My new KZ650 build

Im new here and this is my first bike. I picked it up from a friend for pretty cheap and want to build a cafe racer. Ive wanted to do this for a while and when I couldnt get the cb400 I had been trying for, this bike fell in my lap. Its a bit bigger than I wanted for my first one, but Ill live with that. Ive been search for parts and what not to replace the broken or ugly, or bent pieces. Since Im so new to this, I dont know what all will work from other years or models, which is also slowing down the search for a new tank and rear sets. Anyways, on to the pictures.

Welcome aboard! I suggest you start by making a list of safety issues that need to be addressed and put those at the top of your list of things to do; no point in fixing cosmetics if the bike is unsafe to ride.

Just a quick glance at the pictures tells me you need a new chain and sprockets ( a broken chain can jam up and make you lose control and/or break the engine case). Also it looks like you have leaking carbs - big fire hazard. The front axle is mounted wrong - if those axle clamps fail and the wheel falls off it could be a problem. In fact, I highly recommend you go over all the important fasteners to make sure they are installed correctly and properly torqued (the torque table is in the manual). Obviously the headlight, left footpeg, and chain guard need to be fixed. Tires are hard to tell, but if that rear one is getting bald I'd replace them both, and be SURE to replace the tubes with new ones when you do. The front brakes should have the fluid changed; changing fork oil is also a very good idea. The rear brake pads should be carefully checked - if they are original or very old the linings can separate from the shoe and jam. Having a speedometer would be a good idea, and that front right turn signal is falling off.

From the looks of the bike, I would say the previous owner thought maintenance was a 4 letter word. After you make a list of the things that can get you seriously hurt, the next set of items on the to-do list would be all the maintenance tasks. Tune up, oil change, lube and adjust the control cables, rear brake, clutch, etc. These are things that can leave you stranded, so they should be done before straying too far from home. The Kawasaki Service Manual has the full maintenance schedule along with instructions on how to do everything.

Cosmetics and modifications would be the third set of items on my to-do list. Making the bike look good is great, but if the bike is dangerous and/or unreliable looking good doesn't count for much.

KZ650 engines are extremely reliable, so if you do the maintenance you should end up with a good running bike. Just be sure to fix all the stuff that can kill you and the normal maintenance stuff before you ride it. If you have any problem finding parts post a list here. Some folks on this site are pretty good at tracking stuff down. Also, here's a link to some info you should find useful in working on the bike. Good luck with it. Ed

kzrider.com/forum/10-new-members/589649-...r-savannah-ga#594587

Welcome to KZR. Everything Ed said is sound advise. This bike is looking like it will pretty much need everything gone over. I would check the compression and spark on the bike before I did anything if I was you. I don't know what your mechanical skills are but if you need to a top end rebuild straight out of the gate and have never attempted anything like that it can be a bit daunting. Lots of good info on this site. Good luck with your project.

What they said, take care of the safety and main mechanic issues. Having said that welcome to the fun and learn to love the work, keeping the old girls in the road is almost as much fun as running them down the road!

Thanks for all the input. Ill have to find a service manual and start from there. This will be a long time project as well. Not in any rush to get it done. It was sitting in a garage for about a year and a half before I got it. The guy I got it from had sold it to someone that laid it over while riding drunk and took it back. The handlebars are bend and need to be replaced. A friend that helped me get the bike gave me a set of clubman bars to put on. I need to take the carbs off and rebuild and jet them. I was told they are not jetted correctly for the pod filters or exhaust that is on the bike. Just not sure where I can get a rebuild kit for them or how to find the right size jets.