New guy with a KZ650 C2 - my story

Hello everybody,

Here is a little info on how I came about acquiring a 1978 KZ650 C2. Back in November of 07 my father happened to be over at my house and he said he had saved some money up to buy a motorcycle. My father was a recovering addict and the fact that he saved $1000 towards a bike floored me so I wanted to help him in any way I could. That day, we scoured craigslist for a bike that was within his price range. We saw a few bikes that fit the bill but almost all of them needed some sort of work. Those wouldn't do because my father had no house and no tools and needed a bike that was "ready to ride". And then there it was! A 1978 Kawasaki KZ650. The owner said it needed nothing so it was just what we were looking for. The price was right and the bike was not far from where we were.

Long story short. He checked out the the bike, negotiated on the price a little, and bought it. That was in November of 07, my father passed away in April of 2008 at the age of 55. The only person the bike could have gone to was me. I had a friend drive it to my house because I had no idea how to drive a motorcycle. The bike was immediately garaged while I contemplated selling it. Truth be told, I am scared of motorcycles. I mean REALLY scared of them. I had a bad experience with a 3-wheeler when I was younger and I sweared off anything other than a car. So here I am with a KZ650 sitting in my garage and all I am doing is just starting it every once in a while to keep things lubed up. I was going back and forth about selling the bike. It seemed like such a waste to just sit there so I knew I had to make a decision. After time, the bike started to grow on me a little. Partially because it belonged to my father. It sort of reminded me of him. They were both weathered with age but both had character. Now when I look at the bike it reminds me of him.

One day I was hanging out with my wife and kids in the garage and I cranked the KZ up and let it idle and I got this crazy notion of actually riding the thing! I have no license, no insurance, no experience, no helmet, and this unnatural fear of motorcycles. Maybe the fear would be enough to get me safely around the block a few times. I looked at my wife and gave her "that look" and she knew exactly what I wanted to do without saying a word. She said, "Just don't do anything stupid and get hurt." Fair enough. I slipped on some throwdown mechanix gloves and coasted it down the driveway and slipped into gear and I was off. I stalled once and never got it above 30mph. My palms were white because of the death grip I had on the throttle. All I did was drive it around the block but that's all it took.

I finally understood why my father loved riding so much.

Soon I will have the MSF class under my belt and will be able to ride legally. My gear (helmet, gloves, jacket) is on it's way as I type this. I am glad I decided to keep the bike.

-Shane
League City, TX

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Welcome Shane! Great story and good looking bike. You've come to the right place for any info on your bike. Look around, remember the search function is your friend, in both the current forums and the archives. If you can't find what you are looking for, also remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. There is a vast amount of collective knowledge here which the members are more than willing to share. Enjoy!

Welcome to KZr Shane, and my condolences on your father passing away.

Having lost my father in '97 in his mid-50's, your recollection of your father and his love for bikes brings back some great memories for me.
Same as you, it was my fathers love for bikes (I remember his new KZ400 he took me for rides on) that got me into motorcycling.

That sure is a sweet looking KZ650 you inherited!
I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as your father did, and just like the rest of us KZ650 owners enjoy ours.

Welcome. Sorry to hear about your father.

It's good you've decided to keep the 650. They are great bikes, and yours looks to be in very good shape.

Many happy miles on her.

Hey, thanks for the replies everyone. My father was more of a Harley guy than anything else. This KZ happened to be the right bike at the right time. Half the fun of this bike was researching exactly what kind of bike it was. I had no idea it was a "C2" until I did a little digging. Everything is original except for maybe the chrome buckets for the speedo and tach (I think the originals were black). I haven't had the chance to clean it up yet. I need to find out what the easiest way is to clean up the wheels. Anyhoo, can anyone tell me if that is a Kerker muffler on there? It doesn't have a Kerker badge so I am just assuming that it is in fact a Kerker. Any ideas?

The backside of the rear triangular mount welded to the pipe usually has Kerker stamped into it. Can't really see it unless you remove the pipe.
The end cap will have Kerker written twice (or more) in a circle.

Yours seems to be a little too high on the back end for a Kerker, but someone could have bent it up on purpose.

Yeah, I checked the backside of the triangle with a mirror and there is no logo. There is no rounded Kerker stamp on the inside of the pipe either. So, it probably isn't a Kerker. The thing sounds very nice! I just wish I knew who made it. Thanks for the responses rstnick.

Welcome Shane nice story and it is always nice to have a bike with a legacy. If I had to take a guess I'd have to say your pipe might be made by a company called Winning Performance. IIRC correctly it was started by George Kerker's ex-wife, most likely with the proceeds of her divorce settlement.:laugh: