'81 KZ750 four....new dude with questions :)

HELLO!
Great forum you all have going here! I'm hopping on from ADVrider, and have decided (read: got permision from wife) to start persuing my cafe bike project.

Step 1) get a bike!

I happened upon a seemingly good buy of an '81 KZ750. The guy started it up for me, and it started and ran great. No smoke, reved up nicely and sounded MEAN! (4-1 pipes)

I have been searching the forums a bit and not seeing much info on the 750. I just would like to know if you guys think it will be a good candidate for a cafe project. I'm not looking to do a frame up crazy build, just cosmetic for now (seat/cowl, signals, bars, paint and maybe a tank). That's why I am looking at this bike so hard. Seems like a really great running bike with just cosmetic fixes for me.

So....anyway......
Are there any 750 guru's on here who know what to check for before purchase?

What parts from other KZ's will fit the frame easily? Tanks?!?

Here is the bike in question:



Thanks in advance!
Hope I get to start a project thread soon!!
-Kurt

Welcome Kurt.
There should not be anything specific to the 750 to look out for.
You should give it a good once over as with any used bike.
How many miles on her.
Is she certified?
Good tires.
No oil leakes or other fluid leaks?
Any damage from being dropped?
All brakes, switches, levers etc work.
That sort of thing.

Do The Ton is a great Cafe site with lots of insperation.
The bike at the top in the header is a great example of a KZ Cafe. Herrdeacon's bike.

Keep us posted on your progress.

As far as other tanks that will fit, you will probably need to modify sometyhing as the only other tanks that would be a dirrect fit to that model 750 (which looks like the LTD model) would be a kz650CSR which is almost (if not) the exact same tank.

Thanks, I appreciate the help!


I have been surfing dotheton and here all day. Found a few leads on tanks that may work with a little modding ('82 GPz750, fronts fit, rear has to be fabbed). If this bike is straight, I'm buying it and seeing how it goes. I'm thinking budget cafe build for the first year, and then a whole tear down and customize job if everything stays good.

-Kurt

The KZ750E Standard-4 is also a good match for parts.
The tank on it is larger than the Ltd's & will bolt on BUT it will interfere w the triple tree. The side covers are the same. The E exhaust w its brackets will bolt on

More good info! I like the look of the E model tanks.
How badly will it interfere with the triple tree? Will custom dents be enough for adequate clearance?

I don't know how bad the interference is. The issue has been mentioned by a couple of others, so I just pass it along. My bike is the 81 650-CSR which has the same frame as your Ltd, and I've investigated the parts interchange between the 3 models (CSR, Ltd & Standard). My ears kinda perk up whenever someone mentions the E model.

Here's some Kz750 info, might help: kz.mbsween.com/manual.html

Do the LTD frames have any different rake at the headstock than the other models?

I see alot of LTD out there for sale. More so than the "sporty" models.
What I'm getting at is the 81 LTD or KZ750-H2 has a different fork than the E2/L1. I've seen cafe conversions from LTD without tightening the rake and trail. They just don't look right.

Looking at my 750 shop manual it lists the castor at 30 degrees for the LTD. The E2/L1 model has 27. Three degrees might just be corrected with a fork swap.

Good luck.

I know the E models will head shake a lot sooner than the H models will, Didn't know the rake was different but I believe the trees were also different. On the LTD's the forks look to be set back closer to the stem. Going off a visual picture in my mind. I've owned both but not at the same time. I prefered the handling of the ltd to the kz's, even when both were stretched the ltd was better. If someone knows about the trees being different I would like to know for sure.

Well, I bought the damn thing


So with his 650 sitting next to it, the fork is definitely raked out just a bit more. The forks are also longer and the axle is on the front and just above the bottom (instead of just at the bottom) of the fork.

After looking at it for 2sec with a little knowledge this time, I saw several things that were "rigged" on this bike. Tank is not an LTD, looks like the E model. Triple clamp bolts are hitting it, and he dented the tank for clearance. It's also been coated inside to seal it up...so that's not going to be reused!
Pod filters are ok, but the bike is running a bit lean. Only one very small oil leak, that didn't happen on my 15min test ride. He said it will seep out a bit at the tach cable seal. 4-1 exhaust is just ok. Clearance at the passenger peg is non existent, and there is a small dent.

Enough of the bad news!
Forks are not leaking. Engine runs pretty well with no smoke. I ran it up to...well...over 85mph, and it felt really good all around. Frame appears to be in great shape.

Clymer Manual will be on it's way soon. At this point, I am thinking an entire tear down and rebuild.

Thanks for the info guys!!! Really helped!

I would reconsider the "entire tear down and rebuild." If the engine seems to be running pretty well with no smoke I would simply clean the carbs and ensure the stock jetting is in place, toss the pods and put on the stock airbox, do a full tune-up, and see how it performs. These engines are very reliable and tough and shouldn't need a rebuild unless it has like 75,000 - 100,000 miles on it. If the previous owners abused it by running without oil you would already know it because it would run like crap and smoke. If after a full tune-up it doesn't meet your expectations you can always tear it down later, but I think you may be pleasantly surprised with the performance once it is tuned properly. By the way, forget Clymers; get the Kawasaki factory manual - you will not regret it. Ed

Ok, then I guess I'll just pull what needs replaced, resealed and then paint the ugly bits. The chrome on the engine is pitted and kinda ugly. I'm thinking about a total black out paint job on the engine, with shiny hardware....I have not seen a KZ like this yet in my interweb searching