Peavylotus' Rebuild of the KZ Cafe

baldy110 wrote: Really guys, the brakes on my 78 KZ650 and ELR clone are fantastic and they are the stock ones. I run sintered pads which help but even the stock pads were good. I have ridden modern bikes and their brakes are better but I wouldn't call the brakes on the older KZ's bad.

Yeap I thought the same as mine work just fine on my KZ1000. I ride a little aggressively around town and often feel the back tire sliding when braking hard. Front double drilled stock disc work grea also.

Update: I'll just sell mine if I have to add all the modern conveniences to it and buy a new bike, nah second thought I like it just like it is.

Well, brakes work on all bikes but updating is necessary for me. Living in Downtown Seattle with inner city traffic and dealing with Seattle's Interstate traffic. Which is very stop and go, 60 - 0 in short distances and if your unlucky stopping becomes a matter of 'how fast can you stop'. I want peace of mind when I round a bend at 65 on I-5, I-90 and 405 at the same time, seeing a wall of parked cars who greet me with acceptance to join the party. So rather than showing up with adrenaline pumping and Hulking out of my leather riding gear, I would like to join the interstate parking party with a warm hug and greet my fellow motor-vehicle-ist with a smile and maybe a cup of coffee.

Update: I am adding a coffee maker to the KZ...


got a little carried away, I think the point is in there somewhere

peavylotus wrote: .......I would like to join the interstate parking party with a warm hug and greet my fellow motor-vehicle-ist with a smile and maybe a cup of coffee.

Update: I am adding a coffee maker to the KZ.....

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I like it! I'm thinking of adding air conditioning to mine. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Ed

Hell, i think its safe to say a waterheater would work well on one, nothing like warm showers. Probably have to go electric. But propane could work.

baldy110 wrote: Really guys, the brakes on my 78 KZ650 and ELR clone are fantastic and they are the stock ones. I run sintered pads which help but even the stock pads were good. I have ridden modern bikes and their brakes are better but I wouldn't call the brakes on the older KZ's bad. I ride with a bunch of younger guys on new machines and I am still out front in the twisties even with my old brakes and suspension.
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I don't think the KZ brakes are bad with sintered pads, but near impossible to make a quick stop with one finger. If motorcycles have taught me anything its that skills are far more important than the machine.
exhibit A:

'I don't have any brakes in the front' haha your right about experience. One thing on this planet you can't buy.

didn't see anyone answer your master cylinder question. 14mm is what you want for the dual disc front.

Ronin wrote: didn't see anyone answer your master cylinder question. 14mm is what you want for the dual disc front.

WRONG!!!!!!

The KZ bikes need a 5/8" bore master cylinder for dual front disk brakes! Ed

Its not a question between dual disk and single disk its the ratio between flow and amount of handle motion, with the 6 piston brakes you need to move more fluid with the same handle swing as before. I will just buy a master cylinder from the ZX7, removing the guess work. Still have to figure the disks out anyway, stock ones aren't going to work too well. Its going to be tough.

Making some solid progress.

Looking good peavylotus!

Nice riding Doctor Rot,

Taking the case apart to clean her out. Pulled the oil pan and saw this. It is a bunch of orange chunks connected by sludge, The valve cover gasket was orange so I assume a previous owner got scrape happy. Honestly...I think this is the reason the pistons scraped the cylinder walls. there were also metal shavings in there as well.

Anyone find this in their oil pan?



Some other pictures of it apart. I now a have a barn to work in since I got on a Racing Team.



Probably the source of my electrical problems I was having...