Back From The Dead -- 1979 KZ1000 LTD

Thank you for the welcome! I actually have been a member of this site since 2010...    I used to be on here quite a bit - Unfortunately I've learned that a couple of the guys I used to interact with back then have passed away... Life is strange, and takes us strange directions sometimes... BUT I think that those of us who have been in the KZ world for any length of time are typically addicted for life! As I mentioned earlier, I bought a Z900RS when they came out in 2018. It's been a great bike and it really distracted me from my KZ addiction for some time- but it's just not the same! Where I think I went wrong in years past was too much chasing perfection on these old bikes. Now that I have that Z that I keep meticulous and perfect all of the time, that is enough for me to stress over! I really think there's something neat about the character and patina of an unrestored or lightly restored bike these days as well. This 79 has plenty of that patina and character and you just can't replace or replicate that!

I'm looking forward to checking out your Z1 post!

Hey Matt,
The post is "why a KZ before another motorcycle?"   My journey starts about halfway down page 2, and updated on pages 3-4. 
Scheduled for this off season: 
-converting to cast wheels, KZ1000A 19" front and Z1R 18" rear along with convert to rear disc brake.
-rebuilding original ported head (the one on it now is from a parts bike) and if needed, new rings and a quick hone. ( might as well while the head is off )
Believe it or not, some people don't get that we think this sh_t is fun!    

sf4t7 wrote:

Hey Matt,
The post is "why a KZ before another motorcycle?"   My journey starts about halfway down page 2, and updated on pages 3-4. 
Scheduled for this off season: 
-converting to cast wheels, KZ1000A 19" front and Z1R 18" rear along with convert to rear disc brake.
-rebuilding original ported head (the one on it now is from a parts bike) and if needed, new rings and a quick hone. ( might as well while the head is off )
Believe it or not, some people don't get that we think this sh_t is fun!    

If you have a moment, please post the link for me- I'm having a hell of a time trying to find it via search...

Thanks!

Put the whole title in the search box, you might have to scroll down thru the first page or so of results.  I'm not sure how to attach a link in my reply.
Oh, and don't forget to use the magnifying glass icon instead of "enter " -  took me a few tries to figure that one out

madmatt1 wrote:

If you have a moment, please post the link for me- I'm having a hell of a time trying to find it via search...

Thanks!

Why a Kz before another motorcycle? - KZRider Forum - KZRider, KZ, Z1 & Z Motorcycle Enthusiast's Forum





 

Ah! Thank you for sharing the link, Wookie-

Scotty - that was fun reading and looking at the photos- you really did a great job giving the Z1 a second shot at life! It looks good! 👍

I thought some of you guys may get a kick out of another non-runner I took home right around the same time. It's a 1971 CL100 with about 4,000 miles on it. This one took a matter of a few hours to get running and riding, and it's an absolute blast. Starts on the first kick and idles off choke in seconds after a good carb clean and tune up! It's in my living room now, sleeping until spring.

After enough ripping around my neighborhood enough times, I was getting comfortable with the idea that I may be able to actually ride the bike into town and "make an honest bike out of her" at the DMV. I finally got a week day off and got up early to do bike stuff all day. It was a brisk but beautiful December day, and I figured I'd better take the opportunity. You never know when the weather here in Idaho will flip... I ended up riding around all day, and the bike didn't miss a beat. The carburetors are really impressing me all through the RPM range, and I realize I needed these on my last bike! I did realize that my turn signals were acting crazy when it was running.... They were blinking so fast you couldn't even see the flashing. Hmmm.
Well, it was getting late and time to head back to the garage to figure that out. It was a good day!!








 

After coming home and enjoying a couple of cold snacks, I quickly found the culprit to the malfunctioning turn signals. Luckily it was a simple plug in unit, and swapping it out with a turn signal flasher corrected the operation!



 

My new license plate came in - I'm officially back! 😎

Also ordered up some new OEM orange turn signal lenses (yes, they're still available!)

BTW, I manage a Kawasaki parts department, so I'd like to invite anyone to contact me with any parts help they need!!

 

 

After a good bit of running and riding, I decided I'd dump the oil again. I believe that there are a couple of instances where you just can't overdo the oil changes - When the engine is new or overhauled, and when it's been awakened after years of sitting. I've had a couple of instances where I brought an engine back after years off the road and was horrified at the stuff that started finding it's way out! This particular KZ did not want to break tradition. To my initial shock and confusion, I was seeing all kinds of red / orange chunks in the catch pan as the oil drained. My initial thoughts went straight to that horrible orange RTV that we all dread discovering on vehicles we acquire second, third, fourth hand. It quickly became evident that it was NOT RTV, but thin flat pieces of a plastic like material, all uniform in thickness and lots of similar sized / shaped pieces. After a good amount of stewing about it, I thought that perhaps the stator was coming apart. I couldn't think of another reasonable possibility, so I pulled the cover off to have a look. Now, keep in mind that I've never owned a KZ newer than a '78 prior to this one, so I had never seen the rotor / stator setup that this '79 has! I quickly realized that all of the epoxy that was on the face of the ROTOR magnets had separated and gone into the oil pan. I was worried that this might mean the rotor was ready to throw its magnets into space, so I decided to take it apart and give it a good inspection.