1973 Z1 rebuild

That's a lot of history right there 

While we are going down memory lane I have dug a few pics out of the bike.The first pic is when the bike was in custom metalflake grey, named 'Midnight Magic'  when I first started drag racing I thought it would be a good idea to get a slick and see how the traction would improve over a street tyre, this is the result. 

after that the bike got a set of wheelie bars ! 

I did a rebuild on the bike and it turned into 'RedZed' - the bike won Best Street Bike at the Adelaide Hotrod show in 2000. 
Next pic is me at the 30th Z Anniversary get together at Silverton, where the Mad Max movies were filmed. 

Here is Redzed at the Silverton Hotel next to the Mad Max replica Falcon coupe
 
And Redzed getting a push start at the drags
 

Back in the middle 70's and early 80's some of the Adelaide OMCG's had absolutely magnificent z900/z1000 choppers of the like never to be seen again.
There was a place called "Spray Chief" on Scotty's corner that was impossible to ride by without stopping and looking through their window at their latest works of art.
Their work was second to none and I have not seen any spray art even remotely close, even to this very day.
I often wonder what happened to those bikes and hope they weren't broken up or wrecked as they are truly part of our local history/70's social scene.

Love that sidecar!  I'm currently riding a 2006 GL1800 with a Daytona 2+2 sidecar.  Lots of room for our 3 dogs.

I admit that back in the day I switched to a 4/1 from 4/4 on my Z1.  The 4/4 set was rusted out and a new set cost $1,000 vs a Kerker at $450.

wrote:

Back in the middle 70's and early 80's some of the Adelaide OMCG's had absolutely magnificent z900/z1000 choppers of the like never to be seen again.
There was a place called "Spray Chief" on Scotty's corner that was impossible to ride by without stopping and looking through their window at their latest works of art.
Their work was second to none and I have not seen any spray art even remotely close, even to this very day.
I often wonder what happened to those bikes and hope they weren't broken up or wrecked as they are truly part of our local history/70's social scene.

I used to be there because Top Fuel bike racer John Hoskins had his engine shop next door for a few years.
Spray Chief was the place if you wanted candy apple metal flake !

Everytime the mrs comes out into the workshop she says, when are you getting new footpegs - those old ones look awful.
Now as much as I hate to admit it, she was right.  So I lashed out when I ordered the rear wiring looms.  
At $170 aud for front and rear sets it was a no brainer really.

 

The new rear looms mean plug in wiring for the new turn signals.

 

Check the front peg mounts. OEM used a larger dome almost shaped washer then the acorn nut. Hate to see the foot peg come loose because you used the wrong mounting hardware. 

www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/92102...87cd6408b7afbd7bae03

Id be interested in the old front pegs and chrome brackets if your looking to get rid of them.


Edit: I’m sure it just a mock up, but the rear axle is backwards. Threaded end and castle nut go on the right side.

 

wrote:

Check the front peg mounts. OEM used a larger dome almost shaped washer then the acorn nut. Hate to see the foot peg come loose because you used the wrong mounting hardware. 
www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/92102...87cd6408b7afbd7bae03
Id be interested in the old front pegs and chrome brackets if your looking to get rid of them.
Edit: I’m sure it just a mock up, but the rear axle is backwards. Threaded end and castle nut go on the right side.



 

Those washers went west a looong time ago.
Im in Australia so shipping would be more than the brackets are worth unfortunately.
Yeah, that axle is just sitting in there as I was getting the chain adjusters ready.

Its been a week away from the bike - I went to install a fuel pump wiring loom in the hillclimb car and found a creased brake line, so there went a week trying to get that sorted.
Anyway back to it again today, got some bolts and some other bits from the bike shop.
Time to do some test fitting and sorting out more nuts, bolts, washers and bushes !
I did have to take the indicator bushes back out of the headlight shell to use them to fit up the rears - got another pair ordered.
Im starting to fit up the handlebars and everything that hangs off them.  Found a secondhand throttle tube on Ebay so I can replace the quick action single cable one.

 

Bolted up the disc with the new fasteners

 

Before the wiring loom starts going up into the frame I thought I better get the steering damper bracket into place, I painted the steering damper (it was red) and did a test fit.

 

I am going to ditch the stand alone single action throttle and go back to the double action throttle.  Of course I have no idea what happended to the original one.
I found a throttle tube on ebay, it had obviously been blasted so I gave it a clean up and painted it while I was in the mood.  Looks like Im going to need new hand grips as well !

 

While Ive got the spray can out and warmed up I cleaned up the steel chain guard I made years ago and gave it a blast of black paint, coz if there is one Z1 item I cant stand, its the original plastic chain guard 

 

Whilst you are putting the "red to bed" have you thought about chroming the rear springs 

wrote:

Whilst you are putting the "red to bed" have you thought about chroming the rear springs 

well the red is going to bed, but something red will have to stay on the bike !