Been lurking for a while, finally registered...

I was surprised that I hadn't registered earlier in the year, but anyway, tonight I resolved that.

I have a few KZs. One is a KZ440 and the other two are KZ650s.

First pic is my KZ440 when I brought it home. I have since taken it all the way down. I haven't decided how I'm going to rebuild it. I'm torn between a street tracker / cafe style and an adventure bike. I have a KZ650 rear hub for it to go to spoked wheels and get the larger drum brake. I'm thinking about a KLR650 fork swap and longer shocks on the rear. The KLR fork may be too tall, but I'll probably pick one up and see how it fits, then see if it needs to be cut down an inch or so.

And my KZ650s... The green bike is a 1980, the rear bike is a 1982 donor for the wire wheels. I had purchased the donor prior to finding the 1980 bike and I was going to have to get a new frame for it so I could register it in Indiana. The green bike runs, sort of, the POs really screwed it up. It has no muffler, just the header pipe and the carb jetting was modified, but it's still way off... I'm going to replace the exhaust and fix the other minor issues it has before I start the resto-mod build. The plan is to find the correct KZ650 tank or possibly use a KZ750 Twin tank on it, then it will get the KZ900 Dark Diamond Green paint scheme. I'll change the headlight, tail light, and turn signals. but I'm keeping the factory gauges, side covers, and tail. I'll probably do a little work to the fenders and convert to dual discs in the front. I'll rebuild the forks with Race-Tech internals and their Gold Cartridge Emulators. Haven't decided which shocks for the rear, but they will have progressive springs. Swap in a set of KZ750 cams and a C5 ignition. Then figure out what I'm going to go with on the carbs.

I also have a KZ750 twin engine that is mostly complete sans carbs and a couple covers. Plan that is to rebuild it and put in it a rigid board tracker frame with leaf spring front end, but that build will be a few years out. I have 11 motorcycles total, 6 have titles. My CX500 runs but my wife wants me to tear it down this winter and get the frame refinished and fix it up more. Then I have my GL1100 that is being completely rewired and rebuilt as a naked Wing. The two Hondas are in front of the KZ650 and KZ440 in the cue, mostly because my wife wants them finished before I start on the KZs.

Cheers!

- BMF

Welcome to the forum, good luck with your build(s). I assume Boilermaker meaning Purdue?

Matt

Matt

Thanks. I'm really looking forward to getting the KZ650 done. It was one of my "bucket list" bikes. Still not sure which direction I'll go with the KZ440. Leaning towards a mild adventure style build for it.

And yes, the BoilermakerFan is for Purdue. My wife and I both graduated from Purdue and my daughter is a freshman at Purdue.

I am a sophomore at the Polytechnic Anderson campus right now. Going for a degree in Engineering Technology.

Excellent! I was at the West Lafayette campus. I started in engineering, but changed to Industrial Technology/Industrial Distribution. It was the School of Technology when I was there, but now it's called the Polytechnic Institute.

Welcome to the site!
I have quite a few friends and family working at Purdue. Lafayette is about 40 minutes north of me, make it there every so often!

Les Holt
PDM Custom Fabrication

les holt wrote: Welcome to the site!
I have quite a few friends and family working at Purdue. Lafayette is about 40 minutes north of me, make it there every so often!

Les Holt
PDM Custom Fabrication

Ah cool Les. I didn't realize you were in Hillsboro, IN. I've driven past Hillsboro so many times on my trips to and from Purdue over the years. Now I generally take 231 all the way down to I-70, then use the Terre Haute bypass to 41 to come south.

My M-I-L worked at Purdue for many, many years. After she retired she moved to the The Villages in FL. My grandparents lived in Lafayette/West Lafayette.

A little more background about me...

A few years ago I bought a project car, a 1956 Ford Fairlane Vic hardtop. I realized I was in over my head; the car needed a lot more work than I had the time or money for. Traded it in a 3-way trade for a '95 Mustang GT convertible and nice drivetrain upgrade components. Waffled on how I was going to set up the Mustang for almost a year, then realized I was going to be putting good money after bad if I ever wanted to get rid of the Mustang.

