what made you buy your kz

it was 1985. My friend bought a new v max right after gradutatig high school. and wanted to see if his 76 kz900 would keep up. He was on the vmax and I rode the kz. Rolling start at about 20 mph. I twisted the throttle and about went off the road and had to check my shorts. I always wanted one since then but rode a xj650 maxim for about 10 years, good starter bike. fast forward. Found a kz1000 LTD listed in an auction. about 50 miles from me. 300 dollars later was pushing it on my truck. Have it running great and cleaned up. Can't wait to ride it this spring.

I was a freshman in high school in '76. Two seniors came tearing ass into the school parking lot with their new kz900's. Riding wheelies and doing burnouts. Those bikes just looked big and mean! I hadn't ridden a street bike bigger than a 175 at that time and I was absolutely floored.
I said "I gotta get me one of those!"
Well, the folks were definitely against that so I had to shelve the idea. Over the next few years I got into muscle cars and every time we would go do some drag racing, eventually a group of guys would show up on their KZ's and clean house. Yep, a big block whatever was hopeless against a crazy SOB on a KZ.
Mad Max came out in '79 and there they were again! I had started riding Suzukis though but I never forgot about those hell-raising KZ's.
Fast forward a bunch of years and many motorcycles later, I picked up the latest digitally remastered Mad Max because it came with the original Aussie voices! I watched it and all those feelings came back. I immediately went to Craigslist and bought the first ragged out but running KZ I could find and have been building on her and riding the shit out of her ever since. True story.

I was raised on KZs, started riding with a KZ40O and then moved to a KZ650. When the KZ1000 MKII and ST came out I had pictures of them covering the walls at my job site, but my money was already in Suzuki 750s at the time. Still I yearned and lusted, waited and finally 30 years latter snagged an ST. After over a decade I still see it as a thing of beauty.

When I was in the Navy there was a guy that had ordered a Z1. There wasn't that many produced the first year and he paid for it before it was delivered. He had this huge poster of a Z1 and the bike looked great. After I got out of the Navy I bought a Honda street and trail. Learned to ride on it.

In 1976 I was in a Dodge/Plymouth dealership walking through to the parts department and there was a Z1A sitting in the corner. I asked a salesman that I knew about it and actually traded a 1976 CR125 in on it. Never rode a dirt bike again.

I have two KZ900,two KZ1000 chain drive, one KZ1000ST,a KZ900B in parts,and a KZ1000 MarkII in parts.

I think they call it the fever.

I bought mine because it came with an accessory....this way you have something to ride indoors and out... :kiss:

DiamondSkyBlue1000 wrote: I was a freshman in high school in '76. Two seniors came tearing ass into the school parking lot with their new kz900's. Riding wheelies and doing burnouts. Those bikes just looked big and mean! I hadn't ridden a street bike bigger than a 175 at that time and I was absolutely floored.
I said "I gotta get me one of those!"
Well, the folks were definitely against that so I had to shelve the idea. Over the next few years I got into muscle cars and every time we would go do some drag racing, eventually a group of guys would show up on their KZ's and clean house. Yep, a big block whatever was hopeless against a crazy SOB on a KZ.
Mad Max came out in '79 and there they were again! I had started riding Suzukis though but I never forgot about those hell-raising KZ's.
Fast forward a bunch of years and many motorcycles later, I picked up the latest digitally remastered Mad Max because it came with the original Aussie voices! I watched it and all those feelings came back. I immediately went to Craigslist and bought the first ragged out but running KZ I could find and have been building on her and riding the shit out of her ever since. True story.

The first time I heard a Z1 was 1972 or 73. I liked the sound and knew that I would have one. When I worked for Vetter the only bike I liked was their 77 KZ1000, so thats what I took every chance I could. My FJ1200 is faster and my YZF600 is WAY faster, but I still like my Z1R and B4.

KZ Madness has run thru my body since I saw my first 73 Z1 riding around town when they first came out. :evil: :evil: :evil:
Being on bikes my whole life I started small and rode everything I could beg, borrow or own. Rode a neighbors Honda CB 750 and was hooked on real power, That thing was a real eye opener. Saved up my pennies and purchased a brand new Kaw 750 H2 two stroke. That bike was INSANE :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
But as always happens in time I got beat while out terrorizing the streets. :pinch: This was by a guy on a KZ 900.
Well That meant it was time to raise the bar to a new level.
I walked into my local small dealer who I had bought my 750 from and saw the new 78 1000 LTD for the first time. Angels started singing , The lights got real bright and then the bulbs burst in a shower of sparks, As I sat on this new steed I knew It was meant to be. Paid the man and have never looked back.
Love my LTD, Anytime the new bikes started to get close to me in looks or performance I just added power to my bike and all has been well for all these years. I will NEVER sell her. And now my son enjoys riding the Big Kaw too

my buddy had one...i had a xs650...i was like 20 yrs old....we would ride all day...across the street from where i lived a guy had a white 73 Z1 with a pipe and a few mods he wanted 1100.00 i had to make some loans and the next week i was letting the clutch out and easing out of the garage....soon there were three of us who had em...what a summer.....1986...since then i have had about a dozen of em...the best bike ever made

had this coupon... figured id use it.

I was stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and right after getting there I bought a brand new 1340 Super Glide. Put about 120K on it over the next 10 years. Sold it and bought a 57 Panhead which I had to sell a few years later due to cash needs stemming from a divorce. Was kinda broke but couldn't stand not riding. A co workers boyfriend had a 70 1000 LTD that he wanted $1800 for. I had always liked the KZ's but being a dyed in the wool HD guy I never even rode a another brand in my life. But I needed to ride and offered him $1500 which he accepted. It had a 1075 kit, pods and a Kerker. Rode/ crashed it for a couple years then added a 79 900 with GS forks and swingarm as well as other goodies then a 99 ZRX1100. With the ZRX I thought I was done with KZ's but there is just something about the KZ's that just rock my socks. I found a 77 1000A1 leaning up against a shed. Had a tattered tarp and lots of rust as well a a few mouse nests! It only had 9k on the odometer and he took $400 for it. Sold the ZRX and went to work on the "Purple Pimp Ride" with sissybar, hirise bars, fringe and excessive chrome just to list a few nasties! Put my personal touches on it and have never looked back. Not gooing to sell this one no matter what.

Meant to say 79 LTD and 76 900. Mind works faster than my fingers!