Steps to rebuild a bike??

Ok so i ecently acquired a kz200 of cl. It is currently in many peices. I'm relatively mechanically inclined (nobody but me works on my bikes...) but I have never taken on a project like this.

just wondering if there is a standard way of going about this...

Engine first?
wheels first?
fork first?

Its not incredibly heavy but its not super light either... Should i be able to get by without any type of a stand or box to sit the frame on? I was thinking of getting the engine mounted first and going from there...

Any thoughts are apprecited!

thanks!

Is the engine out of the frame or installed? If out, now's the time to check it for cracks and do a repaint.

Get a shop manual before trying to re-assemble the engine if it's in pieces.

www.repairmanual.com
www.manualsnmore.com
www.midwestmanuals.com/
www.books4cars.com/

Are websites I have used to obtain factory shop manuals.

the engine is out of the frame, but the engine and transmission itslef are still together. I'm wanting to paint everything and I know now would be the most practical time to do that, but at the same time im wanting to get it together just enough to hear it run. Once I know everything is functional I think it will be easier for me to have pateince and take my time restoring every aspect of the bike...

just a thought..

A Kawasaki 4 stroke single? Should be really easy to work on.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_KZ200
dadsvintageads.blogspot.com/2009/03/1978...d-test-pictures.html
motorcycle-specs.com/motorcycle_specific...odel=KZ200&year=1978
www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Kawasaki_KZ200A

If I was going to restore it I would start by taking a detailed inventory of the parts and make a list of anything missing or needing replacement. That way you can start looking for parts on eBay or other sources while you work on the rest of the bike. Otherwise, you may get just about finished and find it takes a month to find some little part that holds up your project. As mentioned by others, be sure to get a Kawasaki factory service manual (skip the Haynes or Clymers). You will need it to restore and maintain the bike. Let us know your exact year and model and we can help you find one. Good luck with your project. Ed

Having owned a kz250 I can give you a bit of advice. What year is your bike? What model is it? The singles went to electronic ignition in '81 and you should check if the bike has an ignition module or points. If it is electronic make sure the ingitor is there etc. They are very easy bikes to work on and have few problems mechanically. I would say that the carburator has to be in almost perfect condition for these bikes to run right. The stock airbox and filter need to be there as well. These little motors are very touchy in that regards.

I would plan on replacing the wheel bearings and seals, the mechanical breaks on these bikes are very simple and very easy to work with. Probably won't need to to much there. I also plan to do fork seals, and you can get replacement springs if you want. They make rear shocks for bikes this size as well. It all depends on how far you want to go.

With the engine out of the bike you can do the suspension stuff now, if your going to break it down and paint the frame, then you can go through everything as you put it back together. Its good practice to take stock of what parts are missing, and what is obviously needing replacement before you start.

I sold my 250 a while back but I have a box full of parts laying around. If you need anything shoot me PM.

Good Luck

I would refinish the frame first, then do the engine and install it. Get the bike situated on a stand and while you refinish parts you can add them to the bike so they dont get lost or tossed around the shop.

A detailed inventory is a good idea, but I wouldn't go out and buy all the missing parts right now. But like 650ed said, keep an eye out on Ebay for stuff. You can sometimes save a few bucks letting an auction run out and emailing the seller with a lower offer. I saved a crapload doing that. Just finish one section at a time, order what you need then assemble it to the frame.

Here's my 900 project start to finish: www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/375078-75-z1-resto

.

Agreed -

Step 1 - Define your goals/budget.
Step 2 - Inventory
Step 3 - Start doing stuff.

Thanks for the advice everyone. After looking through everything, i have realized that it really does appear to be a simple bike. I have also realized, that it is not simple enough to do without a repair manual (as I had originally thought...). So that will be my first step. If it wasnt for the previous owner cutting up all the wiring (and then splicing/taping some of it, then re-cutting it again...) I think i could could get it together easily enough without the manual. But the wiring is a mess, and Im hoping that i can just order a new wiring harness from the dealer.

That being said, everything looks to be in solid condition, and I dont plan on investing money into anything that doesnt absolutely need to be replaced. I will be sanding off a lot of surface rust and eventually spray painting everyhitng flat black (header paint).

And I have decided to to get the engine in and get it running and all electronics working before I take the time to take it back apart and do all the sanding/paitning. That way it will be easier to spot things that need replaced/don't work before I put everyhting together for good.

Ill post pics as soon as I make some progress.

Good call on the shop manual. Check around, it might be available somewhere online for free.

On the wiring harness - it may or may not be available from Kawasaki. First place to start looking is on Kawasaki.com under Owner Info/Parts Diagrams. Once you find the part in the schematics you can click on the part and see if it is still in circulation. This is not always perfectly accurate, but will give you a good idea of what new OEM parts are available and which aren't.

kawasaki.com/DefaultFrame.aspx?strConten.../VICHOOSEVEHICLE.ASP

Also, Z1Enterprises is a great place to check for aftermarket reproduction parts. I know that they have a wiring harness for my 900 available, the 200 might be a bit less popular and therefore a bit less available. If you can't find it on their web page, give them a call and they can tell you whether they can get it or not.

www.z1enterprises.com

You might want to check ebay or salvage sites for people parting out examples of your bike to score another wiring harness.

Otherwise, there are posts on this site that show minimal wiring to rewire a complete motorcycle - typically these are geared towards the Kz650/750/900/1000's, but there is only a little bit of difference between wiring one of these and wiring a single cylinder Kz, I would think.