Zed's Not Dead!

I haven't posted much in the last year mostly because I don't have my cushy job anymore. Meaning I made my own schedule and had lots of "free internet time"!

Anyway as some of you know I've been working on a non triple project for the last year or so, I know I know a year is a long time for a build. Seems like some of you guys can put out two or three in that time.

This was a real barn find. The kid was asking $750 with no ownership and the key missing. A hot wire bike that no one wanted to touch. Stolen maybe?? Makes for a good bargaining chip! Plus he didn't know what he had, thought it was a "77 Kawasaki KZ. The kid was wrong, it's a '73 Z1.

It supposedly ran but not in a few years and just around the farm fields. I talked him down to $500 due to the ownership and general condition.

Here's a shot after the initial clean up a couple of years ago.





After a carb clean it started right up! It became very apparent I would need a new pipe. It was totally rotted out on the bottom. I picked up an R.C. Engineering pipe from a VRRA member sandblasted it and repainted it, one less thing to do.

The next thing to do was collecting all the rest of the needed parts. That took awhile but with Andre & Ellen at Reproduction Decals and Tanner at Z1 Parts.net all it takes is money.

The next thing to do was strip the engine paint. I tried the Canadian Tire paint stripper. It barely touched it. Next I tried the NAPA stripper, what a difference. It took it off after a couple of coats. Just wear gloves, long sleeves and safety glasses, very strong stuff.

Here's the results.



Before paint.



After paint.

As for the frame, I called "meathead" who is now goes by "sh**head" or Brian, a board member and VRRA racer. He stripped the frame for me at a very reasonable cost.
I chose paint over powder coating because powder coating can hide frame cracks and that's the way Kawasaki did it.

Andre rebuilt the wheels for me and they came out beautiful!







Here's the way she sits now.





Lots of little things to do yet but I'll be happily riding at the back of the pack come Paris 2013!

As for the S3...



That's going up for sale in the spring to finance the S3/500 project bike.

Nice find!

Wow, that's lovely!

Nice garage, too, I'm jealous...

Lucky man, lucky man. Nice save.

Great job, she's beautiful!

Yeah it is, just beautiful.. Need a jealous icon.

Les

Man That looks nice. What are you going to do for exhaust?

Thanks guys!

As for exhaust, I've got an old RC Engineering 4 into 1. I'll post a pic later.
I blasted (plastic beads) and repainted it. It came out pretty good but I like that MotoGP Works pipe.
It had a rusted out Kerker but after the initial start up it basicly blew out the bottom at the collector.

I really have to get some heat in the garage so I can finish the bike before spring.
That's the next job!

.
ZED IS DEAD BABY!!!!

tits

Coming along nicely Steve.
She looks great.
Gotta get together for a ride next season.

Thanks again for the seat Rob!

I feel a bike night coming up soon. I'll let you guys know in the new year.