KZ500 Cafe Racer build

Here's some story and pictures from my kz500 project.

I found this bike from Finnish internet-site where you can sell and buy motorcycle -and car parts.

Before her little -about ten year- break from riding she had a little collision, and the front forks bented, so the previous owner didn't have the front end to the bike.
When bought, the bike looked like this:

I did some searching and found the front end from a 1998? (i think) Honda cbr 900rr Fireblade for a good price and bought it.
Here's a picture where the front end is in it's place, but not fitted yet.
I also tried on some spoked wheels from my KTM sx520 motocross bike! Front wheel is too big (21"), but there is coming a 19" Honda CB 750 front wheel to it.
Still have to find another KTM rear wheel, couse i have to ride also the KTM

I have a small budget for this project, and i think it could take about year or two to finish the bike, but i think it's nicer to do everything with time and with no rushing, than thinking that it's your second job to do the bike ready, this is just a hobby for me

keep postin i can't wait to see where this goes.








leon

+1

Thanks guys, nice to know!

Because the bike were last time driven about ten years ago, the carbs did have some mystic green stuff inside them, which used to be gasoline, i think.

So i disassembled the carbs (pic.1) and get them to sodablast, because i wanted to get the original black paint off of them. Sodablast also cleaned old gasolines off quite good.
After sodablast carbs were like new ones (pic.2)

After that i toke them to ultrasound-wash? (not sure if that's the right word for that..) for make sure that all the dirt was gone. Sadly that operation darkened the surface a little. So i gave them a little scotch pad, and that gave the surface little better look.

At Pic.3 there's some rebuilding going on.

and pic.4 Carbs rebuilded.

For now, i'm waiting for to get the clutch cover back from the motor shop, which should get the oil filling cap loosened from it. (It was so tight that i couldn't get it open.) And then i'm going to try to start the beast for the first time!
Wish me luck for that!

Hi guys! It's been a while, and my little project has gain some progress.

Biggest thing is, that it's alive now!
I had a little struggle with starting it, because first the ignition coils were at wrong order so it fired back from the carburetors.
It took a couple of days for me to find out which was the right order (yes, i've got the service manual, but apparently i'm not very smart), so i started to measure the valve clearances and all except one clearance were too big/ too small.

Next i fixed the clearances and tightened the camshaft and of course there were couple of bolts which snapped off. So, bike to the motorshop and after that a second try, and it did started! It didn't run very well, but i think it's because i haven't got the carbs adjusted yet.

And now i'm working with the rear frame:

I also have bought several parts, which i have told in previous message:

New KTM rear wheel, brake and new pair of rearshocks, which are couple of centimeters longer than a stock ones:

I think the bike is now in quite good position with the new rearshocks, because with the original ones, the rear tire was very near of the rear frame:

And here's a pic of the bike with spoked wheels on it. I have ordered a pair of 400-19 Firestone deluxe champion tires, and they are coming from US, near from New York so the deliverance is a bit open for the events what there has happened. Feeling bad for the people out there.

i really like the stance.

lookin good so far,keep them pics coming.

leon

Thanks, Leon!

Got the tires! Also my friend welded the "new" silencer on, which i bought only for 30 euros.

nice.

leon

Nice bike!

Thanks guys!

Here's few pics more:

very cool indeed

Huh, it's been a while! 
As I said at the start of the project, in year 2012: "...i think it could take about year or two to finish the bike...  " I think it was a little understatement!

There has been a couple of variables in the way...
I had to sell the bike, as a non finished project, about 7-8 years ago and did regret it hard, but needed money to renovate our house then..
Years went by, and I always wondered how the bike turned out to be, as the new owner apparently had it finished.

Last summer I got the idea to search the owner from instagram and ask how it turned out. I heard that he didn't had time or place to finish it, and he did sell the bike to friend of his. So I talked to this friend, and even he didn't have time to finish it either!! So the bike was at the same condition as when I sold it. I had to get it back  The new owner was not thinking to sell it, but this great noble guy said, that he had no time to do it and I was the one who started the project, so I was the one to have the right to end it also. So he did sell it to me, with the same price I sold it in the first place So, this summer I got it going on the road for the first time! There's a little more job to get it run perfectly, but it's something I didn't think would happen, and I'm so glad to have it now. The project is on again  

I'll attach some images below, as I see the old ones had disappeared.