Just want to make a small survey...

unfortunately my bike still has points but thats not too bad as they are not that difficult for me to handle, the cam chain is a bit of a worry, at the moment she seems to be running well, just pretty beat up cosmetically, to get her to showroom or to win bike of the month will probably cost heaps... and I kinda like the rubbers over the forks, don't know why, took them off once and I preferred them on.. haha

OKC_Kent wrote:

A lot of people here won't agree, but I think the only Kawasaki's worth restoring would be the ones you get your money back on, and I think that narrows it down to 2-3 models. The original first year H1, H2 and Z1.

I'm certainly not one of the people that will disagree!

The only way to make money selling bikes is to buy them cheap and flip them while putting as little money in them as possible.

I made a little money buying, fixing, then reselling 750 twins, but I had three parts bikes to cannibalize parts from, and that was only enough to fix four bikes as most of them had the same things broken. I figure that I made about $2.00 an hour for my time, a part time job would have made more sense financially, but it wouldn't have been near as much fun.

Man, I'd hate to part with that bike. Is there any way you can keep it dormant, like store it at your folks' house or something? Someplace safe where you don't have to worry about insurance. Will the local govt (not sure where you live) allow you to officially "store" the bike and not have to pay any registration/licencing for the duration?

Then, once you're at a point in life where you have more discretionary income, then you can pull it out and restore it.

I stored my Z-1 for 13 years. Not for financial reasons, but because I was stationed overseas. For about 150USD you can get a storage kit which amounts to a large plastic bag and a 20lb pack of dessicant. When I opened it up after the 13 years, in a city known for its almost constant rainfall Sept to May, there wasn't a bit of rust on the bike.

I bought my first GPZ three years and 24k miles for a grand.
It looked rough and had issues like a worn out rear brake rotor.
Took it for a test ride and and it felt real strong and dual front brakes stopped great. The PO showed a reciept for a recent valve adjustment and that clenched it.
Over the three years I only had to replace the tires and front brakes. Both were done by shops because I didn't have the room or time.
Recently, I have had more time and money and I found another bike just like my first only a cream puffB)
Did its valves adjusting and now its my daily rider and my old one is finally getting a complete overhall.

You need a car/truck first for all year long transportation. Motorcycles are great but they are not a necessity. Yes, they are cheaper to run, etc. but when it's cold and damp outside, nothing beats tranportation with HEAT! A new bike would be easier to own for awhile but they will all need work sooner or later but they also have all that upfront cost. Do you have it as a student? That used bike may need work but you can do it as you have the money which many times is easier to put up with. As far as costs go, everybody has a different opinion, but everyone spends to the point they feel comfortable with or to the point to what they think their bike should look like or perform like. It's a personal thing. Some like a stock look, some like a streetfighter look..I like a drag look...point is, what style do you like? Thing with old bikes is that you can do it as you get the time and money. Bet there isn't a person on here that has had a bike they wished they would have kept for later. I say keep it and get yourself a car/truck for year round use if need be, but keep the bike. You will be glad you did. If in the future you taste in bikes change, you can always sell it then...because you want to, not because you think you have to.

Get your bike reliable and well tuned . If you want a cosmetically pleasing bike buy a real clean one . It is cheaper that way , especially with a model that isn't really "collectable" . If cost is your concern then this is the way to go . If you want the satisfaction of restoring a bike restore it .

I have a half dozen KZ/GPz550's (US didn't get the 500 , but they are the same) , I'm a big fan of the 550's .

I know that here in the USA you can buy a really mint , clean 550 for $2000-$3000 . Thre is no way that you could bring a beater back to the same condition for the same money .

Keep it and ride it .

BTW here's apic of the 1980 KZ550 I'm resurrecting right now . s163.photobucket.com/albums/t289/mg15_ph...current=DSC01286.jpg