KZ650 cafe-racer

My general idea for Kawasaki KZ650 cafe-racer dashboard is to made it as invisible as possible for observer but at the same time still easy readable for rider. Thus I chose headlight with opening for gauge installation. However, now when I assembled front wheel, I am thinking about larger headlight...

I like needle tachometers and in my opinion tachometer is second most important indicator after oil pressure lamp, thus I chose “analogue looking” electronic MMB 48mm tachometer to fit the slot in the headlight.

The choice of speedometer was not so simple. However, the question was sold once I stumbled upon Motogadget Motoscope mini in my web search. It turned out to be even better than on web photos : very nicely made and very small, but easy readable gauge.

And sure, the gauge set wouldn’t be complete without oil temperature gauge, simple, but very useful thing.

There is nothing surprising in fact that for Kawasaki KZ650 cafe-racer I chose fully adjustable Kayaba shocks from Kawasaki Zephyr 750. However this particular pair is a bit special as it came from Zephyr 750 D with only 5500km and no sign of rust n adjusters or springs. Rare thing so to say.







Next two lots are from Japan and both are of same manufacturer, Kijima. First are fork gaiters of same style that I used for Honda CB850 “Eight Fifteen” and Yamaha XJ “Eight ball”. Just like them.



This time I chose classic cast aluminum headlights brackets. There are a lot of “made in China” copies of this brackets so to avoid disappointment from receiving cheap made and looking parts I ordered brackets from manufacture I trust. And I wasn’t disappointed with Kijima headlight brackets. They turned out to be perfectly made: casting is clean and precise, machining well done, thus they fit fork perfectly and tight. May be finish of polishing is a bit not perfect, but this is not a problem for me.







Sure, I couldn’t get past fuel cap with integrated fuel gauge...

... and copy of Kawasaki Z900 or Z1 handlebar switches. I like design of these switches and KZ650 handlebar switches look similar to them so I decided to use them in KZ project even as I have no intention using original KZ650 wiring and ignition.

I decided to use 525 chain (as usually, D.I.D. 525VX G& so front sprocket is from Zephyr 750, pity it doesn’t fit KZ650 with that rubber damper untouched. However I think I could easily fix this issue.

However, lets finish with purchases. I think I posted enough about them to give you idea of my approach to this side of project.

I have used those handlebar switches on two of my bikes. The problem is the kill switch sticks out too far and is quite easy to accidentally switch off with your gloved hand. This is why on 77 and later models Kawi moved the lever on the switch to be at the bottom. I solved this by converting to a quick turn throttle which spaced your hand farther from the switch and also makes the front wheel optional on my kz1000... if you know what I mean

Can't wait to see it all come together.

I have used those handlebar switches on two of my bikes. The problem is the kill switch sticks out too far and is quite easy to accidentally switch off with your gloved hand. This is why on 77 and later models Kawi moved the lever on the switch to be at the bottom. I solved this by converting to a quick turn throttle which spaced your hand farther from the switch and also makes the front wheel optional on my kz1000... if you know what I mean

Thank you for information! I even didn't know that it might be so. Hope in combination with clipons it would be not so critical. Or may be I'll use some custom donut, cause front wheel option is great thing, but in this case I prefer classic look.

Can't wait to see it all come together.

So do I:laugh:

After I found out that high shouldered wheel’ rims that I ordered from Italy are not good enough for my project and was waiting for arrival of ordered substitute (this is another story), I concentrated my efforts on engine. I started from removing cylinder studs. Most of them had traces of corrosion, which is not a wonder for steel parts made some forty years ago. Initially I have intention to clean them and renew zinc plating, but studs seated in places very tight, so there was no chance to remove them undamaged. There are two general ways to remove studs: using two interlocked nuts and using special tool called “stud extractor tool”. Usually I prefer two interlocked high nuts, thus in result no thread, nor stud body is damaged. However, KZ650 stud thread is short even for two ordinary nuts and counting 40 years of sitting in aluminum this method allowed me to extract only two from twelve studs. All other studs I extracted with help of stud extractor.





Here is a couple of tips:

• Heat the stud and then let it cool. It helps to release stud’ thread interlocked with aluminum of crankcase by oxidation and rust.
• Do not try unscrew stud that stuck in one go, as amount of frictional heat will be tremendous and you’ll definitely wreck the parts. Instead unscrew stud for one or two turns, use penetrating oil on it and torque it back. Then repeat the action every time unscrewing stud further until it becomes free.

