I need help in my direction

I have a 78 KZ1000 A2A that is in pieces. it has a mix n match tote full of parts and mag wheels. I cannot decide which way to go on the build. I want to ride it regularly and want it customized. I like drag bars and stretched swingarms on KZs. I don't want a waaay stretched swingarm. I guess I want a bit of restomod . I also like the newer forks, swingarm, and wheels but that's out of budget for me. I've got to do the "Less is More" approach. So a few questions come up. Stretch the stock swingarm or get it from something else that still uses the stock wheel? I think just a couple inches would look good. I got the stock header but the muffler is gone. I don't know if I can lower the bike a bit without going to a sidewinder. Maybe an aftermarket slip on? I like the megaphone look but I want it bad ass sounding. What would be a good muffler to get? The rear frame has been cut off just behind the first set of rear fender mounts. I can build a new one. The seat is missing so I need to know what seats will fit. The salvage I frequent has a lot of seats. Most of which are marked what they're from. I don't want a big stepped seat. A flat one would be better. I can fab mounts for a seat. I have the correct plastic rear fender. Anyone got any pics or thoughts on a mild custom KZ? To me the KZ is an ICON and I want it to still look like a KZ. My cousin always talks about a stretched KZ from the Biker Boys movie but have not seen it. I love this site. Lots of knowledgable people here that are willing to help. Any thoughts would be welcomed

Stretching a stock swingarm would be free if you can fab it, but would be a little costly if you had to pay someone to do it. A GS1100E swingarm is a popular swap. You can use your stock wheel, it is aluminum, and it gives you about 2" of stretch. You will have to switch to different shocks though. But since it's still popular, they tend to sell for more than a swinger off a new bike. There's one on Ebay now for 150. I bought a GPZ 750 swingarm for 20 bucks, but I bet it'll cost me more than the GS would by the time I finally fit it.

No idea on what might fit direct, but a seat from a ZR1100 or ZRX would keep the KZ look while updating it a little.


And for your enjoyment, KZ from Biker Boyz.

Use the search for swingarm. Go back through10-15 recent pages in the projects section and read through the threads that have multiple pages. You'll see some near bolt on swingarms and some stockers that have been extended and braced. My stock swingarm was super loose in the bushings. I think a lot are from what I've read. That needs to be addressed at some point. If you're handy with fabricating and feel good about riding something you've welded, or have a qualified welder at your disposal that you trust, you could do a lot to the stock swing arm with little money and few headaches. And it could look cool to boot. Look at some of the stuff Les (Les Holt) and Leon (531BlackBanshee) have created for their bikes and others on this forum. Perhaps they could help you out, if nothing else as your inspiration (because they do fantastic work).

Did you get a seat pan (I thought I read so in your build thread)? If so take it to the salvage yard and compare it to other seats. If not, measure your hinge points and see if you can find something. Maybe they'll let you take it home for a fit check and exchange/return if it doesn't work. If you find a seat at the salvage that fits, but you don't like the style, reshape the foam and have it covered. You can find budget upholsterers that might keep you under $100, but you get what you pay for. I paid a lot more than that, but it's high quality work and fabric. I think the seats Z1 Ent sells look pretty awesome, and you can hardly beat their price for a brand new seat.

Picture of mild custom KZ's? Again, start digging through the projects threads. I probably spent a month reading threads in the evenings in bed. You're spending a small (probably more than you want though) amount of hard earned money on something you want to be proud of. It's worth your time to get a complete game plan on how you want to spend your money.

Alan