TOPIC:

Hello there!

Later I'll create thread about our current KZ650 cafe-racer project, however, let me first introduce myself according to forum traditions. It definitely will take a lot of words an photos, so I hope you like photos:-)

My name is Nazar and my nick is Gazzz. First time I rode motorcycle when I was fourteen and since seventeen I have been riding, maintaining and repairing motorcycles without interruptions for more than twenty years. After many years of riding I also mastered the art of photography and I became used to shot photos during my rides and during motorcycles' repairs and restorations. However, some years ago I became aware that I want to do something more than just repairs, improvements or restorations and I decided to try myself in custom motorcycle building.

I began my first project based on frame of Yamaha XJ400. In that time cafe-racer weren't such so to say re-fangled as they became later, and I was fascinated by them. I continued and finished this project with Oksana, who gravitated to my workshop due to her interest in motorcycles' riding, design and photography. Her practice in law, insurance and finance became useful asset, so we became partners in workshop. Since then history of Gazzz Garage began. After we finished our first cafe-racer known as "Eight Ball" we decided to continue and expand. Thus we continued to build custom bikes, funding our projects by making and selling custom parts.

I was brought up in RTFM style and I got engineering education and I suppose these factors influenced my work as well as some art abilities I was born with. Every our project is unique, thought-out from general plan to smallest detail and is combination of art, design and engineer' crafts.

Here is my Garage. Nothing special, but a shelter where I can repair and build the bikes. And place to meet friends, of course.





Garage was much less useful and pleasant place at beginning, but I continuously improving it. There are two spaced working tables, one of which is designed for engine works and another one is used for “harder” works, like metal cutting, or works with using sandpaper or rasp and so on. Tools and wrenches repository are expanded also. There are shelves for parts, units and tools and there is a corner to rest a bit with cup of tea or coffee or to seat for contemplation.





I always was fond of old Kawasaki, but there is none of them here in Ukraine. No Z900 or Z1 and only one legal KZ650 that I know about. During years of riding I saw only few KZ550, KZ400 and LTD440 and most of them were without titles. Thus twelve years ago I bought the closest thing to Z1 possible: 1991 Kawasaki Zephyr 750 C1 on cast wheels. Later I upgraded it with Wiseco 810 piston kit, spoked wheels, 4ini4 exhaust and a list of smaller modifications. Together we've seen a lot for all these years and mostly 90K km. Now, even building all those cafe-racers I still is in love with Zephyr and ride it regularly.

But let's get to the projects. For every project I have a ton of photos yet let's limit number of photos to six per project, including those of "exploded view".
First project was based on Yamaha XJ400 4G0 frame and Yamaha XJ600 51J engine. We called it "Eight Ball".













Idea of second project was to make convertible cafe-racer kit for Kawasaki Zephyr 750, without any frame cutting included. First "expanded" kit I designed and made on my own Zephyr and then installed on similar bike in France. This project got name "Cafe roadster".

Third project was based on base Honda CB750 RC42 Seven Fifty frame and mix of CB750 RC42 and CBX750 RC17 engines with increased to 815ccm capacity (there is no ready kits for this bike) and reinforced clutch. This project was named CB815 Eight Fifteen.













There is also Oksana's Yamaha SRX600. It as you may guess is also was modified and slightly upgraded by me



Fourth project is based on KZ650 frame and engine and is in process now. I was searching some information and during search I found this very forum. It was interesting to read some threads so I registered here and hope I in my turn I could provide some useful information.

Hello Nazar,
Those are some beautiful bikes. Thanks for showing them off. I particularly like the pics with the country side in the background.
Bill
KZQ

Hello Nazar and welcome! The bikes look great. I love the "exploded view" photos!

Welcome to the forum. Beautiful bikes indeed.

I am especially intrigued by the front brake of the KZ. Looks like an old twin leading shoe racing drum, but it seems to be hiding some discs with four piston calipers. Neat.

Nice to see you here! I'm on the XJ forum as well and have followed your work there, excited to see your next project.

Thanks to all!

I particularly like the pics with the country side in the background.

Landscapes/seascapes I saw in my rides were the reason to took camera in my hands. Some backgrounds on photos above are 3000-3500 km apart of each other.

I love the "exploded view" photos!

The hardest thing about them is not to prepare all parts, but not to forget any of them. Unbelievable, but last time I managed to forget seat. Cost me yet one standing on bar stool placed on the edge of the garage roof:-)

I am especially intrigued by the front brake of the KZ. Looks like an old twin leading shoe racing drum, but it seems to be hiding some discs with four piston calipers. Neat.

You catch my idea absolutely right. The wheels are from Honda CBX550 (Inboard Ventilated Disc system), I converted them from Comstar to spoked wheels. Now I am polishing them to emphasize their similarity to racing drum brakes.

Nice to see you here! I'm on the XJ forum as well and have followed your work there, excited to see your next project.

I'll try not to disappoint:-)

Cool bikes and cool pics !
I hope you will post your progress with the KZ650
Bill likes the country shots I dig bridges and it looks like you have some neat ones.

Welcome Nice pics and beautiful workmanship on those bikes

Thank you!

bluej58 wrote: Cool bikes and cool pics !
I hope you will post your progress with the KZ650
Bill likes the country shots I dig bridges and it looks like you have some neat ones.

I like bridges too and I also like brick' water towers. Not that I specially hunt on them down, but I like to catch them on camera lens when I could. Some photos with bridges I shot during photo shooting of "Eight Ball" in 2015, so here are few photos with bridges for you.

The oldest survived bridge in my town was built in 1987, it was made of bricks. That's how it looked in 2015:



Kiev quite an old city and it occupies both banks of river Dnieper beside which it was founded. However there are few really old bridges in Kiev and only one bridge over the main stream of river survived Civil War 1918-1924 and WWII, it's railway truss bridge with design as simple as brick, you may see it on background of this photo and behind it you may see cable-stayed bridge :



View in opposite direction:



That one in background was constructed in 1963:



Here is unfinished bridge from which photos above were shot. By the way, it is still as unfinished as was in year 2015.



I caught in lens some continuous pattern on its lower level and under it.





And yet one bridge, the newest one so far:

Great shots gazzz! Keep up the good work.
If you are interested in seeing more bridges from around the world, some of which are taken on crappy flip phones check this out and please feel free to add to it if you like.
kzrider.com/forum/17-ride-reports/549154-local-bridges?start=0