"Perfect" Z1

If anybody has already posted about this bike, somebody delete this thread...

1973 Kawasaki





Post edited by: guitargeek, at: 2007/09/30 01:26

A beautiful (and pricey) example of the Z1.

Not being an expert on this bike I am questioning whether or not the Allen Head bolts on the engine cover were stock or not. Any comments from the Z1 experts on this point?

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

reborn650 wrote:

A beautiful (and pricey) example of the Z1.

Not being an expert on this bike I am questioning whether or not the Allen Head bolts on the engine cover were stock or not. Any comments from the Z1 experts on this point?

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

From the... well, it's not really an auction...
From the sale:

Description:

have done 120% full restoration with all new or rebuilt parts
like new, perfect condition!
have US & Japanese 2 titles

I'd have to guess that 120% means that he's gone through and eliminated imperfections like the OEM single use fasteners.

As great as the Z1 was when it rolled off the line, it wasn't without it's blemishes...

reborn650 wrote:

... am questioning whether or not the Allen Head bolts on the engine cover were stock or not....

Thinking Phillips-head bolts were stock.

I seem to remember Phillips head case screws too. How the heck could they have made an elementary mistake like that ???
Another minor point....the pipes/mufflers are the modern repros WITHOUT the KHI stamping. Made by the guys that made the originals for Kawi....but of course Kawi will not allow their name on these new pipes since the pipes are not manufactured for/sold through them.
Sooooo....the purists will be turning up their noses at this one, I'm sure....as nice as it is.

I had thought that the engine cases bolts were philips head similar to the valve cover bolts that came stock on my 650.

There have been a number of articles and advertising descriptions on the original, versus aftermartket Z1 pipes. I have read that in the first year the Z1 pipes didn't have any stampings on them. The stamping with Kawasaki's identification I seem to recall reading, started in 1974.

Cheers-Colin Firth -Ontario Canada

Great, now this damn thing just gave me a crap load more ideas for me 74 Z1 A restoration back to stock. Oh well i guess the possabilaties are endless:laugh: , but as usual my pocketbook isn't endless. I would love to be able to build a project were lack of money is not an option!! Wouldnt you guy's??

ROFL!!! oh man ... i know this is going to make me look stupid but I am so happy i don't care.

Earlier this evening I was all mad cause I thought I ordered the wrong spring for my rear break pedal brake light switch. I was thinking .. "great 2 pieces they send me and neither is even close to the length i need". Now i just looked at the closeups of this bike and said .. "D@mn i feel dumb .. they chain together!".

Mind you before this i had a cheap homemade spring, hence never actually seeing the real one. LOL .. i got to start drinking more!

brich wrote:

LOL .. i got to start drinking more!

Hear, hear!

Nice bike, but perhaps problematical...the KZR member that bought the US$24000 bike might agree...his bike was truely an original...down to the case bolts...this bike currently on eBay is clearly a restoration and will probably not hit that magic US$21000 mark:) What this current eBay bike illustrates is what it costs to completely restore a Z1:)

Mcdroid wrote:

What this current eBay bike illustrates is what it costs to completely restore a Z1:)

That about sums it up. This is why I favor "restorizing" -- restore what needs to be restored (wear items) and customize what can be... we have the opportunity to apply some of the technological improvements that have been made over the last 30-odd years to wind up with something that functions better than the original. Tires are better now, tapered roller steering head bearings are certainly in improvement, braided stainless brake lines are a nice touch, and so on.

I saw that bike last night while surfing around ebay. While it is nice, there are several issues that will prevent it from fetching that kind of money. From what I can see the pipes have no baffles in them, the rear wheel has been "over restored" in that it the hub is too highly polished, ditto with the engine covers. As has already been pointed out the fasteners are not correct. The carb bodies appear to have been bead blasted and now appear plastic looking.

The Z-1 that brought 23K seems to have motivated anyone with an orange and rootbeer colored bike to put them up for sale thinking that their bike is going to fetch that kind of money. That Z-1 that sold this spring for 23K was truly exceptional, we are not likely to see another one as nice come up for sale for a long time if ever. Also can you imagine the costs to ship that bike from Japan? Just my observations and opinions for what they are worth.