KZ650 Cafe Racer Help

Ok so i have a KZ650 not sure the year, I think '79 well a few years ago i took on the project of turning it into a cafe racer. due to my work schedule and travel i stopped the project a year ago and im having a hard time putting the bike back together, looking at it im not even sure why i took off half the things i did. some parts im missing, and are going to have to be replaced. heres a few pics, im hoping to get some good advice, this is my first motorcycle project., heres the bike. i chopped the frame about a foot. i need alot of electrical help, and fixing thhe front controls. where can i get a new on/off switch as i only have the front plate. also i have no back brakes for some reason

From your picture you have back brakes, they're drum brakes, you have to hook the stay bar to the brake backing plate for it to work (change the shoes, could save your life!) as far as the on/off switch you can try ebay ($30 or so used) z1enterprises sells new repro for reasonable price ($40-$50, dunno too lazy to look up) or try posting a wanted ad in the classifieds.

thanks flo for the help, the pic where its showing the drum brake do you see that long black bar with the hole in the end? what does that go to, im guessing u were refering to the verticle silver piece right?

Do find yourself a service manual if you don't already have one.

that long black bar with the hole in the end? what does that go to,

That bar should bolt to the brake hub.
You can see a bolt/attachment just down and to the left of the hole in the bar.
Looks like you need to rotate the brake hub counter clockwise to bring the mount back towards the black bar/brake stay.

The chain adjusters are missing. And the brake rod is bent.

Black bar. Before reconnecting the Rr brake torque link to the brake panel, reference the Brake Pedal, Rr wheel & swing arm diagrams for your bike at Kawasaki.com or Partzilla to make sure nothing is missing & to get the order right.

PS: if you ever get the bike to the point in which it's rideable, replace the Rr Br shoes. The old ones can fail --- a lining can come off and get jammed between the shoe & drum, locking the Rr wheel. It happened to me so it does happen. :ohmy:

Wiring. You're going to need a wiring diagram. I would label stuff as best I can. I guess I would start w the charging system & ignition system, then do the Ignition switch connections. If the components still have their connectors, that should help to figure out what goes where. The wiring diagram should indicate what size connectors there are, which can be helpful. By the process of elimination, you should be able to get it down to only a few unknowns at least.

Hey Café Racer, from one of the pictures it looks like you have a 78 or a 77 KZ650 B2 or B1. I have a 79. Your cam cover does not have the emission breathers like the 79's have. Rear brakes are drum brakes, they are not correctly assembled, the brace bar as I call it is not connected to the drum brake housing. I'll take a better look at the photos and try to help as best I can. The project is not that difficult believe me. My KZ650 was in bad shape and I was able to restore the bike to better than factory condition.

Hey Café Racer look on the left side of your steering neck where the front forks connect to the frame. You will find a white label which provides you with various info about the bike. On that label you will find a Built Date which tells you the date your bike was built. I looked at my bike, it's a 1979 KZ650 B3 and the built date is 12/78. I hope that helps you determine what year KZ650 you own. Talk to you later.

thanks for the help guys, it is a 78 kz650B, ive managed to buy a few stock parts on ebay, and im about to buy new brake shoes. I have the tank completely sanded down and ill be ordering a new seat soon. as far as my carbs go, ive cleaned them completely and one of my throttle valves doesnt wanna slide in the chamber, should I order a new one or sand it down? like i said its free of any grime so im not sure why im having the problem. Also on the photo with the fuse box, does that wire connector go to the back brake light?

Do not sand the slide!

When you cleaned the carbs is it possible that the slides didn't go back into the same carb bodies they came out of? Mixing them between carb bodies can cause issues becasue they tend to wear together. Ed