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Doing your own work
- JoyceD
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- Shabba
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JoyceD wrote: Hi, all! I'm kinda new here, and have posted once, but I've also kinda nosed around a bit. I rather get the impression that many of you do your own work on your KZ's. Is this because you prefer to tinker with them, or because there just aren't a lot of people willing to work on the older bikes?
Both of those reasons and also that many of us don't care to pay someone to do it. Shop charges are pretty high these days so it just adds to the expense. Why pay someone $100 an hour to replace a part that I can do just as well myself and gets me out of the house?
-Colin
-82 GPZ750
-15 Yamaha FZ-09
-00 Suzuki TL1000S
-13 Nissan Nismo Juke
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- GPzMOD750
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Besides I wouldn't be able to afford anything that's personal on even the smallest level if I had to pay someone to do it. Nice to have something that's "Built not bought" even if it's not perfect.
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- SWest
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- 10 22 2014
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Steve
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- 650ed
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If I needed to have major repairs done to the engine I might ship it to a shop that specializes in older bike engines, but other than that I would not have anyone else work on my bike. Ed
1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- martin_csr
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- SWest
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- 10 22 2014
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Steve
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- Nessism
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Just a few chores that should be taken care of with the purchase of any 35 year old bike...
1) full brake system tear down and clean out. Replace corroded parts and update seals and brake lines.
2) Complete carb rebuild including replacing all the rubber O-rings. It may be necessary to replace the carb boots and airbox boots at this time as well. After completion, you need to do a vacuum carb sync. Needless to say you should make sure your gas tank is clean and the petcock is working properly too. Replacing the petcock straight out is a good idea, or at least get a rebuild kit to replace the sure to be hard and brittle rubber parts inside.
3) Adjust valves. This critical maintenance task is very often dismissed until the point there the valves and seats burn.
4) Clean electrical connections, particularly those on the charging system.
5) Replace tires and tubes, and/or chain and sprockets
6) Replace Fork oil, engine oil, and final drive oil if the bike is a shafty. If the fork seals are originals, plan on replacing those while you are at it.
These are just a few things off the top of my head. Failing to do maintenance until the bike is misbehaving is sure to result in you getting stranded somewhere.
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- SWest
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Steve
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- Tyler
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I worked at a Ford dealership and an independent garage and I know all to well that time = money and you have to be very efficient with your time if your going to make any money...
That's also the second reason you have to work on old bikes yourself, most professional service work is just cost prohibitive. Some service work could easily cost more than the valve of bike... that makes no sense at all. And costs add up very quickly. As an example there are three shops in my area that will mount and balance a motorcycle tire. The cheapest one wanted $55 to mount and balance the tire. That's with me brining them the rim off the bike... sobering to think what any significant service work would cost.
If I knew what I was doing all the time life wouldn't be any fun.
'80 KZ650 E 700cc, dyna ignition and coils, frame up restoration, daily driver
'81 KZ1300 A3 full restoration, custom big bore pistons, 1400cc 6 cylinder super bike
"77 KZ650 B1 - Barn Find, work in progeress
"74 Yamaha DT 400 Enduro
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- missionkz
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... I really do not find this to be a difficult chore at all!.... Why is there so much resistance to doing it!!!???swest wrote: The dreaded valve adjustment. :ohmy: :lol:
Steve
Bruce
1977 KZ1000A1
2016 Triumph T120 Bonneville
Far North East Metro Denver Colorado
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- GPzMOD750
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Stripping and torquing bolts. Especially since most references have the numbers incorrect. Not to mention runnig the risk of putting the bike out of time if you haven't ever done it. Off a tooth or 2 and you are replacing valves, head, pistons.....missionkz wrote:
... I really do not find this to be a difficult chore at all!.... Why is there so much resistance to doing it!!!???swest wrote: The dreaded valve adjustment. :ohmy: :lol:
Steve
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