My 1978 Z1R Finally completed

I've posted many times about this on again / off again project of mine. Well, it's finally done.

I rode it last week for the first time in over 30 yeaars... This 1978 Was my own bike back when it was new and when I worked at a Kawi / Suzuki dealership here in Winnipeg.

I rode it for almost 2 seasons and sold it to a guy who painted it candy lime gold and crashed it 3 or 4 times and parked it about 3 years after buying it.

Nostalgia got the best of me and I bought it... Soon wondering what I had gotten myself intto.

When I found it 12 years ago it wa a twisted, rusted hulk and the frame (having been rear-ended) was (in my opinion) too bent to be salvaged so I ended up using the frame from a basket case donor bike I found. GET THIS: The 2 bikes were bought 1,600 miles apart but the frame serial numbers only vary by 18 digits (both low 000200 bikes) So for all intents the numbers are close enough to the engine number to look matching (per se since kawi never matched them up exactly)

Over the last several years i procured a whack of NOS parts, some decent bodywork and slowly chipped away at the re-build.

Not having a heated shop the bike (and the donor bike I procured to salvage some parts from) sat, were transported to other garages and shops. There was a 3 year period it sat at in boxes in a shop where the owner (who turned out to be an alcoholic and druggie) never did anything to it...

I ended up getting one of the city's better mechanics to agree to do the engine and happily it only required a little freshening up.

Over the last year a friend and awesome mechanic have been working on it in our spare time.

I used a ton of new NOS parts (that I've been collecting since I bought it back) including a holy grail seat I found online still in the Kawasaki box.

The stock exhaust had been taken off and was hiding under the owner's bed (he put a Kerker on it the day he bought it from me and if i hadn't been for that like-new exhaust I might never have ended up buying it) I recently did find a 100% MINT NOS muffler (which I did not need to put on the bike) and I am saving it. It's a very good "spare" to have.

Frame and other parts like the stands, battery box, swing-arm etc. have been powder-coated and the only real mod is the addition of a stainless Allen bolt set. Not stock, but a nice touch and I have the originals in the rare event of me selling it.

Gauges were done by Z-Resto (Bob does awesome work and yes, that is the original mileage (in kilometers)

The paint was done over 10 years ago by master painter Gerry Dola from Winnipeg. It was one of the last jobs he did before he retired. Had it painted and the parts sat patiently in my basement until they got hung just last week. The paint is so accurate it fooled a Kawi parts man from the era into thinking it was NOS. color, tone, depth, pin-striping, metallic quality and clear coat all perfectly re-created. Gerry was a true artist but sadly like too many old guys he painted for years without protection and his lungs are shot as a result.

Side-covers, fairing and trim strips are original (re-painted of course) The tank and tail were too damaged to salvage.

Grips, mirrors, emblems, signals, sprockets and chain, cables, hoses, levers, tires and battery of course all new, and probably 100 other nuts, bolts, and odds and sods went onto it. Little things like the instrument "jewel" (oil, signal, neutral, high beam strip) stem and handlebar bolts, windshield hardware really add to the fresh look. Engine, wheels and brakes all got a re-paint and the forks were re-built, stripped and re-cleared. All cases were brought back to original luster. Master cylinders re-built, top end and clutch were all freshened up. Shocks disassembled and re-painted.

Many times I questioned my sanity about taking this project one and it was not without its stress and discouragement. The gas tank and it's rusting issues gave me a few more grey hairs... I was very pleased to have an expert give me a lining that looks exactly like metal nut is an acrylic and has a lifetime warrenty. There was athe issue of re-tapping the tiny holes for the tank emblems... No one wanted to toch it for fear of screwing it up... My Buddy Eric took the time to find the correct taps and aced it. There are a dozen other "speed bumps" that anyone who's restored a bike can relate to and I'm happy they are all behind me now.

On the home stretch some minor electrical and carb issues surfaced which I have now resolved and while I still need a couple little things like a new VIN sticker and putting on the repro warning labels I bought and trying to get the seat and helmet lock re-keyed to work off one key it's pretty much done and if I do say, it's probably show-worthy.

I wouldn't complain if it was the KZR "Bike of the Month" LOL!

Of all the vintage bikes I own this one feels EXACTLY like it did when I first rode it in the summer of 1978. That whistling whine of the exhaust, the firm, narrow seat, the boy-racer stance and feel. And yes, the nervous chihuahua handling. Even the "smell" of it all feel I've been transported back in time.

Thanks to so many members here who offered advice and encouragement and to the dozens of nameless people who I found parts through and to the "good" wrenches who helped me out. Also Ken Forbister who cooked me up the bitchin' Japanese War Flag helmet.

Wayne

I'm dumbfounded! That's gorgeous. Now enjoy it.

Les

Thanks Les, I've always loved your avatar pic... Would like to see more of that bike.

W

i'm crying


omg

no words

It looks like it's just off the showroom floor in 1978! Outstanding job!

Later, Doug

Outstanding Job !!! :woohoo:
Take it out and enjoy it !!
And show it off to others !!

Very nice. Awesome job!

Very very nice!!!

WOW!!

She's a beaut, excellent work sir. Definitely something you can be proud of.

Beautiful bike!

very good job.

awesome story as well.

leon