77 kz650b1 Project Cafe Resurrection

Some of you will remember my 77b1 cafe,


After floating the valves and ruining the motor (one too many trips past 12K rpm on stock valve train...oops) it's been sitting, in about as many pieces as it could be in, in the garage waiting for things to come together for a rebirth. All those pieces are starting to fall into place now. I've lined up running gear from an early gpz550 (steel tube swingarm) that I'm picking up on Friday, and a complete 80 750 LTD motor (might also pick up on Friday).

I'll have to monoshock the frame for the GPZ suspension, and hopefully the steering stem is a direct fit so I don't have to mess with that. Nothing in the way of pics just yet, I'll get some posted on Friday when I get home with some/all of the parts.

Stay tuned!!

(Insert Plummens popcorn pic here)

Got the running gear home today Cool! After looking at the set up from the earlier gpz550 and realizing that the tubular steel swing arm had a crazy amount of frame that would have to be built for it I looked at an 84 gpz550 and found the running gear to be much more conducive to an easy mod, so I went with that. Here's a few shots of the running gear mocked up. Good news is the swing arm pivot is a perfect fit, as is the steering stem. I need to get new races for the tapered roller bearings, and fab up an upper shock mount and dog bone mount for the rear suspension, but the pivot bolt for the swinger is a perfect fit, no side to side play, going to be a pretty easy mod (as easy as building a suspension mount can be I suppose). Motor will be home within the week!! Excited guy. But now for the pics!!!! Enjoy!







Also, on the upside, not going to have to paint the wheels and swingarm to make them match!!! Just the fender (if I decide to run a fender that is).

Now it's time to get the grinder out and clean this frame up of the unnecessary tabs! Then get the shock mount mocked up and find someone locally who's not going to rape me for the welding that needs done.

Looking great, can't wait. Keep the pix and progress coming.

Mark

Hey Mark, any chance you could post up picks of the frame fab work that you did to mount the gpz swinger? Might make my life a little easier having a frame of reference

No problem. The lower mount I used the center stand mounts as locaters and it worker good. If you can mock up the mounts and then move the arm up and down to make sure it in the right spot. The arm will only move freely when you have the mounts in the right spot. then find a shock and put the upper mount where the bike sits at the right highth.

Mark

anarki650 wrote:

Some of you will remember my 77b1 cafe,

That bike is sweet as-is. I wouldn't change one thing ('cept the fried engine obviously).

"That bike is sweet as-is. I wouldn't change one thing ('cept the fried engine obviously)."

Thanks for the compliment! Unfortunately the spoked wheels are long gone, and the stock swing arm I have is a rust heap, as well as the stock round master cylinder, etc etc. Sold off a bunch of parts when the 650 motor died as I planned on shoe horning a 1000 motor into the frame, which would need a better suspension and swing arm. Gave up on the 1000 motor, but still dropping in a 750, so the upgrade to suspension is more logical to me on that point as well (especially since I got all the running gear for $150).

Thanks for the shots of your fab work Mark! Appreciate it!!

Pm me if you need any more info.I'm liking the 550 swing arm, looks like it's close to the stock wheel base. The 750 arm I'm using adds about three inch's out back.

Mark