1976/77 Z1000 A1 bring back to life

Bought an nearly original Z1000 A1 last august, was an really sleeper. storaged dry and dusty  for more than 17 years, shure, some little rustmarks  and scratches here an there bye, but all in all was looking than a fine objekt to be  reanimated.
The original Italian OZ-wheels i will left there on the bike, like that 5-spoke cast wheels like the Campagnolos or PVM`s
After cleaning all the dirt, dust and little corrosions, i was surprized how little serious rust-damage i`ve found:  Only the rear fender was marked with few little  serious rustmarks, and of course, the original 4-2 exhast is not in showroom cond. but i can live withit, it´s like some grey, ( or lost) hairs and scars of life. The front master cylinder was total oxydated, and no chance for restoring, too much internal corrosions in the bore, and of course, all the brake lnes,..but calippers and their pistons has been survived and after cleaning and renew all brake lines, the system now works fine.

After cleaning outsides of the engine, depart the carbs, i had files up some mixture of a kind of WD40 and motoroil, take the valvecover away, and prime the engine via sparkplug-holes, and with a oilcan direkt lubricating to camshaft, lifters, timingchain, and turn the engine first by kisckstarter, and after a while per elektrik-starter, all was fine. I´ßve checked the valvelash also, and to my happy surprize, they were all with 0,1 - 0,15 mm lash, no one was without any lash,..,good sign that no valve was "hammered" into the seats. I was really happy to see that. After all, i´ve taken an simple compressions-test, and for an old cold engine, it was okay for me, to see that they all 4 have no lower than 6 bar. So i am really shure, to bring this engine without too much trouble back to life!

Carbs still departed, but ready for fuel-level check and adjust, standing on my selfmade carbstand, will that do in the next few weeks.
The original red paint was to faded by sunlight, and also too heavy scratches and little dents, so i´ve decided, to let paint  new, and in my favorite colour for an A1 in diamond sky blue met.
Just right for X-mas, i had become the painted body parts back, and i am really happy with the result.

So,will do some other little things, but nowadays, its to cold and moisty here, to wrench in my little garage... iwill show you more here in the future...
   

 

Yes, ive done also the overhauling of the complete fork, with new seals and oil, repainted headlight-housing, bought a new rear fender, and tires, and all the stuff ya will it it all so good ... , like front master cylinder, and, ( i don´t like thoose highrised handlebars), an lower superbike bar.

Looking good so far

Yes...I agree...looking very good so far.

Nice.

Thanx Fellows,
...i  still wait for warmer and dryer days, to continue the work, but at now it´s not a really full load to do , to complete it:
Carbs  fuell-levelling, carbs back into bike, new rear tire, ( is already here),, rear fender and tail section , checking ign-timing, new spark plugs, elektrik is already complete and in good working cond., and after start and run, lttle tune-up, and go for registration...thats my hope-song for the next 2-3 month..

Cab-stand, for fuel gauging.. ( sorry for darkness in the pic)
 

That's gotta be the smallest garage i've seen in quite a while! That KZ sitting in there sideways reminds me of the Austin Powers scene where he got that electric cart wedged in the hallway, also sideways, ha. Still have Your Goose bike?

Yep,..this Garage is as a fact tiny. 5 x 2,50 meters,..that´s why  i´ve sold ALL my Kawasaki stuff in 2016 before moving to another living place,...sometimes, destiny is f**`n amazing...
But anyway, i am glad to have an Garage at all!  Without any, i couldnt have any motorcycle, or screw on it! So i am a happy man!!!

No, Goosebike , Toecutters bike, are also gone like the rest of spare parts, engines, and 3 other z1000 + my  20 years long droven  Z1B...End of 2016 i´ve thought, i was done  with Kawasaki after 40 years of ride them...
A long story told in short: After a friend invited me to drive his z1000, i was hit again, and i was absolutely had to have an z1000 again. So ive searched exactly 4 weeks and found one.

Seems to be a trending scenario, just hard to break the inherent Love of these ole birds.   

Maybe,...i for one was never a trend follower, i´ve always liked these Z-things, otherwise i wouldnt have ridden these Kawasakis for 40 years...
But you´re right:   The "Z" virus  in me never stopped, whenever i see an old z900 or z1000, build between 1972 - 1977, i fell in love...like the design, the symmetry of the engine, sound..., easy and good to wrench on them, good mechanical health-engines, fine bikes!

That stand is cool! Did you make that or repurpose something?

This Carb-stand i made myself from 2 aluminum plates, screwed 90° together, 4 rubber feet, measuring out the  screw-pattern and distance for 2 carb-holds, , ad a rod for the fuel reservoir,..and now it´s easier to depart the flowbowls and leveling the swimmers for correct fuel level....did this job  it last summer directly on the bike, and thats always a mess to fumbling in grotesk laydown by the bike, to get swimmers and needles in + out....It´s ok, when you won´t depart  and remount the carbs from the bike with those  hardened intake rubbers, but its alway a skill with those inner floatbowls...