Then Karma intervened and I traded off the Mustang for 8 motorcycles with a friend of a coworker. His wife wanted the motorcycles gone and she wanted a convertible; my wife wanted the Mustang out of the garage if I wasn't going to get it running.

Most of the Hondas in my sig came from that trade except for the CB650s. All of the bikes needed work, but the easiest to get running was the CX500. I had acquired a Virago 1100 in the trade and I traded that off for the CB650 donor bikes, the KZ440, and other parts. Pulled my '82 KZ650 parts donor out of a salvage yard, then came across the '80 KZ650 on CL and did a partial trade to get it.

So after a years time I have 11 motorcycles, of which, 6 have titles. I'm trying to sell off the Virago 750. I could build it into a nice cafe racer, but the cost to do so is more than I want to spend on a shaft-driven V-twin Yamaha. I am planning to rebuild the '82 CB650 Nighthawk, but the other CB650 is just a parts donor for the CB550, CB650NH, and my CX500 (dual disc front fork).

The CB350 Twin will be built with my son when he's in high school in a couple years. The CB550 doesn't have a title but I have a BOS and VIN run report so I can build it into a vintage track bike for the 500cc class.

I had planned to sell the CX500 once my KZ650 was in proper road safe running condition, but my wife fell in love with the bike and wants me to refinish the frame and fix it up more. I tried to explain that it didn't really fit into the stable once the other horses were done, but she doesn't care. SWMBO said I'm not allowed to sell or trade the CX500 for anything less than $8K (my initial investment in the '56 Ford was $4K). She declared that even if all we do is ride the CX500 to local baseball games, that's fine with her. I told her the CX500 is now her bike even though I ride it. And I will be tearing it down this winter to have the frame powdercoated and do the triple bypass PM on it. She's planning to take the ABATE class next summer to get her endorsement, but she enjoys riding as a passenger more than riding by herself.

My plan over the next 10 years or so is to eventually get all of the bikes except the '81 CB650 Custom rebuilt as customs of some form. The CB650 Nighthawk will be built as a mostly stock resto bike with mild cosmetic mods, mostly in lighting and the handlebar. Like the KZ650, I like the looks of the early CB650NH with the stock tank, side covers, and tail section.

Long term I will sell off a few of the finished bikes. I plan to keep my GL1100, the KZ650, and KZ440. My wife will have her CX500 and my son will have his CB350. Of course, if I am offered enough money for any of my bikes, they will be sold.

I've been so much happier with the project motorcycles instead of the cars. My wife loves it too, she has said on several occasions that the motorcycles were the best trade I have ever made since we've been together. That's high praise since I do a lot of trading.

Been here almost my whole life, I live less than 3 miles from the home I grew up in. We have some beautiful roads to ride on. 41 down to Terre Haute is a pretty stretch.

Les

les holt wrote: Been here almost my whole life, I live less than 3 miles from the home I grew up in. We have some beautiful roads to ride on. 41 down to Terre Haute is a pretty stretch.

Les

I used to drive 41 down from I74 when I was in college. We did take 41->63->I74->231 a lot, but now I usually take I70 to 231 so I can bypass Terre Haute. I *REALLY* do not like driving through Terre Haute. I think they have even more stop lights than Evansville. One of these days I'll probably take 231 all the way up to Purdue on one of the motorcycles. But usually I'm going up with the family or bringing my daughter to/from with all her stuff. Might be feasible after I get a side car for the GL1100.

M_a_t_t wrote: I am a sophomore at the Polytechnic Anderson campus right now. Going for a degree in Engineering Technology.

Matt, you'll appreciate this...

A little over 20 years ago my wife and I were lucky enough to get a wedding picture on the Special. It just happened to be on campus when we were taking pictures and the Reamers were happy to clear off and let us get on for a pic (and the white bows just happened to be on it already!).

Now my daughter is at Purdue and she is now one of the eight Fall pledges for the Reamer Club! She will get to DRIVE the Special!