1980 550LTD Clean Cafe Build

Okay here it goes.My name is Tom and I have to say I love this site. I am building my first bike over the winter months to be ready for riding next season.



She ran okay for a test ride around the neighbor hood, but it was leaking gas out of the drain tube on 2 of the carbs, and I was told the petcock is faulty.
I am going to rebuild the carbs and i want to get rid of the vacuum petcock and just use a manual one. From reading through this forum its just a matter of plugging the vacuum whole in the carb correct?
Here she is after i took the carbs out. and doing an oil change.

Im at a stand still now waiting to get parts but i have a question for the great minds here.
can someone tell me what these tubes are that go from the top of the motor to a metal solenoid looking thing which then goes from there to two smaller tunes leading to the two outer carb holders. there is also a larger tube going to the air box...Is this all part of the vacuum function?





Please help

not to be a azzhole but why cafe
that bike looks nice the way it is
2011- 1980 = 31 years old that is a classic
good luck with it

IMO don't bob but reshape that seat and find a rear cowl that looks good with the new seat. Ditch the quasi hangar bars and get a medium up and back. Nothing crazy or uncomfortable. Drop the forks a little and it'll look cooler without being a cliche.

P21 wrote: not to be a azzhole but why cafe
that bike looks nice the way it is
2011- 1980 = 31 years old that is a classic
good luck with it

Yes i agree i do like the classic look, and no worries all input is appreciated. Thats what i meant by clean cafe, im just going to do some mild changes, like the handle bars and change the seat to give it a more smooth look.

kzryderyahoo wrote: IMO don't bob but reshape that seat and find a rear cowl that looks good with the new seat. Ditch the quasi hangar bars and get a medium up and back. Nothing crazy or uncomfortable. Drop the forks a little and it'll look cooler without being a cliche.

Yeah i have no plans of bobbing it at all I have so new bars coming in and i was thinking about modding that seat just dont know how. also how do you lower the front forks?

Many owners remove the air injection paraphernalia, which doesn't affect performance, and reduces potential air leak sources.



Good Fortune!

Patton wrote: Many owners remove the air injection paraphernalia, which doesn't affect performance, and reduces potential air leak sources.

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Good Fortune!

I agree. I found some block off plates to replace the reed valves on the valve cover for mine. Nice looking bike btw.

The carbs leaking is most likely caused by poorly adjusted (or stuck) floats. Do you have a service manual for your bike? It will explain how to adjust the float level within proper specs.

We've actually been discussing the petcock issue in another thread. To ditch the vacuum, yes, you'll have to plug the vacuum lines on the carbs, but you'll also have to get an adapter plate to screw the new petcock into. And you'll probably have to file the opening a bit to widen it enough to let the new petcock up into your tank.
Here's the thread where it started. Go about 3/4 of the way down on page 1 and you will see where it begins:
www.kzrider.com/forum/6-paint-a-bodywork...s-1982-kz750-e3-cafe

And here is where the saga continues: www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/486262-pe...gasket-maker-is-crap
It's actually an easy process, but sometimes it doesn't want to seal quite right and finding the right fix has proven... interesting...

Chaotic Reason wrote: We've actually been discussing the petcock issue in another thread. To ditch the vacuum, yes, you'll have to plug the vacuum lines on the carbs, but you'll also have to get an adapter plate to screw the new petcock into. And you'll probably have to file the opening a bit to widen it enough to let the new petcock up into your tank.
Here's the thread where it started. Go about 3/4 of the way down on page 1 and you will see where it begins:
www.kzrider.com/forum/6-paint-a-bodywork...s-1982-kz750-e3-cafe

And here is where the saga continues: www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/486262-pe...gasket-maker-is-crap
It's actually an easy process, but sometimes it doesn't want to seal quite right and finding the right fix has proven... interesting...

Oh nice...bring my leaky adapter plate woes into this. LOL! JK I post, so that others can find fixes

:lol: Clutch, it's because of your thorough and patient explanations that we can all learn a thing or two. It is we who are indebted to you for the experiences you share. And we thank you very much for it.

Chaotic Reason wrote: :lol: Clutch, it's because of your thorough and patient explanations that we can all learn a thing or two. It is we who are indebted to you for the experiences you share. And we thank you very much for it.

LOL! I'm sure that's all it is....it couldn't have anything to do with being glad that the misfortune always seems to happen to me! LOL!