Question for KZ owners?

I have a question for some of the drivers of older kawasakis. I have and 83 spectre that I bought for 500 dollars. It has had it's problems. It made me learn how to turn wrenches. I've had to rebuild the carbs (did it myself!) They wanted 80$ a carb at the kawaski shop here. I got 4 carbs on that bike. So i got a manual and went to town. Replaced the Tach. New Speedo cable. Added K & N pods and rejetted the bike. I had an oil leak but I think I fixed it I took the engine out last weekend and found the spot it was leaking from and added a new gasket to it. So I have had my bike to nothing but the frame before and I like to tinker but.....Here is my question.

It seems that getting that bike 'correct' has cost me quite a bit of money but I love the bike. I'm getting to the point though that the next 4 or 5 things I want done are going cost 500 or 600. So my question is should I just keep saving my money and buy something 'newer' around 2,000 or so and use the spectre as my project bike? Or should I keep fixing it up. Seems like a bike @ 2,000 will have less problems. I.E. the blinkers blink 2 fast on one side and not the other? I put a small hole in the gas tank trying to remove the emblems and it's bubbled up on that spot since. Little things like that are driving me crazy with it. But I know it has potential. Should I scrap it and get something a little newer? Or just keep fixing it piece by piece and feel embarassed when people pull up on their rice grinders with clean paint and all working gadgets?

Thanks.

My two cents worth.....I would keep the old girl, you know how to work on it, you know what has been done and that it was right, yes they do cost a few bucks every now and then, and you can make it look like you want it to.

Besides, I can pull up to any ride no matter how many Harleys, crotch rockets, cruisers, and it always has people looking her over and talking about the bike.

Bit most of all ITS MINE!!!!

I don't even know what new bikes cost, but I'm sure I'd be shocked.
Keeping an older bike looking good is some work, and can cost some money, but most hobbys are the same.
I SCUBA dive when I can, but one day on a dive boat is pricey. So I guess bike restoration is relative (as in find a rich relative )
One thing... doing the work yourself (when you can) is cheaper and, in the long run, more satisfying.

Personally, I'm *glad* that I've turned every bolt and inspected every bearing on my '78 KZ1000.

After all, if you can't trust yourself, who can you trust...

Even my "new" bike is 8 years old. I like having the older bikes around because it keeps me busy when there's nothing to do. As long as at least 1 of the 3 is running. But going out to the garage even for an hour or so just to "fiddle" is something that I enjoy. I started out with old Kaws because it was all I could afford, that's how I ended up with 3 bikes, but they were all cheap to buy, and cheap to keep. In fact they weren't even worth selling, so I kept them. Anyway my advice is to accumulate as many as you can.
BTW that's not Willie G. Davidson is it?

My newest is a 1980 model. I use the 77 KZ650 all year around weather permitting, and in 37,000 miles covered since I bought it for a whopping $150, I've had zero problems once getting the carb problems fixed that took several years.

I'm in the same boat as you.. I got a "free" kz1000p that has cost me about 2k so far.. I did the work because I'm a cheap bastard and if I can figure it out I ain't gonna pay someone else to do what I can do..
Its been a hell of an education almost like being bipolar.. up one day down the next.. not to mention the crap I get from the ol lady when I have to buy another part.. Its like buying a bike on the installment plan,, when you can buy it you can install it..
I am about 90% done and it looks like what I wanted it to.. if I'm out and something goes south I can figure it out because chances are I did it the first time..
but most of all.... when someone checks out your bike and says hey nice bike. puff out your chest and say with extreme pride

THANKS,, I BUILT IT MYSELF

that feels so rewarding..
built not bought thats what my tag holder is gonna say..
build on brother and if you need help this site is chock full of good people that are willing to advise and assist you..the good friends of this site have helped me so much I can't begin to put a value on that..

If it's just dollars and cents, there are probably more sensible deals out there. Like everyone else, I'm an aficionado of these older steeds. It took me about a year before I felt my SR was truly road worthy. Then I waited a couple of years before putting the latest touches on it.

These machines are a work in progress. We just determine convenient stopping points during the progress.

I'm with Jim on this one. I built my H2A up from a "jigsaw puzzle" of many boxes of bits. Now when I ride it people always want to talk with me about it rather than the newer bikes surrounding it. My 650C2 gets the same reaction wherever I go....but my honesty won't let me brag about how little work I did to make it look as nice as it does.
I vote to keep your Spectre and keep working your way through the little jobs and problems. When you're done, you'll probably have the only one in town AND you've saved the old girl from the salvage yard....or, worse, the landfill site. The horror, the horror.....
Plus, you'll have the absolute satisfaction of having done all/most of the work yourself. The world needs MORE people
who can grab the bull by the horns and get 'er done, IMO.

Interesting question.

I look at motorcycles from the perspective of "why do I own them", and the answer is to make me happy. Motorcycles are purely enjoyment for me. I don't earn my living on them (not anymore), and I don't rely on them for transportation; but after 39 years they're pretty much a part of my life. For me, I like wrenching on them from time to time...my problem isn't fixing stuff, it's modifying stuff.

At $500 you obviously got a 'project', but in the process got a bit of a 'deal', and a bit of an 'education'.

Use what you've learned and you make the decision, because only you know if this bike makes you happy or not. I've owned over 50 motorcycles, some strictly for re-sale, some for parting out, some to own. Some of my bikes have staked a claim in my garage because they make me happy, some are currently on the bubble...but this is all up to me, because motorcycles are toys, and if they don't make me happy I'll sell them and then they'll make me money...to buy more toys with!

Bottom line is that if you don't like this bike enough to keep it, then send it down the road and invest in one that you want. It's a short life, don't fret over the small stuff...oh, and it's all small stuff!


-KR

PS> Contrary to common HD mythology a motorcycle is not an investment; mutual funds are investments, motorcycles are toys...makes ya wonder why they ride, doesn't it!

Ok the username I'm not even sure I picked it. It may have assigned it based on the fact that my last name is 'Davidson'? I don't know but I'm not really a big fan of the Harley's so don't get it bent as a Harley Jock Rider!!! I got some great replies and thanks everyone. I'm going to keep the spectre at least 1 more year before I buy my new bike. I got a couple grand saved and will ride this year out on my bike. But I went to JCWhiteny and got all the 'I Want' pieces. Hell it only came up to 500 - the pipes! the rest is elbow greese. So I may do that and just try to drimmel the pipes back to life while I drink beer out in the garage this summer! So I'll just drop 500 on the spectre and buy my 'new' bike next summer!

Thanks for the replies and I will get some pictures up of the Spectre tonight when I get home. I changed the brake shoes last week and am working on the tank this week.

I'll probably get e-thugged for this but....

Thanks for the replies,
Harley Hatin Davidson!!!!!