1977 kz400 - conservative café?

Hi everyone,

Aside from being new to bike mods/builds, I'm also a relatively new rider. I had been looking for a cafe project for about 6 months and I just picked up a 1977 kz400 Deluxe. The bike is in perfect condition, it literally looks like it's only been ridden a few times. Only 12,000 miles with brand new tires, new battery, etc. Still has the original fairings, windscreen and luggage rack + side cases. I don't think the paint is original though? (Anyone seen many tan kz400s?)

I've been wanting to start a café build for a long time, but I think that I'll feel guilty for chopping up a bike in such great original condition! I want to find a compromise between a café style bike while still maintaining the integrity of this classic ride.
I'm thinking I'll just remove the fairings and such and implement café controls/bars and make my own seat.

Any suggestions?
I'll take some better pictures soon.

Thanks

No suggestions on the bike but I would say to throw the fairing and bags up on ebay. Not too many of the 'deluxe' accessories have survived, might be some interested 400 owners out there.

Wow, pretty nice 400. I feel kind of like you, I think maybe you could find a more suitable one for chopping up then that. It would be worth more as is, then changed in most cases, if the value means anything to you. Consider trading +cash for someone who started project and can't finish or the like?
but I should add it is about what you like, I always seem to end up trying to make my bikes original, and feel that then they are unique!

KZ250LTD wrote: No suggestions on the bike but I would say to throw the fairing and bags up on ebay. Not too many of the 'deluxe' accessories have survived, might be some interested 400 owners out there.

Yeah, I only saw one set of side cases for the kz400 going for $200 and they were in pretty rough shape and didn't have the chrome guard around them.

Maybe I won't feel bad about getting rid of some of the parts if they're going to someone who is doing a nice restoration on one.

For now I think I'll just take them off the bike and keep them around just in case.

Great looker!
Personally Id feel bad for all the work the guys did to keep her mint for 35+ years. Do you mind me asking what you paid?
You can honestly get one for $300-500 that you wont feel bad about chopping..maybe even a 750 twin

Project bikes are pretty hard to find out here for a decent price, let alone bikes that are in good working order.

Here are pics of my bike before and after removing the front fairing and luggage cases. Someone told me I should put them up on eBay, but I'm not sure I want to separate them from the original bike. What do you think?

I still have to remove the front fairing brackets (need a shorter replacement bolt) and to clean up the wiring a bit.

Ride and enjoy it. Keep it in its original trim, or keep all the pieces for it. Don't chop or Bob it. You could sell the gear for it, but you may decide that it works good with the gear installed.
You can always pick up a project bike later to do custom work to. But that looks like a Time Machine there.