DNel's '78 KZ650 Fighter Project

First time poster, new member. LOVE your bike build for several reasons. I'm the proud new owner of an '81 Kz650 LTD. I dig what you're doing with the build, the ride a little, mod a little aspect of it mirrors my Buell build that I just completed. I just got the KZ in August in trade (with a HUGE two stage Snap On rolling tool box),for an old pickup that didn't run. I have $0 in this bike except the title fees. I'm thinking of an update/cafe build, pulling the same trick you did with the front end. I haven't decided to what extent I'm going to mod the rear yet.

Good luck with your build! More pics PLEASE!

when I started my project 650 10 years ago, itwas because it had dropped a cylinder. Now it is monoshocked and modern frontended and bored to 810 with GPz750 cams and carbs. It was a heckuva lot more fun the LAST time I rode it. That was two years ago because I got divorced in the middle of the final part of the build and am saving for a garage and room to work on it. Should be this spring, all I need to do is get the chain run right and the re-wire...

Good luck with the motor build, great looking bike.

Bdog wrote: when I started my project 650 10 years ago, itwas because it had dropped a cylinder. Now it is monoshocked and modern frontended and bored to 810 with GPz750 cams and carbs. It was a heckuva lot more fun the LAST time I rode it. That was two years ago because I got divorced in the middle of the final part of the build and am saving for a garage and room to work on it. Should be this spring, all I need to do is get the chain run right and the re-wire...

Good luck with the motor build, great looking bike.

expatriate00 wrote: First time poster, new member. LOVE your bike build for several reasons. I'm the proud new owner of an '81 Kz650 LTD. I dig what you're doing with the build, the ride a little, mod a little aspect of it mirrors my Buell build that I just completed. I just got the KZ in August in trade (with a HUGE two stage Snap On rolling tool box),for an old pickup that didn't run. I have $0 in this bike except the title fees. I'm thinking of an update/cafe build, pulling the same trick you did with the front end. I haven't decided to what extent I'm going to mod the rear yet.

Good luck with your build! More pics PLEASE!

Thanks for the kind words guys!

Started to hack up the frame today. Cut off the entire rear of of the bike instead of cutting off tabs. Will be much quicker and cleaner in the long run. More pics to come soon!

bring on the pics.

leon

531blackbanshee wrote: bring on the pics.

leon

I wanna make big progress before pics lol.

Ordered a ZX-6R rear wheel today, along with a 180\55R17 Tire, and a lot of steel tubing for the frame and swing arm. Hope to get it all fabbed up this weekend or next!

D.Nel928 wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: bring on the pics.

leon

I wanna make big progress before pics lol.

Ordered a ZX-6R rear wheel today, along with a 180\55R17 Tire, and a lot of steel tubing for the frame and swing arm. Hope to get it all fabbed up this weekend or next!

leon

dang man, you've done a lot of work here! i went a similar route as you with my kz440. got a gsxr front end on it with an '05 zx6r front wheel, but the rear was going to be far too wide, so i ended up going with a rear off a '10 ninja 250ex. it was the same spoke pattern as the '05 front wheel, and although it was wider than my stock wheel, it wasn't so wide that i'd have to extend my output gear and stress it. sounds like you're going the custom swinger route, can't wait to see how that works out!

Little teaser of what's to come. Next update will be a big one

ATTEMPTED THREAD JACKING IN PROGRESS........

Cool fighter build 1st off... With the modern upgrades can one go in the cruiser direction instead with as much success as the street fighters?? What would that be called?

uglee wrote: ATTEMPTED THREAD JACKING IN PROGRESS........

Cool fighter build 1st off... With the modern upgrades can one go in the cruiser direction instead with as much success as the street fighters?? What would that be called?

Success is what you make it man. In all honesty this isn't really a fighter build, it might use ideas from fighter\cafe\brat, but my ultimate goal is to make it mine. I tell people I've got well over 5k wrapped up in this bike already, and it astonishes them. "I can buy a newer crotch rocket for that", and that's when I laugh. You can't buy mine... Idk if this post is relevant to what you were asking, but that's what I got from it.

This video fuels my build, if you build your own stuff you'll like it. Pay attention at 9:17
vimeo.com/49920522

Sweet build. It looks like you have a solid vision...keep posting!

Alrighty, started to make the new swing arm and ran into a couple problems. The biggest is the spacers. I'm going to attempt to make the swinger just wide enough to use the stock spacers and all, or I'll have to get custom ones made. My only worry at this point is chain clearance.