Blogging the Build

Well, after years of building website, making videos and now putting videos on websites, I finally have a motorcycle to take up that extra 20 minutes a day of free time.

I got a great deal, it's a 1982 KZ1100 A2 Shaft Drive "FENCE" bike...

I found it leaning up against a fence and offered the guy $100.00 to take it off his hands. It worked. I picked it up the next day.

Now it is in the shop of Wisner Cycles. Kody Wisner is a master Bike Builder, he has had his custom choppers/baggers and Harley's in many top magazines like, Easyriders, Hot Bike, American Iron and many more. He is the Master Builder for J&P Cycles and the sole repairman for the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, IA. They guy knows what he is doing. But ya know, for all the Custom bikes, choppers and wild bikes he has, the KZ1000 is the one that he rides most often. He says, "I work on bikes all day, I don't want to fix my own. So I ride the KZ so I never have to work on it."

Kody is also my supervisor at J&P Cycles.
I am going to get this bike running and kind-of Rat it out a bit so if you would like to follow along with the progress of the bike with photos, videos and Me, Ratchet's Rantings, the click this link and select to follow my blog. I will keep this updated everytime I do something to the bike.

Coming to you from Anamosa, Iowa
shannonappleby.blogspot.com/

Enough of that Rant.... By the way, This is my very first motorcycle, so this should be interesting.

Welcome to KZR! I'm an old JP Cycles customer, dating back to 1996. AWESOME outfit! I even took time out of a cross country trip to swing by Anamosa and see my favorite CS rep (Bruce Esmoil, may he RIP) in person.

Haven't looked at your blog yet, but wanted to welcome you ASAP.

For the rest of you KZ'ers, this means we have our own spy within the US' best mail order bike parts business. Yes they are heavily H-D oriented, but are also making a good segue into the metric cruiser and sportbike markets. I know some of you at least have bikes other than KZ's. I've a couple HDs myself.

(Yikes, I just let the secret out)

Thanks WPBill,
I really enjoy working here. I knew 2 things about motorcycles when I started her just over 3 years ago. That was that they had 2 wheels and that Chicks thought they were cool. Now, I am re-building a basket case, I have had my hands in every bike build here from Replica panheads, every Easyriders giveaway bike and all of those really nice Catalog cover bikes.
My favorite part of J&P Cycles is John Parham's never ending push to beat into every employee how important Customer Service is. He is always looking out for the customer.
I am the video producer at J&P Cycles. You can see the videos that I have made at video.jpcycles.com

There are over 100 videos there so enjoy.
Spread that link around if you like. It is all about Events, Tech Tips and Bike Builds. There are also videos about the National Motorcycle Museum that I do, (I live 2 blocks away.)
Again, thanks for the Kudos of J&P Cycles.

Yup, John Parham teaches his employees well. Pretty much the only HD outfit I could find that would directly support a servicmember deployed overseas in the 90's.

Well, in the vintage Japanese bike world, and especially the vintage Kawasaki bike world, there are two names you are going to become very familar with. And, grateful to know about.

Z-1 Enterprises is the equivalent of J-P Cycles.

Jeff Saunders, the proprietor of Z1E, is the equivalent of John Parham.

You can find Z1E's website somewhere here on KZR, they are a site sponsor.

Or you can just click this:

z1enterprises.com/

And I would be remiss if I failed to mention wired george. He is the carb and ignition system guru of the KZ world.
Also a site sponsor.

www.wgcarbs.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Welcome, Shannon.

These KZ bikes are a madness all their own and there is no known cure except more KZs! :woohoo:

I have already learned of the Great One known as Z1E...
Bought some valves from them last week. Hoping to get them this week. They come highly recommended.
As far as Parham, yeah ,he really is great to work for.
I love the employee discount too.
Make sure to look at those videos at videos.jpcycles.com

j&p cycles has the best parking lot in all of sturgis i have made use of it many times over the years and they have some pretty good deals on the basics while you are there.

The other cool thing about our lot out there is that if we are closing the doors and vacuuming, if you need a part to get on the road by tomorrow, we'll open up so that you can get that part. And you are right, it is the best lot in sturgis, it is an entire city block.

Are you sure that you can get this done with only 20 min.
of extra time a day? You may have to slack on some other
things just in case. Looks like a great project! Good luck and keep us posted.
1977Greyghost

I went out for another 30 minutes last night to clean the head, I will be beed blasting it next week, I have a Boy Scout hiking trip/campout this weekend.

Here is mine 82 KZ1100 Spectre.
I use to call it BIG UGLY but a friend of mine got mad at me cause he loves the movie Road Worrier and now I call it BIG NASTY.
But ether way it looks different.