Daily driver/touring bike

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask if so please let me know.

I'm wondering if anyone here uses their KZ as a daily driver or a touring bike? I live on the prairies and to get anywhere fun it is a 200KM one way trip.

I have been rebuilding my 78 KZ1000 for about 5 yrs now bit by bit and finally I have most of the kinks worked out. New top end and head, completely refreshed and upgraded elec. Actually it's easier to write what I have not done ha! (Clutch,transmission, suspension.) All three are to get an overhaul this winter if needed.

I guess basically I'm wanting to know if I can trust the "beast" as I like to call it to take me where I want to go. I know that is very subjective and based and the "quality" of work I have done. However is there anyone here who is logging more then weekend drives to the road house on a 32 yr road machine? If so what kind of maintenance do you do and lessons you have learn't.

i have put on 1800 miles since around the begining of may on my 81 kz 650. mine has not really been gone through. basically cleaned the carbs changed the oil, and started rideing it. bike was pretty rusty when i got it so put a cheap coat of paint on it. overall my bike has been very trust worthy. my original plan was to just ride it for the summer and sell it and by something new. but i enjoy riding it so much, i am now planning on going through the entire bike this winter and keeping it.

I ride mine 40 miles a day to and from work and have taken a couple of trips of about 160 miles on it. Due to the good weather we have here I can pretty much ride year round so I take full advantage of that.

I bought my '76 KZ900 a year ago (started riding it June 1, 2010) and I've put over 17,400 miles on it since then. This past weekend I took it for a 1,100 mile trip to San Fran and back without any problems. These bikes are amazing. They'll get up and go, run like a charm and are relatively low-tech so if you need to wrench on it in the middle of nowhere, you can. I will be taking it on a cross country trip or up to Alaska and back sometime in the next two years. Mark my words.

mtbspeedfreak. you are correct about these bikes being simple. when i first got mine i was a little nervouse about wrenching on it, but they are very simple and very easy to work on. i will deffinetly be keeping mine now. its been a fun bike to ride

I too have found these bikes extremely simple and fun to work on. Other then electrical demons ha!

It appears you all are really getting life out of these machines. I have been wary of long distance rides but maybe I shouldn't be. What kind of maintenance have you found needed to be done often?

Lube the chain, top off the oil (I use about a quart every 3,000 miles) and keep your tires inflated.

Seriously, that's about it. Once you have the gremlins worked out, these bikes are money. Maybe I'm just a lucky SOB though...

i agree, i lubed my chain every 1,000 miles, (which i should have replaced by now ), top the oil off when needed, and check my tire pressure often, thats about it. only problem i had was i blew a main fuse one day. i had an extra one with me so it was no big deal. two minutes to replace it and i was back on the road.