What did I do wrong with my 81 KZ750?

Watched your clip. Like watching out of one eye. :lol: It doesn't sound too loud but it sounds like you need to sync the carbs. As for the steering, it's great for the tight twisties but on the open road, I'd want my steering to be slower. Have you been in a high speed wobble at 100+? I'm planning on gusseting my frame and have a slightly longer swing arm to avoid that.
I use to ride in the canyons a lot. None out here, just open road. I can open it up if I want and do occasionally.
Steve

BubbaZ1982 wrote: I mean I get scowls from people, and other cyclists avoid me like the plague. I parked at the big Bike shop here in my city and when I came out, someone had lifted my bike up and put a pair of work gloves under the back wheel, whatever that was supposed to mean, the guys were older and dispersed when i came out and didn't say a word. I completely rebuilt and modified this thing from the ground up, made all my own parts, reinforced the frame and swingarm, rebuilt the engine, and everything else is completely ala me. it runs like nobodies business, but everyone but me seems to just, I dunno, hate it.

Around my area nearly all bikers wave to each other in passing all brands and sorts of bikes are welcome at a get together. And Nobody messes with another persons bike.

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition."
Abraham Lincoln


www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/abraham_lincoln.html

I built my bikes the way I like them and that's the only right way, unless your building it for someone. Good job though. You should have seen my first attempts... not even half as clean as this one.

Since you asked "What did I do wrong"........

The gussets are done wrong. I HIGHLY recommend you get a couple books on how to correctly shape and install gussets and then redo the ones you installed so they are done correctly. Yours are shaped wrong and they are welded in the wrong place. There's a lot more to motorcycle frame engineering than just welding stuff on. Below are a couple hints. Ed

KZ650's and 750's were extensively raced and earned a reputation for excellent handling. Guys put these bikes on race tracks with sticky aftermarket rubber and rarely were there issues with flex in the frame causing instability concerns. Removing the factory gussets and replacing them, along with adding little gussets here and there around the frame, begs the question of WHY? The swingarm mod in particular looks to have added a bunch of extra weight which will detract from the handling, not improve it. The steering head looks less braced than before too.

OP would have been better off spending a little money on some new shocks and fork springs. Such mods are useful.

OK, no questioning of skills and effort. You asked the question and we are responding your defensiveness is getting you nowhere. You could have sculpted it out aluminum and steal by hand with a bastard file. It looks like it doesn't know what it wants to be. Look at some bikes that have been praised for their modifications and styling decide what you are trying to achieve and figure out what is different or missing then massage your mods until it looks more thought out and planned.

From first glance it looks like someone bought an LTD took the pipes off installed a solo seat and dropped the forks and put on some clip -ons. Some paint and ebay special parts were added for good measure. CL and other classifieds are full of bikes that have this very thing done. One of the most over used words in thes ads these days is "cafe" whic usually means "I broke/lost/messed up some parts so I left them off because i didn't want to make the effort or spend the money to replace them".

Is it a cafe/brat? It needs rear sets especially for a cafe, brat can stay, Tank replacement or modification and at least a restyled seat and tail piece. Brat needs front and rear wheels and tires to look like they are the same size.

Is it a Bobber? It needs to lose the tail piece, forward pegs and spoke wheels.

The pipes look "unfinished" and if it is loud it doesn't help. Mess with people's heads put some good looking megaphnes on there and let them a be a bit loud without sounding straight. Or put some straight looking pipes on with a good muffled growl. I would put some indicators back on they don't have to be stock. It's only going to be a matter of time before you need both hands to maneuver and signal or someone clobbers you and uses the excuse that you didn't signal even if you did. Hand signals haven't been commonplace for 50 yrs.

I'll add without the signals you'll get pulled over and inspected. The CHP can yank the bike on the spot. If emission equipment had been removed, a fine and reinspect ion will be required. I'm more concerned about the steering. All the weight seems to be forward, not even. That can cause issues even with a beefed up frame. You put a lot of time and money in this build, hate to see it condemned.
Steve

BubbaZ1982 wrote: Don't care about Harley riders, or "respect" really, I just wonder why all the scowls, and why someone would have the nerve to lift my bike up and put a pair of work gloves under the tire? How would you feel if I found your bike in a parking lot, got help to lift the back end off the ground and mess with it? I've been on the road for 14 years (since I was 19) and I've never had these kinda issues with other riders. I just want to know what changed in Bike culture? and what gives someone the right to mess with your bike because it might not be to their liking?

I wanted to address this issue a little more. People seem more angry now days. It was like this before 911 getting hard looks from one minority, road rage, etc. When 911 happened it all changed for a short time but as time went on it came back to like it was. You have chosen to be different and I commend you for that. These bikes speak of a time of freedom and non conformity. They are getting very rare. As far as I know I have the only Z1 within 60 miles like when it was new in 75. I get hard looks too. Also I've had people stop and admire the bike. When asked if I'd sell it, I say no and there's that scowl again. Anyone can buy a cruiser and all makes sell them.
Hell, some of them look more like a hog than the real ones do.








I'd rather have something different and still do'


Steve

Nessism wrote: KZ650's and 750's were extensively raced and earned a reputation for excellent handling. Guys put these bikes on race tracks with sticky aftermarket rubber and rarely were there issues with flex in the frame causing instability concerns. Removing the factory gussets and replacing them, along with adding little gussets here and there around the frame, begs the question of WHY? The swingarm mod in particular looks to have added a bunch of extra weight which will detract from the handling, not improve it. The steering head looks less braced than before too.

OP would have been better off spending a little money on some new shocks and fork springs. Such mods are useful.

The above is all absolutely true!

Considering the KZ750 was based on the KZ650, and the fact that the KZ650s beat all the 750cc AMA and FIM records (see image below) using unmodified frames and swing arms, the frame / swing arm mods on this bike were a mistake that very likely made handling worse rather than better. The weakest link on the KZ650 / 750 bikes was the rear shocks. Even when new they were barely adequate. Notice in the video below that the stock shocks were replaced with S&W shocks. Replacing the shocks would be the very first thing to be done to improve handling. At the very least I would try to put the frame back as it was before the mods. If the frame was rigid enough for the record setting bikes, it certainly is rigid enough for a street bike. More research should have been done before making frame changes; more research = less hacksaw. Ed

Yes, I realize it's in a box, but by exposed I meant "the battery is made obvious as to where it is" instead of hidden behind a side cover.

I've ridden many bikes that looked far less finished, with far less direction on what it wants to be, and I've ridden bikes that were almost 100% stock and in great shape. People fucked with all of them equally. The bike itself doesn't really matter. Wise-asses and drunks will mess with anything. I doubt they lifted the rear end straight up... it's much easier to just tip the bike slightly on the side stand. The rear tire will lift off the ground that way. Who knows what the work gloves were meant to represent. Maybe they just had some extra work gloves and wanted to give them to you.

..... Who knows what the work gloves were meant to represent. Maybe they just had some extra work gloves and wanted to give them to you.

Maybe he doesn't wear gloves when he rides. ???