Newbie wants to restore 78 KZ650

Greetings from north of Toronto Canada!

I am 45 yrs old and last rode about 20 years ago when I had a 74 Honda CB550. Just before I got married I sold my beloved bike without knowing that it would be a problem getting another bike. For 20 years, I've been getting the old "choose the bike or a divorce" line. Well I've finally decided to ditch the...never mind.

No, just kidding. My friend Bob's friend Vic from Winnipeg was storing his 1978 KZ650 in Bob's barn and I've had my eye on it for the past 5 years. Three years ago Vic said I could have the bike when I made a half serious but nevertheless hollow offer to restore it. It's taken me this long to actually pick it up (truth is, Bob's moving to Ottawa so I didn't have a choice). So it's in my garage now and I have to make the big decision to embark upon a restoration or not. My hidden agenda was this...keep the klunker kicking around for a while under the premise of bike restoration, warm up the wife to the idea of a bike, then ease into a brand new comfortable state of the art touring Goldwing or the like.

My friend Norm helped me pick up the bike last night. He's a competetive motorcycle trials rider and a real gearhead. He keeps laughing at me and trying to convince me not to start this project. Last night my wife saw the bike and said "it looks like junk, won't it cost you more to restore it than to buy a new one?" So far, my plan is ahead of schedule and working like a charm.

But here's the thing...now that I have the bike, the more people laugh at the idea of restoring it, the more determined I am to do it!

Mechanically speaking, the 78 KZ650 comes from the same era as my 74 CB550 and I've had that bike in pieces down to the crankcase before (when I was 18) so it shouldn't be too much of a technical challenge...gravity fed carbs, air-cooled, no fancy electronics, tires are still inflated and there's still compression...how bad could it be. The bulk of it will be finding replacement parts and the cost. Time I have plenty of.

Any thoughts? Words of encouragement or discouragement? Where should I start my quest? What resources can you point me to? Thanks in advance for your help!

Don

I would see if you can even get it running to begin with, actually check the compression with a gauge, drain the tank and put fresh gas in it, pull the bowls off the carbs and see how crappy they are, clean if necessay, put fresh plugs in it, change the oil, jumper the battery off your car without the car running or put a slow charge into it if it will take it. Set the choke and see if it runs. At least then you will have some idea where you stand with it. Ask questions along the way, that's what we are here for,,
And I know all too well what you mean when someone tells you it can't be done, been there done that. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Ride safe.

So, Don, which is it....'78....or '79 ??
Regardless, these are great bikes....although the handling of the D models (with the chopperish looks and the 16" rear wheel) leaves a lot to be desired, IMHO...
but that's just me. It may just suit you perfectly.
As Milkman says, sort out the carbs and fuel and sparks and see what the engine is like.....THEN go from there.
I think once you get the old girl fettled properly you'll enjoy the heck out of her....and meet a whole bunch of people who "had one just like that in high school" or variations of that kind of story.
Keep us posted as to your progress.
Oh...one last thing....as a man married to the same woman for 35 years, NEVER ask a woman about ANYTHING to do with bikes. NEVER NEVER NEVER !!!! Remember that it's always easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission......right??!!??

Post edited by: H2RICK, at: 2007/06/16 01:10