wg's 79 KZ1000E1 ST

Have always like the shafty so I bought two... a 79 and an 80 to put together a project bike. Will eventually finish the second bike but right now I am working the 79. The project started at the end of this past January. I stripped the bike and painted the frame and started gathering parts but didn't get much farther due to work load of my business. In any case, I bought the bike in Louisiana near Sulphur. The fella who I bought it from had wanted to turn it into a KZ900 and had bought a bunch of parts that didn't fit which I subsequently sold on eBay. The first pic shows the bike as it was pictured on eBay (bought it in an auction after the "winner" had backed out). The garage isn't mine but the PO's.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/before.jpg

The bike was in worse shape than appeared in the pic. The bike might have started but compression was pretty low so I decided to do a frame off. Dutchz helped me out by morphing some pics of an ST and I decided it would eventually look like the one he pictured. I have have a black 4 into 2 that will go on otherwise, the morphed pic is pretty close I think.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/kz1000st2red2.jpg

This is how the bike looked when I got it started last January. These pics are the frame stripped, the engine stripped and the box of nasty looking parts that came off.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/framestrip.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/enginestrip.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/lotsaparts.jpg

About a week later, I got the frame cleaned up and primered then painted as shown in these pics.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/primerframe2.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/paintedframe.jpg

Later, I got many parts powdercoated including the a lot of body parts, like the battery box, headlight shell, headlight ears, etc. These are done in flat black. The engine was done in crinkle black satin. I got the engine cases, pan cover, block, head and some other small bits done. The engine parts were media blasted, all the thread was chased with a tap, a new cam chain, new rings, etc were installed and the cylinder head was gone through. Here is the engine as it looks as of today.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/enginetop.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/engine1.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeor...T/alternatorside.jpg


I have the wiring harness completely done. The speedo/tach have been cleaned up and pretty much refurbished. The body rear fenders are on. I have done much connecting as far as the electrical stuff yet. Will do that AFTER I get the brakes on. I have gone through the rear caliper and it is installed. Still need to do the front brakes. I have powdercoated the wheels and installed new bearings. The shocks are Progressive 12s.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/speedotach2.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/reardrive2.jpg


The body work has been sanded and two coats of primer/sealer were shot. I haven't gotten the base and clear yet but probably will start shooting soon if we get some cooperative weather.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/bodyinprimer2.jpg

Anyway, work goes slowly but I am starting to pick up some momentum. All the fasteners are stainless btw, except for a few special sized ones as I didn't feel like cleaning rusty stuff again. Anyway, will add some pics as the thing progresses. It should look more like a bike in a week or two. wg 10/16/2006

Great start WG!!!! cant wait to join ya in this Project Forum! Ummm...... would anyone have an honest objection to me postin my CB750 project???:pinch: :blush:

Post edited by: JUSTICE114, at: 2006/10/16 17:37

Nice real nice .
And if you are looking to go up to a 1100 I got 82 1100 parts engine,electical,rear suspention.

Cool bike WG... you started your st project a little after I started mine... interesting to see how we've taken a different direction with them... it'd be cool to see a pic of them side by side when they're both done... Mid-Ohio next year?

Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Claude

Keep up the good work.

Good photo essay WG...I'm likin' your progress.

Since the last post, I have made a little progress. I got the rest of the painting supplies Saturday AM but... the weather was threatening so I didn't paint. I finished up the electrical stuff except for installing the coils and coil relay. Got the mirrors, grips and switchgear all working. The new pipes are installed as well as all engine covers. Sorry for the lousy pics... the new digital camera seems to be in perpetual blur mode...

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/progress004.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/progress001.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/progress003.jpg

Well, I spent some evenings this past week and got the job done that started last January. The paint work came out decently and proved that prep work is the key since all the mistakes I made due to lack of prep showed up in the finish. I also need to make paint racks the next time so I don't slop paint out the hole in the top of the paint container in the gun on my work as I bend over. I also mixed too much and the metallic separated slightly and it can be seen in places. The basecoat is easy to shoot while I tended to go thin on the clearcoat. Mike, a friend from San Antonio came over and gave me some tips on the clear and it went better after that. I started the bike and timed it today. Found oil leaks at the outer stud nuts where the oil journals are so I re-annealed the washers and sealed with black Permatex. Hopefully it won't leak. Will try and get it registered next week some time. Anyway... here are some pics...

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeor.../done_rt_quarter.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/done_claudia2.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/done_rt2.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeor...one_ftnt_quarter.jpg

wiredgeorge wrote:

Well, I spent some evenings this past week and got the job done that started last January. The paint work came out decently and proved that prep work is the key since all the mistakes I made due to lack of prep showed up in the finish. I also need to make paint racks the next time so I don't slop paint out the hole in the top of the paint container in the gun on my work as I bend over. I also mixed too much and the metallic separated slightly and it can be seen in places. The basecoat is easy to shoot while I tended to go thin on the clearcoat. Mike, a friend from San Antonio came over and gave me some tips on the clear and it went better after that. I started the bike and timed it today. Found oil leaks at the outer stud nuts where the oil journals are so I re-annealed the washers and sealed with black Permatex. Hopefully it won't leak. Will try and get it registered next week some time. Anyway... here are some pics...

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeor.../done_rt_quarter.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/done_claudia2.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeorge/ST/done_rt2.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/wiredgeor...one_ftnt_quarter.jpg

much improvedB)

The blur is caused by carb cleaner or some similar solvent. LOL Jamie Boy said,"He finally got it finished"? Gotta love that kid.
He still wears his scorpion you gave him "all the time".Great lookin bike. Now for the shake down cruise. Roy

My slack season at the carb business is last couple weeks of Dec through the middle of January. I got silly and bought the project from a guy in Louisiana last January and brought it home and disassembled it and painted the frame. It sat until about two months ago. I did some of the parts like the wiring harness and switch gear and finally took the engine apart for the powder coated about two months ago I guess. I had most of the other body parts powder coated... like the wheels and headlight ears and triple trees, etc. Once I got the bike on its wheels and the bottom end in, I got excited and started working on it in the evenings. I am not very motivated to work on bikes in the evening since I work on carburetors all day. Just getting a "new" bike under me gets my juices going. I procrastinated on the painting since I hadn't done any real painting and the unfamiliar is always a road block... anyway, done now and waiting for tags.