KZ650 cafe-racer

I did some sandpapering:



And polishing. Dunno why I did it, as it’s likely that later I will drill and thread hole/ holes for brake hose clamp/clamps. However, rod looked nice once it was finished. So let’s suppose, that I did polishing to cease the itch of wish to see ready part.

Let’s install torque rod:



Yep! Result was exactly as I planned: torque rod and chain guard look like eggs from the same nest.







Surely, once you took a look on photos above, you noticed, that right shock absorber body is in black, while body of left is in silver. According to my design bodies of both shocks would be in black and I was curious to see how they will look once painted. However, it would be lunacy to do them with rattle can just to see if I am right. So I imitated black painting using black Oracal film and electrical tape. And it looks like this idea of mine was also good.

Nice work gazzz! Really like your attention to detail.

Gazzz,

I would comment on your build but I imagine it would be akin to a tourist giving his opinion of the Sistine Chapel to Michelangelo while he's still working on it.
However, I was wondering if you might elaborate a bit on how you and your mysterious partner in France collaborate on your projects. I ask because as a seemingly casual aside, you brilliantly described the wonderful garage cooperative environment which frankly I found to be the most interesting blurb I've read this year.

Thank you!

hammmy wrote: Gazzz,

I would comment on your build but I imagine it would be akin to a tourist giving his opinion of the Sistine Chapel to Michelangelo while he's still working on it.
However, I was wondering if you might elaborate a bit on how you and your mysterious partner in France collaborate on your projects. I ask because as a seemingly casual aside, you brilliantly described the wonderful garage cooperative environment which frankly I found to be the most interesting blurb I've read this year.

Gosh! I am nothing but a motorcycle addict with constantly itching mind.

My only partner in Gazzz Garage, is Oksana, who is based as I am, in Kiev. We started whole thing of building bikes together, and we are still kicking and alive, and working on our projects - that's quite a result nowadays. In France lives one friend of mine, who is great enthusiast of motorcycles. In fact, all my friends are motorcyclists, as whole my life since seventeen or eighteen have been rotating around motorcycles. Now I am 39. But it's a long story, let's return to the project: this French friend of mine has large workshop (ground floor of his house was in fact Peugeot service station before he bought it), and I hope to finish project in that workshop.

As for cooperation of garages regulars: it still works in some way. However, when during project I need the work done which I couldn't do efficiently on my own, I prefer predictable results of work of my constant professional subcontractors: painter, owner of CNC workshop, guy who works with fiberglass, and man who does seat upholstery and cushioning, TIG welder, and so on. It's simpler to pay and get result that matches my standards. However, in time relations with some subcontractors became very friendly, as it happens to people that have something in common.

Looks like I have a question which I couldn't figure out on my own. I already have OEM cylinder base gasket 11009-046 (black with red sealant) and it's no good. Even if it looked good and wasn't dried out when arrived it crumpled under my fingers.



I have plan B: to use aftermarket cylinder base gasket. In combination with sealant rubbed int it it would work. However, I don't like the idea of aftermarket gaskets in key points like those under cylinder block. So I found out that part with number 11009-046 was superseded by gasket with part number 11060-1362



And I wonder, if anyone have experience with this part number or similar type of gasket on other KZs and is this gasket any good?

So far I've only had bad luck with old OEM gaskets. I found a compatible one for my 750 by going through the supersession chain until I hit the 90's (it's a coated metal gasket) but in the future I'll probably stick to Vesrah gaskets. I checked for the 650's and 11060-1362 seems to be the newest version.

calum wrote: So far I've only had bad luck with old OEM gaskets. I found a compatible one for my 750 by going through the supersession chain until I hit the 90's (it's a coated metal gasket) but in the future I'll probably stick to Vesrah gaskets. I checked for the 650's and 11060-1362 seems to be the newest version.

I assume that metal gasket was from Kawasaki Zephyr 750. I have no issues with it even after more than 70K km except of non critical oil sweating right under the timing chain tensioner.

And yep, 11060-1362 is the newest version of KZ650 gasket.

gazzz wrote: I assume that metal gasket was from Kawasaki Zephyr 750. I have no issues with it even after more than 70K km except of non critical oil sweating right under the timing chain tensioner.

Yep, that's the one. Good to know it will last.

WOW!
Gazzz, your build is looking insane! ..specially these wheels - pure charm haha..

Oh I think there was more people in here trying to fit the same KN air filter - including me. Looking now, your solution seems fantastic! Would you be up to share your CAD file of the adapter you created?

Thank you

Thank you for good words!

I gladly share information, tips and tricks, however I never share blueprints. If I work out ready product (bolt-on solution which needs no modification of carburetors) I'll inform KZRider community about such option. There are some nuances with bolt-on solution: for instance I found out that outer diameter of intakes of carburetors with accelerating pump is slightly larger than those of carburetors without pump. And VM24 -s are very heavy, so I didn't like idea to leave them mount only to intake manifolds, so I am working on solving this issue too.