First Restoration Project

Hello everybody, my dad has had this old kz1000 in the back yard for about 5 years now without starting and i figured id take a shot and try getting it to run. it would be nice for me to build it back to its former glory but that would depend on how much it costs me to get running. I was hoping you guys could help me get going, its a mess and i dont know where to start to get this thing running again. Any advice?

here are some pics

see if you can turn motor over via the kicker...if she s a stuck, might be a good parts bike....she s kinda rough and gonna take some cash and a lot of time.....that front wheel is literally
buried.....only been 5 years?

yea i think im gonna try that tomorrow. actually i got some crazy vine like weeds back there and they tangle up with everything thing there and some leaves are covering it also it just looks like dirt. ill keep updating as i try doing something with this bike.

its bad but a lot worse then that have been resurrected just be patient and take your time it's been sitting for a long time so it won't matter how long it takes does it. when you finish it will be something to be proud of i'm sure

See if she's locked,if it was mine i would take it in the garage,clean it,get the rust off everything you can. Tear it down to the frame and have some fun in the next few months.

Thats about as bad as they get. If the motor isn't stuck your good to go. Take off the carbs and spray them out, change the oil and use fresh gas to get it started. That should get it going. Your going to need the carbs rebuilt and the tank cleaned out, new tires, new brake fluid and a lot of elbow grease. That should get you on the road at least. And if it's too much, you can always send it to me.

You probably have some other issue that cause it to be parked in the first place, It could be as easy as a stuck timing advancer or valves that need re shimming and are hanging open.

once you find that problem and replace the chain/sprockets, all fluids, clean the carbs and brakes, check valve clearance and timing you will have a great bike to do a rolling resto on.

Get it running and on the road, then every weekend pick an easy project to make it look/run better. Take the winters to do harder more involved projects (like stripping the frame and spraying some fresh paint) and ride the piss out of it!

Ya that is in rough shape to say the least. My 900 was about as bad as yours, it just takes alot of elbow work, some cussing, and bloody knukles, but in the end you will have a kick ass bike.

cucucachu0000 wrote:

Hello everybody, my dad has had this old kz1000 in the back yard for about 5 years now without starting and i figured id take a shot and try getting it to run. it would be nice for me to build it back to its former glory but that would depend on how much it costs me to get running. I was hoping you guys could help me get going, its a mess and i dont know where to start to get this thing running again. Any advice?

here are some pics

where are you located at?

i second and third seeing if she turns over with the kick starter first.
if she turns over, i would pull the plugs and pour a generous amount of oil down each hole and turn her over many many times before ever attempting to start her.
new gas and oil rules apply here.
if not, pull the plugs and peek down there.
see if the cylinders are rusted up.
she is mighty rough but bikes in worse shape have been brought back to life.
( anyone remember ran429's mossbeater? )
i hope you have deep pockets.
ask questions and ask for help/parts.
lots of info and good people here.

should be intresting to see how this plays out.

i attempted to get it to turn and it worked!! very easily too. i was very surprized it was so easy i thought i broke something but i could hear the compresion and everything. i looked at a couple of new things i took out the battery it was dead and only a quarter full so im gonna fill it with distilled water and hope that itll work long enough for me to screw around with the bike. then i looked at the gas tank its pretty badly rusted inside and when i opened up the valve no gas came through the lines. so i think tomorrow ill take it off and attempt to do some sort of cleaning. i was hoping somebody had some tips for this cuz i have no idea what to do for this.

also i checked out the carbs and the choke is rusted it barely moves and i cant turn the handle for the gas it too is also rusted frozen. later in the week im gonna try to take that off and clean that up i could use advise for this as well or any types of directions of how to's when it comes to this its my first time. Thanks guys ill show you some pics of this mess tomorrow.

and im in cenral jersey

Today it was sooo nice out so i took off the tank and took off the carbs. the carbs popped off nice and easy after loosening a few screws they dont look to bad i got some pics for you guys. now i just have to figure out how to clean these things out or rebuild them. if anybody can help me find some info on how to do either, please post a link.im excited i finally get to start taking stuff apart and i would like to start making some progress asap!

Heres the intake side:




heres the other side:






and this part wont move for nothing:




and i also had one question i saw this soot on the end of the spark plug is this something i should worry about with connection between the wires and spark plugs?