After I finished with studs I removed all steel parts from crankcase, except two nozzles of oil system. Forty years old crankcases insides were yellowish from oil depositions and I couldn’t remove that film with gasoline applied under pressure. Carburetor cleaner helped, but only in combination with rubbing, so it looked as a hell of work.









I found solution of problem on a local market of car parts. It was a synthetic detergent specially made by some local manufacturer for washing engine insides. I cautiously tested it on aluminum part and after I was sure it doesn’t “eats” aluminum I used that detergent on crankcases. Result was quite impressive: insides of crankcase became shiny.











I additionally cleaned some oxidation on outer surface of engine, checked all threads and started preparation for glass beads blasting.

I’ve made some improvised plugs and cut out a set of covers from transparent plastic to protect all essential surfaces of crankcase from glass blasting and to minimize penetration of glass beads into crankcase.







Then I loaded KZ650 cases onto my Zephyr 750 and rode to glass blasting workshop. After work was done crankcase looked much better. Now cases were as clean as possible from both inside and outside. I removed all plugs and covers. Sure, all the way I used fresh rubber gloves to keep aluminum clean and degreased.







I accurately packed crankcase and went with it to paint shop. Earlier I experimented with engine paints, but after Honda CB815 project I decided to stick with Eastwood engine paint. Their universal aluminum color is exactly shade of silver I like and it’s quite close to silver that Kawasaki use for painting engines, only a shade or two lighter. Painter did the work well and I especially glad that he prefers to paint halves of crankcase separately. That’s essential for ideal result.



After all cleaning and painting crankcase looks lovely.

I've owned my 1977 KZ650-C1 since it was new, and for sure the 1977 engines were not painted. Were later engines painted by Kawasaki? Ed

Zephyr 750 (as well as 550 and 1100) engines were definitely painted by Kawasaki.

Funny that this rubbers are still available. Kawasaki KZ650 part list calls them damper rubbers, however they have no damping function but work as plugs for drain shafts drilled in cylinder block.





Rubber idler wheels for timing chain tension system of KZ650 now are rare, and I presume those of them that could be find on ebay and marked NewOldStock may do little good. Thus I replaced tension wheel with PMC sprocket and after some thoughts I decided to replace lower idler wheel ( part number 12055-004) with upgraded version of wheel made by Liska Racing, USA. Here it is:







As you may see, it’s dimensions perfectly correspond original idler wheel, however it is equipped with needle bearing and material of surface that contact with timing chain is not rubber, but some kind of plastic. I think it might be a good upgrade even if it could make chain a bit noisier.

Every project has its own issues. You might be ready for troubles you have had before, but there is always a possibility of new issues you have never experienced before.

I was ready for troubles with searching and buying parts, and for huge delays in work of Ukrainian customs, and for situation when work takes much more time than was expected. But some situations took me unarmed. Remember that nice KZ750 cylinder head that made long way to me from USA through Germany? I cleaned it, I checked all I could, I found out that two from four exhaust valves were slightly bent thus out of game. Then, as usual, I gave it to specialized workshop that has professional NC machines to renovate valve seats and do all specter of works with cylinder heads, valves, cylinders and so on and so forth. To avoid any misunderstanding I (again, as usual) brought service manual and clearly indicated specs for valve seats. And that's the point where I got completely unexpected result: firstly they cut wrong shape and then, trying to fix this issue cut valve seat too deep, thus installed valve height was out of specs for all valves. Simple calculation showed that valve end grinding will do no good, there was no enough of end to grind. My mistake was trusting that workshop. Thus, when I gave head in work I didn't indicate actual installed valve height or even acceptable diapason of measurements, so their misdoing cost nothing for them and wrecked cylinder head for me.

I didn't wish to meddle with valve seat replacing so I decided to buy another cylinder head. I found one in Austria with description that "mileage is around 10000 km and nothing is bent, broken and all was working up to the moment of disassembling". We asked seller if this information is true and he confirmed and even sent us photo of KZ clocks with some 14K km on it. Yesterday I received the parcel with that cylinder head. And guess what?

Part of fourth exhaust valve seat is chipped. We immediately sent photos to seller, however ebay states he is on vacation to the end of month. Bad luck...