New Member, New Rider, New KZ550 (with pics!)

Hi All,

I'm a new member here and brand new to riding bikes as well. I'm 42yrs old and recently got hooked on riding after renting a scooter for 4 days with some buddies down in Mexico. Prior to that I had never been on any two-wheeled vehicle other than a bicycle. When we rented the scooters my buddies (who all ride motorcycles) told me I'd get hooked, and they were right.

Since then I've completed my MSF course and have been looking for the right bike to start with. After a lot of searching I found a great bike in a 1981 KZ550 with only 6k miles. It's all original, in excellent condition and has been gone over by a mechanic and made ready to ride. I couldn't be happier!

I'm looking forward to participating in this fine community and learning more about the bike and riding in general. I know you guys like pics, so here's one from the owner. I'll post some more once I pick it up.

Welcome to the KZ Rider Forum and Family! You have found one fine specimen there. I was recently in Austin for the MotoGP in April. You got a great town and plenty of moto enthusiasts to connect with locally. Enjoy and take your time learning the bike and your potential. Look forward to more reports on your new to you bike and riding experiences.

BTW, You aren't planning any bike trips out to the Rocky Mountains any time soon are you? :whistle:

Welcome aboard! I think that's one of the nicest original LTD550s I've ever seen. Good score!

Nice highway bike!

THere's a lot of 550 info in my signature you might be able to use. Make sure to read the valve train warning before doing anything with the valve cover.

Thanks for the nice words and welcome! I've got the bike home and finally got to ride it a bit yesterday. I love it!

The only downside is that I'm quickly realizing that the bike purchase is just the beginning as far as spending money is concerned, what with PPE, accessories, etc.

Here's another pic:

Very true. There's a hard way to learn you need helmet, jacket, gloves etc., and an easy way. The easy way is to just ask people who have learned the hard way.