Purist Paint?

wrenchmonkey wrote: Wow!
Nice work gentlemen. Really. All of these are beautiful in my eye. Stock or not, it's the quality of work and the overall esthetic that catches my eye.

Often the non stock repaint is a cheap fix as opposed to someone doing a stock paint job where achieving at least as good as a factory finish is mandatory. So sometimes we are not picturing a top quality paint job when we think of going non stock and then there are some amazing custom paint jobs that no matter how skillfully applied just don't work for me. At the end of the day, I think with regards to your own bike you will always derive the most satisfaction and pride of ownership from the color and decal combination you like the most, that could be stock or not and doesn't really matter IMO.

I had to raise a tentative smile at your shelf experience, I have been terrified of damaging my new paintwork since the day I got it back, there's something about shiny new paint that seems to make it a magnet for misfortune and flying inanimate objects.

The upside down beer can was holding WD-40 in the cup, i was swabbing some oxidation and bolts.
I rode around with a Cadillac color on my bike (Fire mist bronze )for the last 35 years and was concerting repainting it in the same color.
But I came across this Original black tank that was worth saving so the rest is history.

It's your bike do what feels good to you,
My wife said a very profound thing the other day,
"If I was worried about what other people thought about what I was riding , I would be riding a Harley "

Here is a very nice example of a light colored frame on a custom bike
kzrider.com/forum/23-for-sale/600911-for-sale-1977-kz650#714019

"If I was worried about what other people thought about what I was riding , I would be riding a Harley
:lol: Very true.
About that shelf falling over I was thinking "YOU TOO!" :pinch:
It always seems to happen to me.
Steve

not mine.

That's nice! I am groovin' on that tank's paint job. Kind of Honda Scrambler inspired.

I guess it just dawned on me that production motorcycles tend to hide the frames by painting them black. I know part of this is esthetics but for me, the overall appeal of motorcycles look is all that mechanical engineering is hanging out on display. I love seeing all the mechanicals and by painting the frame lighter colors, it becomes more of the machine to marvel rather than a portion of the bike meant to support it and otherwise hide in the background.

bluej58 wrote: ...painted in the US on US made parts.

blueJ... to the best of my knowledge, I was under the impression that ALL KZ's, built in the USA, were built using parts made in Japan, imported and assembled here in Lincoln NE.

Can you please clarify your statement?

I had my 650 repainted in the '80s.
I did so because the tank got damaged.
I painted the bodywork in my favorite colour, blue.
I had the pin stripping done in the same lines as original, but also filled in between with gold.
She could use a repaint again, as 30 years of wear is showing.

Over the years, I added more gold.
Really liked the gold wheels, when I had them.
Currently the wheels are stock colour again, as I swapped to an 18" front, and thought I shouldn't paint it for some reason.
I think I may just paint this set of wheels gold too.

!Seymore wrote:

bluej58 wrote: ...painted in the US on US made parts.

blueJ... to the best of my knowledge, I was under the impression that ALL KZ's, built in the USA, were built using parts made in Japan, imported and assembled here in Lincoln NE.

Can you please clarify your statement?

I don't know how much more was US made, I think the head light was.
but the side covers and tail have "MADE IN THE USA" cast into them and I had always figured that they were painted here too.
I think they laid it on heavy because I wet sanded the crap out of these parts and only got into the black on the side covers and I think there is still a nice coat left on them.

This is a question on the subject that I posted a while back.
kzrider.com/forum/6-paint-a-bodywork/600...can-paint-job#704852

Interesting bluej58... So, those are the original side covers and tail? (just askin' man...) I only ask because ALL the side covers I've seen have "Made in Japan" on them. But I also DON'T have any titles with a "5" as that first # in the VIN. Just askin' & learnin'...

My 76 78 & 80 LTD side covers all say made in USA
Pete

My KZ1000A2, built in the USA built has all made in the USA plastic parts, my KZ650B1 built in Japan has all made in Japan plastic parts. The 650 side covers are nicer, because they have recesses for the KZ650 emblems.

Did Kawasaki building in the USA help them get around the import taxes on bikes over 700 cc that was introduced to save Harley Davidson? I'm sure they would have needed a certain amount of US made parts to qualify as being produced here, the Jardine exhausts on the Ltd's being an example of US content.

As I recall the issue was the difference in import tax. I recall reading that import taxes on parts were less than the taxes on completed vehicles, so manufacturers could ship in loads of parts, have bikes assembled in the US, and reduce their taxes. I don't know if this was because the tax rate was actually lower on parts or because the cost of the parts was lower than that of finished bikes because it didn't include the labor that would have been paid in Japan for assembling the bikes. Ed