So... Hi there. I just registered for the forum here. I've been lurking for nearly 2 years now, while I work on restoring this old KZ750 I've got. That's her in my avatar.
Up close she looks like crap but from a distance she's real pretty. Half the seat cover is duct tape, there's pitted rust here and there, but she's in excellent mechanical condition other than a slight problem that I suspect has to do with the clutch throw out bearing.
Aside from the sissy bar, she's all original, and I have the original rear seat handle that the sissy bar replaced. Took me forever to find the parts I needed to get her back on the road. She was missing SO MANY PARTS. Everything is OEM for this exact model though (other than the sissy bar of course).
Anyway this has been a huge journey for me, since I basically bought a project bike with NO IDEA what I was doing... I thought I could have it on the road much sooner, but after fussing with it for a year, I went and bought a Honda Rebel just so I could have something to ride. Been on the Rebel for almost a year now.
I call the KZ "Shooter" and the Rebel is "Mouse" (cuz she's about as small and as quiet as a mouse).
Just got the KZ started up 2 days ago. Fired right up. No issue. I hadn't tried in almost 2 years, and she was having issues then.
Just took her for a test ride today... WOOOOOOOW this bike is fast... On Mouse, I had to really push her to the limit just to get her to climb hills without going below the speed limit. Even then if the hill was tall enough I'd end up falling down to 45mph... These same hills Shooter accelerates up them like it was flat ground. She's not too much bike for me, but I don't think I'll ever try test her limits. Certainly don't want to right now. Just want to get the bugs worked out, which right now is just a slight clutch problem (unless what I did last time fixed it of course) and the left side blinkers have too much resistance. I'm going to check the bulbs tomorrow and see if they're different wattages, That would explain that problem.
LOVING IT!
I had some help from a local mechanic for the final steps of getting her road worthy but I did like 99% of the work before just yesterday when I paid him to check my work out and do whatever I missed. He happens to be the track champion at the local drag strip, and he rides a modified '80 KZ1000. His entire team is nothing but KZs... I bet he's even on this site, dunno.
KZs I own
1982 KZ750-H3 LTD (frame's bent, no longer rideable, RIP)
1982 KZ1100 LTD Shaft (thought it was a Spectre)
1988 KZ1000 Police
1989 KZ1000 Police (basket case)
2002 KZ1000 Police
Non-KZs:
1983 Hondamatic 450
2001 Honda Rebel
I don't understand soup. Put a flower on my nose.
