81 LTD 750 Projects

I have an all original 81 LTD 750 with 15k on it that I have been riding for a little over a year, putting about 5k on it. I have just gotten my bike into good (great) riding shape, but I cannot help but feel that I want more.

I've spent a great deal of time cleaning, polishing, rebuilding the brakes and suspension, but I can do little about the pipes blueing and am not sure what handlebars will be more comfortable without compromising the looks of the bike.

Although I am happy with the bike overall, the pipes are blued and I find the handlebar position to be too far upright for me. The paint is in good shape, I just ordered new Bridgestone tires, like the originals, with raised white letters for the retro look, will have them on in a week or so.

What changes have you seen success with? What kind of Handlebars?

Any luck with after-market exhausts?

I am also thinking of going to individual air filters rather than the air box.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike

If you don't like the handlebar position then by all means, change them. Does it have the "pull back" bars? I didn't like those either that were on my 81 kz440 so I put on some late 70s kz400 bars. Much better.

As for the bluing of the pipes, I wouldn't worry about it. There is nothing you can do and it doesn't look bad to me anyways. I suppose you could do an exhaust wrap but I would leave them.

del

The pipes are not getting worse, they were blued from the bike running hot with the previous owner. Any Ideas on where I can find those kinds of bars? Do you have pictures of what your bike looks like with them?
Thanks

Very nice example you have there Mike. Forget the pods, you have CV type carbs and they just don't play well with pods. For the blued pipes you might try using some Mothers mag polish on them. It probably won't get rid of all of it but it will lessen it.

I install Superbike bars on all my bikes, screw appearance, they are the only bars that make the bike comfortable for me to ride. I'm 6'3" tall.

Lot's of different bars available at Z1 Enterprises.

www.z1enterprises.com/

Superbike bars.

del

The Flanders bars look like a nice compromise, I had considered ordering Superbike bars, but it seems I would need new mirrors for those bars, and I also worry that I would not be able to fit everything on these shorter bars.

Has anyone actually used Superbike bars on an LTD 750?
The master cylinder is so big, I worry it wouldn't work out right.

Thanks for the info and the picture, I love that color.

del

I use stock mirrors, and have used stock master cylinders, although I currently have a 95 GPz1100 master cylinder on my 750 twin.

I have an '81 KZ750 LTD that I put superbike bars on. I rode the bike for about 10 years with those bars and the stock foots pegs. I enjoyed it very much and found it very comfortable. I put on 700 miles in a day a couple times (ouch), but could ride 300 miles a day easily. To fit superbike bars and keep the stock clutch cable and master cylinder, you have to be creative about routing them. I attached a picture I had from my project page that shows the set up I used. I also tried the "Euro" bar that has a bit more rise on the bike and there was more room to fit cables and such.

I like the look of that, but I am not sure about the bar end mirrors. I think I am going to go ahead and buy something like the Euro bar, found a bar from an R100RS that I like, and I am going to see how I can make it work best, if I have to shorten/replace the lines, that is okay with me.