TOPIC:

Just before get asked again (I shit you not I have received serveral pms on this), my build threads aren't about a furry brown fruit with a green innards.
A Kiwi is a small brown bird native to New Zealand and the name given to a person that comes from New Zealand as well. As a New Zealander we collectively call ourselves Kiwis. Yes, I know a Kiwi is a fruit to most of you guys but we have to call it a Kiwifruit over here otherwise it would be really weird eating a Kiwi lol.

Okay so here we go.....................
Kiwi the bird

Kiwi the people

Kiwifruit


Righto, back to motorcycles again.

I have wanted to own a Z1R ever since I was a teenager (over twenty years ago, where did time go!) For some reason or another the opportunity just has never come up or I haven't been in a position to buy one. Well to be honest, not much is changed. I still have bugger all money and now the opportunities don't come up to own a Z1R anymore. They are like hens teeth over here in New Zealand and very rarely come up for sale and if they do I can't afford one as my kids, mortgage, and wife have claimed most of my income! Oh, and the taxman. So I decided that I would build one from scratch using a MKII that I came across a while back. So here you have it.............................my Z1R

I bought the MKII while I was building the Kiwi KZP so as to not be distracted I buried it in the back of the shed and promptly forgot about it. Then as such things tend to happen I got to talking with Graham Crosby (legendary New Zealand motorcycle racer) about wanting to build a Z1R and thinking about using the MKII as the basis for the build. As it turns out he had a Z1R in very poor repair and in bits (most of them missing) in his possession. A deal was done so I loaded the MkII onto the trailer and went for a drive up the country to Croz's workshop.

Here's Croz taking delivery of one very tired old MKII, a photo of Croz in his racing days, and a few pics of his workshop.

After I had finished drooling over all the bikes in his shed I loaded up this very sad and neglected Z1R (well sort of a Z1R) and headed back home! My wife gave me shit for taking a complete bike away and coming back with half a one But hey, I now had an honest to god Z1R, a motor, a few random bits and pieces, and it hadn't cost very much. Result!!!

So what did I have? Well after some checking and some awesome help from members on the site here it turns out it is a German domestic model D1 made right late in the model run in 1979. It even has the sidestand positioned up front which was particular to only the German Z1R's (god only knows why). After even more investigating it turns out quite a few German models come to NZ and Australia new as overflow stock. Aus and NZ being small markets they often get the oddball stuff. Good points, it's a Z1R. Bad points..................incorrect forks and front disc rotors. Rear subframe slightly twisted. Missing nearly all the parts useful in building a bike!!!!! Lucky I like a challenge.

So then I buried this in the back of the shed to start work on once I had finished the Kiwi GPZ project which I had started. Problem being was that I couldn't leave the Z1R alone or stop spending what little cash I had on it instead of the GPZ. When an opportunity came up to sell the GPZ I took it and now me and the Z1R can be together finally.

Basically we are now nearly up to the present day. I have dragged out all of the parts that came with the bike, I have collected, and ones that have been donated, and this is what we have.





oh, and possibly the best bit of airbrushing ever on the side cover. Any Michael Jackson fans out there?

Present day update number two. This bike is going to be one hell of a bitsa but luckily for me we have the internet as I would never find the parts I need in New Zealand alone. Thankyou world for helping build the Kiwi Z1R!! Small sample of the parcels that keep arriving. Wife starts sweating when another turns up cos she knows the poor old credit card has taken a hammering.

Side stand from Germany.............



Crank form the US of A ................





Wiring loom from Japan.............



and some awesome help from members on the forum, big thanks to eddiem!! Truly, this bike would take an extra ten years to build without help from people like him.

I still have another month of catchups but getting late now so will fill in the last few updates tomorrow and then we will be right up to the current days build. You can see why bugger all was getting done on the GPZ

This oughta be good...

Damn kiwi,,,your on the right path,,,how cool was it being in Graham's garage...can't wait to see that "new" z1r evolve... Pat