KZ650

A friend of mine has a KZ650 with dirty carbs. He took the carbs off and never cleaned them. Other than that, the bike was running. He's willing to give it to me if I'm willing to drive 500 miles and pick it up.

That's the good news. The bad news is he took the carbs off decades ago. I'm guessing probably 3 decades, or damn near. Could be longer, I'm not sure, but he's been talking about for 25 years so I know its been sitting a looooooong time.

Knowing him, he probably had the sense to at least cover the bike up. Probably. He had less sense back then, lol. It is inside, I think in a heated facility he owns.

Other than the obvious tires and carbs, what would I be getting myself into with a project like this? I'm especially worried about getting into an expensive project (I'm poor) that ends without me having a functional bike. I did that last year, lol. I also really prefer smaller, lighter bikes in the 400 range too, because I was a very late starter, I'm only 5' 7" and have one sketchy knee. Not sure if I should take on this as a project or not. Its hard to find something cheaper than free tho...maybe tires, fork seals, fluid change and carb cleaning and I'll be happily on my way and not mind the extra 100 lbs???


 

Brakes, brakes,brakes. You need to be able to stop once you get it running. How can you go wrong with free. If you just do a mechanical renew and not a full blown restoration, I’d have to say you should have less money into it then you could sell it later on. If you find it’s not to your liking then sell it.

I agree with Mikaw.  Also, if it's been sitting for 30 years, does the engine turn over?  If not then you're looking at some serious engine work.  Otherwise you may only need to change oil and filter.  Lastly, check for rust on the chain and look at sprocket condition.  Can they still be used?

Brakes of course. I was including that in "fluids" but the hardware and hoses will need to be checked.

What is the parts availability like for the 650?    Better than my 305 I'm sure but that's not saying a lot.

I worry about the head gasket being toast. Not sure if he has tried to turn it over in recent years but I'll ask. He'll probably say "hell if I know".

If it a free bike and no worry on it disappearing out from under you. I’d ask him if you can do an in-depth inspection. It would also help the owner if you decide not to take it. Head gaskets are not a common problem. Take some trans fluid or Marvel Mystery Oil with you. Before you try to turn it over, pull the plugs and add a small amount into each cylinder. Let it soak, while you investigate the overall condition. Your investigation should include looking at the harness for excessive corrosion or cut off connectors. Check the fuses. As HRM says look for items that are excessively rusted that my warrant their replacement. You can pull the carb bowls and look there also. Old gas is ok, excessive corrosion is a concern. Never know you might roll in and it’s had been properly put in storage and it’s fine just needs to be woke up. Don’t say no till you know what your dealing with. 

Parts availability is good, but not as good as the bigger bikes.  Many of the parts are the same from bike to bike.  I'm currently rebuilding a 650 D series bike and have had some issues finding the correct seat.  The ones from the B series don't fit the hinges correctly.  I have a spare set of carbs.  I also have a spare engine that I'm rebuilding.  My original rebuild plan was to use up a bunch of Z1 stuff on a KZ 650 frame, but somehow I slipped off the trail and went down a couple of rabbit holes, and now I have even more stuff I don't need.

Your gaskets should all be fine, except perhaps the valve cover gasket.  If the engine turns over I would not pull it apart.  I would clean things up, add some new oil and do a compression test first.  If that's OK I would run as is.

Well here is my possible project bike, if I decide to take it...this is my first sight of it too, and I'm not sure. Its not what I expected. Looks like its all there anyway. Not a big fan of the seat, paint job or fairing but those can be dealt with. I prefer a cleaner simpler look, and a different seat.

I can't tell much from this, except it may be a 1977 B1 model. Bad news just in...guess the guy who owned it before my friend did some mods but I don't have much detail...it ran hot, my friend said, the previous owner used to pop wheelies and ride them for 2 blocks....sounds potentially abused although my friend himself takes pretty meticulous care of his motor toys. 

 

I'd go for it - seems like the type of thing that might clean up nicely. 

With all the blue on the pipes I’d say it was run lean to tweak out all the power. That’s why it’s mentioned it ran hot. It’s not a dealbreaker. It’s free, you have room to spend money on it and not be under water. It looks like a keeper

Running lean for sure.  Lots of guys don't properly rejet when running pods and an exhaust, thus the lean running.  Another thing that damages exhaust pipes like that is idling too long in the driveway with no airflow.

Maybe the lean running is why my friend had the carbs off...someone he knew was supposed to work on them but never did. I doubt he remembers the details. He didn't even remember it was an air cooled bike when he told me it was running hot.

Anyway I hope whatever mods were done are undoable, because I want the stock look. I have to drive almost 500 miles to look at this in person.

This is my system for buying a new project.

Make a detailed cost analysis of each part you think you will need to get the bike road worthy. Then create separate section for contingencies. I mean DETAILED even ancillary things . ie; how much you will spend on gas traveling to see it/bring it back. registration costs, insurance, etc. Go through the bike system by system and look up the cost of each part. Then tally up the costs - you can use google sheets/excell to keep track of everything and sum the total.

When you go see it in person print out this sheet and use it to evaluate the bike line by line. This way you don't miss anything. Add the contingencies to the total if needed. also take the time to look up and add anything that wasn't captured initially

Bring a flashlight.

The other thing to consider is if you decide to sell the bike later on what the market value might be and factor this into your decision making if you may want to recoup costs. also
dont forget to look in the intakes and see if there is rust on the valves/seats.


Ive never seen a free bike that didn't end up costing me 1.5-2k at the end of the day. Good luck!

Cost analysis example - not complete.
tires
tubes
wheel band
tire mounting
bearings

caliper rebuild kit
brake lines
mastercylinder rebuild
brake shoes

fork seals
fork oil

carb rebuild kit x 4
extra jets x 4
fuel line
carb cleaner

spark plugs
 oil
oil filter
air filter

valve gasket
carb boots
intake boots
intake clamps

side cover(s)



Contingencies - not complete
head rebuild - include shipping
pistons
rings
bore
shims
base gasket
head gasket

points/electronic ignition
ignition switch


headlight
taillight
turn signals

petcock
regulator
throttle cable
clutch cable
clutch plates
tach cable
speedo cable
steering stem bearings
chain
sprockets
gas tank - look inside!
paint
shocks