Where do i start?

Ok so i get my kz750 friday and i already know it doesn't run, he said it needs a battery, brake tires, and somthing with the ignition and some wiring. Now this is goin to be a cafe racer project for me so where do i start lol...like lil by lil but i kinda wanna get it to turn over first cuz he said the engine runs so whats first?

I too am dealing with a KZ750, 78 twin in my case.
The last time it was on the road was some time in 94.
All of what you listed are issues that I started with.
I took the approach that if it ran I would restore/rebuild it, so getting it to start was the first for me.
My tank is rusted to shit, the petcock seem to grind and the brake masters are all brown! Oh, I was told that the starter switch was the starter problem.
I took that attitude that if I couldn't start it I would just sell the parts and find another project.
So I bought a battery, removed the carbs and checked the bowls, changed the oil filter and oil, put new plugs in and figured out that the starter switch was fine but the relay was shot. Used a water bottle as a gas tank to get enough gas into the carbs and by passed the relay and cranked the sucker over!
It started! Ran like shit but it ran on its own and would restart. The running like shit could be due to lack of gas and many other things that were just not right yet but it ran!
Where do you start? Most likely the same way I did, read everything you can in every archive on the Internet, get a service manual, I don't know which model or year you are getting on Friday but the Kawasaki manual that I found for my 78 is a gold mine of how to do evertything on my twin. I also have an 04 Susuki AN650 and the manual for it is just as great.
There is no way I will have a bike without a shop manual and the factory ones are much better than the third party ones, just my opinion!
That is my nickels worth, well two bucks these days, and I am sure that you will have many hours of pure frustration, cut fingers and pure fun!

First thing you need to do is figure out how much money you are willing and able to spend.
It's going to cost you lots of money, or lots of labor and time, or both.


Oh yeah, here's the manual

steell wrote:

First thing you need to do is figure out how much money you are willing and able to spend.

Then times that by at least two. And then double it again. That's about how much it'll cost :laugh:

My 750 twin that I bought to be my daily ride ended up needing new forks, triple tree, seat, carbs rebuilt, top end gaskets, petcock rebuild, tach cable, new exhaust system, rings, battery, rear tire, fuel lines, and on and on. All the little things that are easy and cheap to fix tend to add up to a big pile of dough