76 KZ900 in storage since 1985. The journey begins.

sf4t7 wrote:

I vote for option #4.   Twice.  

As you know I am firmly in the "modify" camp. However, a completely stock 8000mls bike ????????? (with the exception of the front fender )

Clean it up and get it running... and stopping.. and
A. You might be surprised as Wookie said earlier and
B. You might get a few months riding and enjoyment in this season while you learn and think about what if anything further you might want to do.



 

Jimbo900 wrote:

1.  Get it running with consumables such as fluids, brake pads/shoes, tires replaced and just ride it pretty much as is.  Pros: Cheapest option, lots of cleaning within my skills and time.   Cons:  Still might look pretty rough but then again I think I’ve only ever seen one 900 on the road around here (Eastern Ontario) in years.
 

This gets my vote.

I have a GPz550 that has been in storage (unheated shed, then a climate-controlled basement) for about 30 years; she was BOTM in August 2023. A few years ago I hooked up a new battery and turned the key: all the lights worked! After some internal debate I decided to press the starter button: she turned over just like I remembered and the oil light went out right away. In theory, if I get the CR26s installed she should fire right up.

But before doing that, I want to get the brakes and tires squared away. The rubber brake lines are almost certainly not safe to use at this point and the tires definitely need to go. I would hate to get her running and then do something dumb like give in to the temptation to ride around the neighborhood and have something unpleasant happen.

Wookie58 wrote:

sf4t7 wrote:

I vote for option #4.   Twice.  

As you know I am firmly in the "modify" camp. However, a completely stock 8000mls bike ????????? (with the exception of the front fender

)

Sadly, not completely stock, remember I was young and foolish, but the shaming will have to wait until I have more pics.

Wookie and JR - you make a good point, I'll back off and agree.  Make it into a cleaned, good running barn find with low mileage.
... for a few seasons anyway.

Try your best to fight the urge to just buy a basket of aftermarket parts. Currently there are no service parts available for them and their life expectancy is untested. OEM parts will not work within the aftermarket either. Once your OEM are gone you’re stuck on the aftermarket buying and replacing train. 99% of all OEM items can be disassembled serviced and brought back into great condition that will be ready to serve you well for a long time. They’ve lasted over 40 years so far. Hardware is a particular area where you need your due diligence at its best. NOS nuts and bolts can be bought that will fit and function perfectly but most nowadays are superseded and are not year/period correct. Currently the market favors shiny, new, bling, but that will change once these bike start crapping out due to aftermarket parts unknown durability. At that point, in my opinion, the old, patinated, lovingly cared for OEM original bikes will raise to the top again. So yes the aftermarket is strong for these machines but dive in with your eyes wide open and aware of the untested durability of the parts. That being said I believe you have two options, 1) A mechanical rebuild, going through all systems and restoring them to a solid functional condition without the time and expense to make them aesthetically pretty or 2) A full restoration when OEM parts are restored to factory like new condition. 

   From what I’m seeing undercover looks pretty good. The upper fork stantions are clean, the exhaust isn’t all rusty, hopefully a good omen.  

Jimbo900 wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

sf4t7 wrote:

I vote for option #4.   Twice.  

As you know I am firmly in the "modify" camp. However, a completely stock 8000mls bike ????????? (with the exception of the front fender

)

Sadly, not completely stock, remember I was young and foolish, but the shaming will have to wait until I have more pics.
 

The "young and foolish" implies mods were done in the day.  Lots to be said for thoughtful, period-correct mods.  The vast majority of those period parts are long gone, well remembered and still desirable.  Many were robust & very well built, although sometimes produced with sketchy finishes that don't age well.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

There are only a handful of people across the world that are 100% in the restoration only camp.  I am not one of them.  My Z1B looks original but it has a few non-OEM mods, like ignition, coils, seat, paint and a few things that aren't visible unless you pull things apart.  My advice is similar to above...make it your bike but don't do anything that cannot be undone, and save the OEM parts.

Well Jimbo900,

In this thread you can see the essence of KZR. There are a wide variety of opinions, tied together by a strong passion for these old beasties. Since you asked for opinions, here is another.

First, decide what you want the end product to be. Do you want a perfect, 100 point, show quality restoration? A ratty old drag racer? A wild custom? A sweet, reliable rider you can head out into the wilderness with at a moment’s notice? The ultimate goal will dictate your path.

Don’t discount those amateur modifications you made so many years ago. I bet each one comes with a bucket full of memories. You may want to preserve them. Personally, one of the most important things to me is that the bike makes me smile every time I look at it.

TexasKZ wrote:

Don’t discount those amateur modifications you made so many years ago. I bet each one comes with a bucket full of memories. You may want to preserve them. Personally, one of the most important things to me is that the bike makes me smile every time I look at it.

I completely agree with this.  Those mods are part of your shared history, and add character to the bike.   I inherited my father's Z1, which he modified over the years with Lester mags and a Denco pipe and other cool parts.  There is no world where I would take those parts off in favor of the stock parts. Those mods are part of what make it special to me.

Regarding you question about what your restoration goals are and what you want to achieve, I very strongly suggest that you start with modest goals and focus on getting it into a running and riding state.  

Part of why I recommend that is that I personally suck at the cosmetic aspects and it's just a ton of work.  Also, I'm much more interested in making something work well and taking it out and using it, as opposed to making it look pretty and then keeping it clear.  That's just my own bias.  

But the biggest reason is that no one in the history of the world ever over-estimated how much time and effort is involved in doing a "substantial" or "proper" restoration of a vehicle.  And many many people have started with a vehicle that was running or close to running and proceeded to turn that vehicle into a large pile of parts that eventually gets sold off as a stalled "project".  I have picked up several of those stalled projects, and I've even managed to put at least one back on the road.  With that in mind, I recommend setting modest goals and trying to make incremental progress.  Focus on the mechanicals first, identify the biggest issues, focus on safety and maintenance items, and see where you end up after that.

I’ve managed to borrow a trailer so my 900 will be coming home soon.

I’m glad I found this site, not only for the inspiration to get my bike back on the road, but the sage advice from all of you.

Thank you.

Cheers,

Jimbo

x2 on DOHC's answer, that's pretty much what I did over the past 14 months and I'll be taking the Z1 for rides soon.  (new tires this week will complete this 1st and possibly only stage of the project)