Doctorot's '78 KZ1000 build

Beautiful.....boy that exhaust turned into quite a lovely colour, looks like you got the tune just right.

Hell yeah Doc! "Let the good times roll"

It gets hot here in the summer, sitting in traffic a few times i could listen to the idle change as it started to overheat, a cooler probably wont help with that unless i get a small fan on there (maybe I will?) but I figure anything helps. I think this cooler is supposed to go concave forward but it fits better this way. Does this look stupid oriented this direction?

I've been toying with the idea of putting those 4" Derale fans behind the oil coolers on my '73 Z1-900 and my '78 KZ1000. You can get 180 degree F or 190 degree F thermostats for these coolers. I will get the 190 degree F one ... when I get around to it. I run VDO oil temp gauges and during the summer oil temps easily get beyond 220 degrees F in stop and go (mostly stop) traffic around here in the southeast US.

Hello Doc , The cooler looks great with concave rear + Im guessing you get better fork clearance . I live in the south east and it gets hot during the summer months so I have a cooler as well , I am in a rush to tune my bike before the summer between now and spring . I'm also going to put in a temp sensor in temporarily to check oil temp, just curious.

rich67 wrote: Hello Doc , The cooler looks great with concave rear + Im guessing you get better fork clearance . I live in the south east and it gets hot during the summer months so I have a cooler as well , I am in a rush to tune my bike before the summer between now and spring . I'm also going to put in a temp sensor in temporarily to check oil temp, just curious.

Where are you putting the sensor? in the pan?

DoctoRot wrote: I think this cooler is supposed to go concave forward but it fits better this way. Does this look stupid oriented this direction?

Is that the Earl's motorcycle cooler? I had one of those briefly but the paint job on it was so half-assed that I sent it back. I did play around with test fitting it while I had it.
I think it looks better reversed. I was trying to decide between the automotive and motorcycle coolers. I preferred the thinner motorcycle model to the thicker automotive type. I thought the motorcycles cooler was just a little bit too wide aesthetically for the KZ. And being a bit too wide already, mounting it with the curve facing forward puts the ends way out in from of the frame and engine. I think turning it around is probably the best compromise.

Yeah its an Earls. the paint doesn't seem to be staying very well. I peeled the masking tape off that i was mocking it up with and it removed a few small chips but i figured its too late to return it now. Ill touch it up when it goes on for good. I'm going to come up with a cradle style mount for the cooler so I can cut the tabs off the ends to make it narrower.

I was never really happy with the seat, it was the first one I ever made so mistakes were abundant. There was a small gap at the back, the vinyl i used was very slippery so its was hard to hang off the bike and feel comfortable, and the foam was OK, but I feel like it needs to be firmer and a little more sculpted.

I started with a new pan in 5052. this is the most in depth metal shaping project I have ever done, and i Learned a lot on the way. The pans a bit crude but it will get covered with foam. I need to get some more tools.....

nice work sir!

leon

The oil cooler adapter that I bought to bolt on the engine came with 1/4" NPT fittings which I have realized are way too small. I need to run at least a 3/8NPT to get a 12mm ID, and I need a -10 AN fitting as well, which means the cooler I bought has too small of fittings. The bummer is Earl's only makes these curved oil coolers with -6 and -8 fittings, so I need to find a new cooler.

Any suggestions for a cooler? I would love a curved one, but i cant find any that have -10AN fittings.

There may be an auto oil cooler you can use. Seems like they would require the larger fittings you need....just a thought.