TOPIC:

This could sound like the beginning of a letter to Penthouse but here it is...

I never believed all the stories of free and incredibly cheap KZ's until today when it happened to me...(end of letter to Penthouse here)

I was at a high school graduation party today for my neighbor's kid when I got into a conversation with my neighbor's brother about bikes. He mentioned that he rode an HD Road King Classic and explained that he was preferential to big bikes after having had a bunch of small Japanese bikes. I mentioned that I was the complete opposite and really liked small Japanese bikes. I mentioned my former KZ's (200 and 400) and mentioned that I would, in fact, love to get my hands on another old one to try my hand at restoring. Enter another neighbor of mine (whom I have lived around the corner from for 9 years but never knew had been a rider) who said "Really? You like old KZ's? I've got one in the back of the garage you can have for free. I need the space and my wife has been on me for years to get rid of it."

Long story short, he's got a 76 KZ400 in the back of his garage (who knew?) that's been stored for 20+ years. He admitted doing no prep for storage (including draining the tank) so I'm sure it needs a good carb cleaning and probably a tank treatment for rust at the very least, but it will be mine and it will be free. No plans yet on when I'll get it but he's a standup guy so I'm sure it will happen. I'll post pics once it's done.

JHT

Post edited by: Talman, at: 2007/08/12 12:23

Post edited by: Talman, at: 2007/08/12 17:05

cool;)

Wow! It pays to know your neighbors eh?
Good neighbors are really a bonus in life for many reasons.
Looking forward to pics.

Good score! Keep us posted on how it comes along.

Well, the KZ400 (free with title) arrived today. Not completely stock (has sissy bar). I'm curious if the pipes are stock...I have a feeling not. Here's some pics.

Post edited by: Talman, at: 2007/08/12 12:40

Try again...sorry!

Post edited by: Talman, at: 2007/08/12 12:43

Think I got it now...yes, I am an idiot!

Another

No fold, but more than small ding (a coupe of those, too)

Should I be scared of where this is coming from?

I've got no experience tearing apart anything with an engine but I may as well learn. I'm open to suggestions on where to start and wat to look for. Scratch that, I'm not OPEN to suggestions, I NEED suggestions.

Thanks,

Jonathan

Hey, nice score for a FREE bike!

I know you just got the bike and probably haven't had time to do any real assesment of anything on it yet, but check the tach drive seal (common problem) on the head to see if that's where that oil leak is originating from.

Thanks R4. Easier said than done with absolutely no experience. Don't even know where to find the tach drive seal. I'm going to get an owners manual and a shop manual and read through them to begin with. I do know that the front brake lever doesn't do anything (as if the cable wasn't hooked up, though it is). Tires are oroginal and will need to be replaced. Chrome in most places has surface rust only and should shine up nicely. Tanks and side covers no longer match (I'm assuming they did as opposed to being mismatched) and that the tank has faded. There's a half-tank of 18 year-old gas in it so I'm sure the carbs are all gunked up. Haven't even looked into the tank yet but I'd be shocked if it wasn't rusted. The only real rust is on the frame of the sissy bar. Everything else seems to be there.

Is it worth saving or should I part it out?