87 KZ305 SEIZED, NOW WHAT?

I have an 87 KZ305. The engine locked up while I was riding the other day and never turned back on. I took it to my local kaawasaki shop and they told me that I should buy a whole new engine and slap it on because it was seized. Obviously my initial $75 fee did not cover tearing the engine apart to see exactly what was shredded, and what was salvageable. I wouldn't mind bolting on the KZ454 engine if it'll fit. Will 81-82 fit? I know those bikes have points and condenser ignition so that is something to take into account. Other than parting this bike out and cutting my losses, what could I do to this bike? Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!


Gabriel

Bummer about the 305. Perfect time to get a Larger cc bike. Look into a 650 or something if you like the KZ. Even the 550 is pretty decent for power. Depends on what you want, and your abilities. But for as much as you could put into the 305 used motor, then if you were to pay to have it swapped out. You could get a running bike.
If you took it to the shop, and paid $75 to be told what you already knew, its seized. That sounds like a lot for not much. If you found a used motor for the 305, it would be better if you could swap it. Otherwise it could get expensive in the shop. Then a used motor already pulled from a bike, you really don't know how it is really till you run it. So you would be rolling the dice there.

When you say it locked up, were you riding it at the time or what? Did it lock up or just quit?

Assuming it is seized, one thing I would do is try to figure out why it seized in the first place.
Low engine oil? Old, old, dirty oil? Overheating by running it in a hot garage or something?
But before assuming anything, I would remove the spark plugs, put a little oil in the spark plug holes, then try to turn the crankshaft (spark plugs removed). Or spray some penetrating oil first & let it sit overnight, then add the oil & turn the crankshaft. If it is stuck, I'd take it apart to see what's what - if it's already dead, it wouldn't hurt anything & you might learn something, which is kinda cool. With sites such as KZR, anyone should be able to figure out how to diagnose just about any problem.