82 KZ 1000 "Eleanor" from the STEEL CITY

Hey guys,
Im Rob, from pittsburgh. I've been riding for about 3 years, i have 2 Yamaha FZR 600's(projects-1's streetfighter and the other trackbike), and now the KZ.
As of Dec 31st 2011 i am the owner of my first 82 Kawasawki KZ 1000,J model, full Kerker 4:1, Carbs Built/Jetted (for the Kerker) by Old School Carbs. <(anybody know anything about these guys? PO says they are good...)
i bought it for a little over $1000 USD, with 11k+ on it. While "Eleanor" is quite clean, she has a few problems/issues i need to resolve. NOTE:I've put over 1200 miles on her since New Years thanks to the mild winter and my determination to ride the tits off of her!


Things I need to do:
-Valve gasket needs replaced
-Fork seals (can you get dust seals for this model? havent been able to find a # for that part)
-Brake light needs re-rewired to fix PO's birds nest
-Front master cylinder rebuild (currently have almost no front brakes/pressure)
-PO also put a Z tail on, need to put the KZ rear fender back on.

Things i want to do:
-LED turn signals
-Replace brake light
-Drag bars
-Bar end mirrors
-Bigger rear tire(and swingarm i guess????)
-Repaint the frame, tank, tail black with kawa green and forest green pin striping

Im not interested in modding this bike to much. I pretty much like her the way she sits. I am interested in a wider rear which ill have to do some searching around here to find out what's feasible for me and my wallet. Also interested in uprgrading some suspension, and maybe to an HID headlight.

Well thats all for now thanks....

www.z1enterprises.com/Fork-Dust-Cover-Ka...r-KZ1100-2-2655.aspx

www.z1enterprises.com/Fork-Seals-38mm-x-...uki-Yamaha-1391.aspx

Nice bike, and do fix those front brakes before going out for another ride. A master cylinder kit is pretty cheap, and may keep you from getting hurt. Front brakes are most of your braking.
Nice to see someone who likes the Kaw for what it was when new, and not wanting to Bob it. That bike would like to have the Valves adjusted most likely when you change the gasket out. They are shim on top, so no camshaft removal. You can use the manual in my signature for the shim chart and the repair sequence.

DoubleDub-thanks for those links. I work at Cycle Gear and I couldn't those dust seals in any of our vendors!
What do you think of fork gaitors on Eleanor?

Motorhead- I know riding with compromised front brakes is bad news-though it did help riding in the snow last week lol.
I have ordered a build kit already, and the fork seals.
I will check out that adjustment when I pop that cover.

Any takers on suspension upgrade advice...obviously ill check out that section for thorough suspension review

Welcome aboard. I highly recommend you start by buying a Kawasaki Service manual (and torque wrenches if you don't have them). The manuals are readily available on eBay, just be sure to get one that covers your exact year/model. They contain tons of valuable info that you will need. I would use the manual and check out the bike very carefully to ensure that you are starting with a properly tuned and adjusted motorcycle before you start making changes. For example, it's a little hard to tell by the picture, but it appears that your front wheel axle holders are mounted incorrectly. Not good. So, if the previous owner didn't know how to install something as important as the front wheel (don't leave home without it) what other little surprises did he leave? Please understand, I'm not saying the bike has major problems, it sounds like it was a great deal, I'm just suggesting that previous owners have been known to make mistakes, so giving the bike a thorough checkup is a good idea. Be sure to ask plenty of questions on this site; a lot of the members are really knowledgeable about these bikes. Oh, and don't forget about the torque wrenches Aluminum is a lot softer than the steel bolts. Ed

Gators don't belong on a Kz - they belong on a KLR.

Just my opinion, though.

Z1Enterprises is the bomb - if they don't have it, they can probably get it.