New Owner in Richmond with a pile of KZ550!

Well, where to start. I have never ridden a motorcycle. I don't have a motorcycle license. I do, however, work on old cars, so vehicle maintenance and restoration isn't totally foreign to me.

A few years back, I started working with a coworker who had purchased a 1981 KZ550 with the plans to convert it into a cafe racer. He then also purchased a 1974 Alfa Romeo, and, well you can guess which project got shelved. During his ownership of the bike, he did get the carburetors rebuilt, new air filters, and maybe a couple other things. At that time the bike looked like this:



Anyway, he sold the KZ to ANOTHER coworker of mine that was just getting into riding motorcycles. She had bought a Ninja and had gotten her license, and she liked the idea of working on a custom bike. Her boyfriend works for a motorcycle mechanic shop in town, so they thought this would work out well. At the shop, they took down the bike to give it a once over and begin cleaning parts. During that process, he discovered that the front forks were slightly bent. They put a hold on the project so she could decide what she wanted to do, and never got back to it. By this point, the bike looked like this:



And then last Thursday, she turns to me and says hey, do you want a free motorcycle. I can't pass up an opportunity like that, so I said of course! Yesterday I went and picked up the bike from the motorcycle shop, and now it looks like this:



On the plus side, it's already been disassembled, and the block, head, and carb assembly have been wrapped and protected since they were taken down. On the negative side... well, it's in pieces.

And that's where I'm at now. First step is to source some new forks, and from there I'll probably continue the "office dream" and convert this into a cafe racer, but we'll see. I'm also going to bite the bullet and get my motorcycle license, which I have wanted to do for about 15 years now. I imagine I'm going to rely heavily on this forum or information as I go. I'm not sure how fast I'll get around to this, but it's good to know you guys are here to help.

Welcome, and good luck! The search options here work great, and probably just about anything u want to know is here on the forums somewhere...

Maybe u can find a cheap parts bike on craigslist or eBay???

Welcome aboard. There are a bunch of knowledgeable and helpful people around here that can get you through the unexpected and complicated bits. I offer three bits of wisdom....

1. There is no such thing as a free motorcycle. The cost of resurrection is usually why they end up in your garage.

2. A genuine Kawasaki Factory Service manual may be the single most important tool you buy. It is far more complete and accurate than any of the aftermarket offerings.

3. Previous owners lie. Carbs supposedly rebuilt? Don't bet on it? All the parts are there? Don't bet on it. Any other noise from their mouths? Don't bet on it.

4. Motorcycles are not like cars. Your mechanical experience can be useful, but it can also lead you into some frustrating and expensive assumptions.

5. Those things that look like Phillips head screws are not. They are JIS, and can be ruined by a Phillips screw driver. Make or buy the proper tools for the job, or replace all those fasteners with sexy titanium Allen head button screws.

(Hmmmm, 5 bits. Now you know why I don't teach math :silly: )