New KZ fan, Kansas City!!!

Hey guys. First bike EVER!!! 28 year old network tech. All this talk about people getting bikes everywhere for gas savings finally made my twin brother and I cave!!! (No, not for gas, just put it in our minds to much!!!) We have came so close to getting bikes soooo many times. Bad thing is Ive got a 20 mile commute on the freeway and will probally NEVER get to take her to work.

Its a 83 KZ550 LTD. Almost mint condition and deff has been garaged. 10k miles. She runs as is like a dream, just a few kinks and dry-roted tires to deal with. It came with quite the sissy bar/lugauge rack/back rest combo thing, i took that off right away. The only missing thing im aware of are the front blinkers. New tires, p-wires and handle bars will probally be all I do to her this summer.

My brother and I both decided to get old bikes, vintage somewhat, so we could have cheap but cool bikes to bomb around on. I dont know if mine is even close to the vintage category or not but I couldnt pass it up for 900 bucks. I assume its a national trend, but bikes here in KC, MO are going HIGH right now.

Welcome to KZr jp.


That sure is a sharp looking 550 you have, and appears
to be all original including the paintjob - very rare
on a 20+ y/o bike.


So why aren't you planning on using your bike to commute?
It'll keep up with traffic no prob, and getting
roughly 50 miles per gallon sure won't hurt the wallet.

Welcome to the KZR Nation. That's a very good looking bike... well done.

I'm with RRRR, 20 miles should not be a problem. When the weather is good in Montreal, I take mine to work. I tell my wife that its my 30 minute vacation going to work and another 30 minute vacation coming back... she get's it... you will too.

Best of success!

Welcome jp_goody! Nice bike you scored there! Last one of those I saw for sale was in Florida (five years ago) and the owner wanted US$2500 for it...I didn't buy it:laugh: :laugh:

Free-way commute 25 miles one way. Lovin it.
Wont touch my car anymore.

My twin brother wont touch a bike.

Welcome aboard. My little brother doesn't ride. I don't see any reason not to take your ride to work, I ride my GPZ 120+ miles every weekend for fun and around 20 miles (1 way) to work every morning.

Welcome, JP.

That is an excellent 550 you have. Good score!

As for the commute, I understand where you're coming from. City traffic can be a fright. I'd rather see someone have the good judgement not to jump in right away and instead build their confidence over time. Ride within your confidence level. In the mean time just bombing around the neighbor is great fun as well.

That bike is super clean! In my opinion you got a good deal on that bike because it needs so little.

Thanks for the replies eveyone.
Yeah, Im just bombing around town for now, its a blast and very addicive.
Ridding the freeway is deff a scarry thought, im sure everone says this, but KC....has to have the worst hywy drivers around. I can already tell ridding to work is inevitable though, just need some new tires!!!
This am we rode (brother just got a 79 Honda CX550) with the wifes to breakfast and then over the river and into the river market for some produce and stumbled across a small vintage bike club meet, i cant believe we didnt get any pictures for you all. Anyway, we couldnt see over the bluff from in town, as we where leaving we thought it might rain, but when we crested the hill we found a HUGE menesing black storm front rolling in!!! By the time we made it to the bridge we could hardly keep a straight line and just missed the down poor pulling into my garage. LOL, we both admited right away we where scarred as sheet crossing the bridge, the missouri river is very wide there and well, probally the most windy place to be. The wives where not the happiest..hehe. It was almost our first run in with rough weather on the bikes, if it had caught us theres no way we couldve rode through it. We'll have to keep a closser eye on the weather for now on, the storms in the m-west are no joke this year.

Real pretty bike, ya got a good dealB) IMO, ya got a better bike than your brother. Took me awhile to do the Interstate thing in rush-hour also. Go @ your own pace but drive like everyone in a cage is out to deliberately kill you. If a storm is rolling in, an overpass is your best friend. It's amazing how much fun setting out a storm under an overpass w/your bike buds. Even alone it can be refreshing to watch the rain.

You couldnt be more right, Ive already had to ride the curb once to avoid becoming a hood ournament!!! The guy was just looking down and i the middle of the road, he saw me and locked them up in shock!! Eh well.

Hers a better pic of the bike.
[img] [img]http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn112/jp_goody/5-13-08035.jpg[/img] [img] And the Brasky, Booo, honda. [img] [img]http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn112/jp_goody/5-13-08051.jpg[/img] [img]

One SHARP bike!! And a nice price too;)
Welcome aboard.
Pat