'78 KZ1000 makeover

Looks fantastic! I need to quit checking on these threads because I really want to do a modern suspension conversion now and that's not a cheap project! I'm just trying to avoid the strong temptation of ripping apart my MKII AGAIN...I think I need to get a beater for my next project and leave the "finished" projects alone.

And by the way....yea, I really feel sorry for you with that rain....it's been 20 degrees and snowing here in ohio for 3 weeks! :laugh:

Sorry if you've covered this....what are your options for connecting a speedometer with the modern front ends? Do many of them have a speedo cable drive gear??

Joe, the exhaust plan is still evolving, but I can guarantee I can't use the Yosh Series 2 system I have.

I don't know when Ben's triples are supposed to arrive, he was in a hurry to get them shipped before going back to the field for another 2 week tour so I didn't get a tracking #.
As for the speedometer, the gsxr wheel does not have a provision for a mechanical unit. My plan is to retrofit an electric speedo into the stock cup and mount a magnetic or hall effect sensor to drive it.

Stupid rain!!! It is forecast to rain for the next 3 days, but Thursday is supposed to be sunny. Even if I don't get my triples this week I will endeavor to get a prototype tail made for a mock up photo later this week.

Can't remember where I got this picture from but here's a 900 with a SSSA:

That sure is purdy. The VFR SSSA swap is much more common swap than the Truimph or the Duc. I'm not a big fan of the bolted on wheel. The single center nut is much more F1 esq Since my swap was purely for asthetics, I went with what I thought was sexier (and ultimately more difficult to adapt).

Good point on the wheel...didn't think of that at first but the single nut in the center is definitely cooler.

Can't remember if you covered this yet but how will the length of your arm be compared to stock? This one looks a little longer, I think.

I did cover it, but the info was left in my chassis thread on the swingarm swap. My stock swingarm was 19 5/8" from pivot to axle. The Triumph swingarm is 19 13/16", so it's 3/16" longer. Not noticably longer, just a tad.

I came across this pic on accident. I thought I didn't have any pics of the bike before I tore it apart....low an behold, I was wrong! The bungee was installed by the previous owner......I don't think he knew replacement gromets were cheap through Z1E :dry:

wow man, that was a nice bike then......and soon to be a 1 of a kind!

Thanks for the pic! That's exactly what mine looked like "before" and I don't have many before pics.

porchev914 wrote:

I came across this pic on accident. I thought I didn't have any pics of the bike before I tore it apart....low an behold, I was wrong! The bungee was installed by the previous owner......I don't think he knew replacement gromets were cheap through Z1E :dry:

boy i tell you what ...some folks like to talk shit about that yr kz1000 sometimes...but i had one...akron (sp) rear rim ,wider , superbike bars and the home made flipped over rearsets..other than that stock....i BEAT that bike....wheelied that bike.....burnouted..(is that even a word)that bike, and crashed it about 4 -10 times....never broke once !!!!not one single problem!!! as i drove it into the ground..it never complained....oil changes..maybe...zddp..never heard of it..valve adjust..what valves....carb sync???...kitchen sink?...never did not start.....never handled funny....would do second gear pop up wheelies by just whacking the throttle open and tugging..stock carbs stock airbox and filter...and pipes and do throttle wheelies outta slow corners....stock...no issues....one of the best KZ's i ever had...no charging problems .....nothing.,..not once.....

i would love to have another...stupid ,stock, single disk,no frills,ugly spokes,corny side covers,ect,,,ect,,,KILLER BIKE

That pretty much exactly what I did Craig. I bought it for $400 and just rode it. Compression was 80-130psi. It smoked a bit out of the right side exhaust and the points were a bit pitted and on their way out. But it always started on the first kick and ran without a hiccup until the points finally fried. A Dyna-S and Dyna green coils not only fixed the ignition trouble, she really woke back up after that. Rode it for another handful of months until I decided to check out the ticking noise in the top end. After shooting the shim changing tool down the cam chain tunnel, the rest is history

porchev914 wrote:

That pretty much exactly what I did Craig. I bought it for $400 and just rode it. Compression was 80-130psi. It smoked a bit out of the right side exhaust and the points were a bit pitted and on their way out. But it always started on the first kick and ran without a hiccup until the points finally fried. A Dyna-S and Dyna green coils not only fixed the ignition trouble, she really woke back up after that. Rode it for another handful of months until I decided to check out the ticking noise in the top end. After shooting the shim changing tool down the cam chain tunnel, the rest is history

if you didnt drop a tool down there, do you think you would have taken it this far? merry christmas.