1978 kz 400 cafe project... where do i start?

Yo, how is everybody doing?

In my hands I have a 1978 kz 400 and would like to turn it into a cafe racer. My only problem is.... I have no idea where to start.

Any and all suggestions from anyone at all would be greatly appreciated.


THANKS!!!!


the exhaust

i'm still trying to figure how to load pictures on this...

forgive me, I am new to this.

more pictures

more pictures

Wow! She looks to be in great shape! But to answer your question... I have no idea.:laugh: If you do a search you should be able to find lots of info on what other guys have done. Lots of great info here.

i would start with a set of clubman bars, flip the headlight ears and lower the gauges. it is cheap, easay and will really change the look of the bike

hey thanks for the suggestion.

i think i will take your advice and give it a shot.

keep them coming.

i will keep you updated.

Get it running as perfect as you can before tearing into it. Nothing worse then tearing it down and building it back up and having it not run. :laugh:

Yes listen to don, i tore my kz 400 apart and made a bobber out of it. But i made the mistake of tearing it apart after it sat un started for a year and a half. Every since i got it together i have been fighting it. Come to find out today, i just needed carb intake boots.........i hope that is

Tucking up the front end like was suggested is a good place to start with the aesthetics. I'd make sure of the mechanicals before tearing into it too. Beyond that it's really up to you, how much work do you want to put into this? A lot of really well done cafe bikes will relocate the electronics behind the side covers and have a clean pass through look. This requires a smaller battery and some ingenuity as to where to mount all that. And then of course there's the seat. There are some ready made seats out there, or you can build your own out of fiberglass, sheet metal, chop up a beat up gas tank and weld to the stock seat pan (lets you keep the stock seat hinges, that's what I did). Check out www.dotheton.com , great cafe racer forum with a LOT of experienced builders and awesome ideas.