Saving a '81 KZ750-E

Skidmark wrote: Anyone have any tips on how to get a brake caliper piston unstuck? It's been soaking in penetrating oil for a few days now, but still won't budge... this is on the rear caliper.

Compressed air and grease guns will do the trick on single piston calipers, but if you ever get into multiple piston brakes, or just want a terribly cool tool for those singles, this is the bee's knees. With twelve pistons on the front of my ZRX, I would be absolutely mad without it

www.kwick.biz/product/kwick-brake-caliper-piston-pliers/

I've been working on the brakes (obviously), and cleaning/refinishing as I go along. I bead blasted the rear caliper mount. Going to repaint it semigloss black. I also repainted the fork lowers.

While I have been working on getting the rear brake system disassembled, I drug out the front brakes. These are going to need some love, too. They have seen better days.

I kinda like that sexy curve in the brake lever :silly:

I heard you were into "the curve"....

Skidmark wrote: I heard you were into "the curve"....

The rear master cylinder has a frozen piston as well. So for lunch today, I am whipping up a batch of caliper soup on my shop stove. Once I get the pistons out, I will decide if they have to be replaced or not. At least the front brakes are only 15 years old and still have fluid in them.

I wouldn't waste time on that master. It's junk. Sure to be corroded on the inside. I had a dickens of a time finding a good, corrosion free, unit for my 750. It can be done though, or you can adapt something newer to work.

If that proves to be the case, I will run a more modern unit and make new mounts for it. I am going to do rear sets, so the linkage to the brake pedal is all changing anyways. I am still researching rear set options, universal, or otherwise. I emailed Raask, but got no reply. The only Tarozzi's I can find are for an '80, or '82. Not sure if the '81 has the same spacing or not.

Instead of buying somebodies rearsets for your 750E, just make them. You already have the bosses on your frame you can use to mount the rearsets. I started out on mine with some 1/4 inch good grade aluminum for the brackets, and the buddy pegs from a '76 Kz900. I copied the bracket shape from my old Kawasaki road racer. They are the same on both sides. Most of my shifter linkage is from the '82 GPz750. Only the shift lever itself is not from the GPz750. That you would have to fab up yourself.

The brake side I even used a Kz750E master cylinder with a longer linkage to connect to the brake pedal. The footpeg again is a buddypeg from the '76 Kz900. The brake lever is from my old Kawasaki road racer. That would be the only piece you would have to fab up. I mounted the rear master to the frame with two simple brackets welded to the frame. I used a simple spring setup to return the brake pedal. I used a old style brake light switch and spring for my rear brake switch. I come from the K.I.S.S. way of doing things, Keep It Simple Stupid!!!!!

To me all those aftermarket rearsets just look too cluttered for my taste. I like to go for that clean uncluttered look myself.

You do really nice safety wiring, btw...