Going Shoppin! ?s on '82 kz750-H3/4

I'm going to look at a 82 KZ750 tomorrow afternoon :woohoo:

Does anyone have any experience with these and if so, could tell me if there are problems with this model? Bike currently doesn't run....sounds like carb problems, but it's the big brother to my 400 and I really hope it works out!

I have two of these bikes. I have had my first one for about two years and it has now done just 20,000 miles, I use it as a sort of runaround and I have had no trouble with it at all. I bought the second one one for parts but it had only done 10,000 miles but is a non-runner. It is cosmetically very good so I have decided to get get it ruunning and not break it. Good fun all round bikes and reliable. I reckon you should buy it if it appears Ok and the price is right. They were both imported to the UK from the US somewhere around 1996 but I believe my second one one may be a Canadian model
Tommo

I had a 78KZ 400 and I loved it. I bought an 82 KZ750 H3 about 7 years ago and I love it too. Absolutely reliable and fun to ride. Fairly quick (for me) and easy to maneuver. I had to replace the head gasket on mine because it leaked oil. Other than that it has been pretty much problem free. I wish it had one more gear but you could just change sprockets. I run about 6krpm at 70mph. I average about 43 mpg so the mileage isn't bad either. I bought a 90 vulcan 750 this summer, but I kept the KZ because I like it so much. You will like it every bit as much as your 400.

I've got a pair of 81 750 LTD's although for the moment they both have the status of "porch dwellers". I just changed out the motor in one of them earlier this week with one from an 82. I just today got everything sorted out and it sounds wicked. With any luck it will be in the wind early next week depending how ambitious I get. I also have an 81 650 CSR which is basically a twin to it, just 100 cc's smaller and it remains one of my favorite bikes. As Nothreat pointed out it could use an extra gear, but on any 650 or 750 adding a tooth to the countershaft sprocket is usually a good call.

Best of luck I hope it works out well for you. Kawasaki made the same basic engine from 77 till I think 2002 or 2003, they are real tough and there is a high degree of interchangability when it comes to parts. I think you will like the step up.

As you can see by my signature (below), I have a few of these. I could not be more pleased with their durability, and they are just the right mix of power and size for my daily commute over the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Unless the one you are looking at has been abused beyond redemption, it is sure to be a great bike.
/

Well, I'm now the proud (and nervous) owner of a 1982 kz750-H3 Ltd. This is pretty much my dream bike....just hope I can get it running. There are some things wrong with the bike....PO thinks its the carbs. I was riding back the whole way from Denver thinking up all the things that could be wrong with it that I couldn't see.

This is probably a winter project. Wife's going to let me keep the 400 until I get this one running. First thing is to get a manual....none came with the bike, not even the owner's manual:angry:

Here's a few pics.


Post edited by: Link14, at: 2007/09/16 01:02

Oops...just noticed I need to change my sig now :woohoo:

Congrats on your newest toy, she looks to be in pretty nice shape. How many miles are on it? Whoever had it before looks to have taken pretty nice care of it. Have you tried looking in the document holder under the seat for the owners manual? A lot of times you can find them there because the PO didn't know it even exists. How expensive was it? Oh and you can download a service manual here www.mbsween.com/kz750l3/manual.html
good luck with your new baby.

The bike has 11,200 miles on it. I looked for the owner's manual under the seat, but no luck. Really feel naked 'cause with the 400 I have the owner's manual, Clymer manual, factory service manual, and the Ltd supplement. Really appreciate the link to the online service manual. I've got a bid on an '81 KZ750-H2 owners manual....doesn't look like there's much difference.

The PO was asked $800 for it and I talked him down to $700. I know that's alot for a non-running bike, but I've always wanted a 4 cylinder Ltd and I'm not much of a negotiator when it comes to buying things....that's why I'm an engineer

:silly: :pinch: dup:huh:

Post edited by: Link14, at: 2007/09/16 09:53

I wouldn't say you overpaid, you are still in it for less than a buck per cc, you have to add for the fact the miles are real low and it doesn't sound like you had to drive a million miles to go get it. With that low mileage it is doubtful that there is anything major wrong with it and it appears to be garage kept so you won't have to spend a lot of time making it look good. I'd say you did pretty good on your purchase.