the second bike, when I pulled off the exhaust, there was a huge amount of white corrosion around the exhaust port, and even down on the valves it looks like. Do you think the motor is shot?



Also, when I hooked up my battery to it, to see if it would fire(this was before I took the exhaust off) It sounded like the starter only clicked once, and then the positive battery cable got super hot.

I'm really hoping I can get this bike running too, and then take it all apart, for a cafe style rebuild.

i will be interested to see how a LTD frame will make a cafe. A 550A would be a better choice but I have never seen one in the wild.

The_Proletariat wrote: i will be interested to see how a LTD frame will make a cafe. A 550A would be a better choice but I have never seen one in the wild.

Yeah, I don't think it will look quite right, so I will likely cut the LTD rear frame section off and make a new flat section