Z1e 28685 73or 74

Yea....they are Kawasaki tubeless.
1.85x19 front
3x16 rear

Rockranch wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

spdygon wrote: Correction....frame # 43030 picking it up tomorrow ...ill post pics
Comes with title as well.

PO is correct...motor (or at least cases) has been replaced with earlier model.

Both the engine and frame #'s are 1974 production series as verified by the ID Guide pics. ...................................Mike

Zoom-zoom!

Both '74 but not (as far as Z1's go) matching #s.

How's she run, any plans for it?

Starts and idles rough. My plans were to restore it but know that it's at home and I have taking a closer look. Looks like the frame has Ben repaired at one point. That would explain the newer front forks and engine change.
Still a really good deal for what I pay for it. 74 z1a engine and original carbs , gauges , original Kawasaki mag wheels.
Bike does have a title tho.
Will see

so I been doing some research on Z1 since I got the bike. The motor on this bike is black...at first I thought it had been painted. But looking at it looks to be original. Talking to another owner that has several z1...he was telling me that he has an early 74 z1 that came from factory painted black. Cant find anything to back up this.
74 z1 #'s start at 20001 and mine is 28685 making it an early engine.
Anyone got info on this?

spdygon wrote: so I been doing some research on Z1 since I got the bike. The motor on this bike is black...at first I thought it had been painted. But looking at it looks to be original. Talking to another owner that has several z1...he was telling me that he has an early 74 z1 that came from factory painted black. Cant find anything to back up this.
74 z1 #'s start at 20001 and mine is 28685 making it an early engine.
Anyone got info on this?

Yep I posted it in an earlier reply. The 2 'ID book' pics I posted above show the starting frame #'s and engine #'s for each year...'73...'74...and '75, which gives you an idea of where yours was in the production series. ..................................Mike

Vroom-vroom!!!

spdygon wrote: so I been doing some research on Z1 since I got the bike. The motor on this bike is black...at first I thought it had been painted. But looking at it looks to be original. Talking to another owner that has several z1...he was telling me that he has an early 74 z1 that came from factory painted black. Cant find anything to back up this.
74 z1 #'s start at 20001 and mine is 28685 making it an early engine.
Anyone got info on this?

I have also read that the early 1974's (Z1A) were marketed with factory painted motors. No one seems to be able to produce a photo of this and it is not well documented on the Z1 site (kawasaki-Z-classik). Additionally, you are 8684 motors into the Z1A series and your motor would not be considered an 'early' motor. I suspect you have a painted motor (by a previous owner)

The ID guide photos show the '73's as black motors (side view) and '74's/'75's unpainted. No ID guide info is evident of when the change was made as far as engine #, or if it was just a model year change. Entirely possible that engine work cld have been done at some point resulting in parts swaps such as block/head etc. which was fairly common back in the day due to so many boring and modifying their Z1 900's for racing. However if the case is black when the original series was aluminum, then it wld indicate the motor was painted at some point. The next production black motors to my knowledge weren't until the KZ1000 Z1R's of 1978. My '75 Z1 was all aluminum so I cldn't testify to earlier models or exactly when the change was made. Patton may very well have better info regarding the Z1's black engines in his infinite info library .............................Mike

Vroom-vroom!

Mcdroid wrote:

spdygon wrote: so I been doing some research on Z1 since I got the bike. The motor on this bike is black...at first I thought it had been painted. But looking at it looks to be original. Talking to another owner that has several z1...he was telling me that he has an early 74 z1 that came from factory painted black. Cant find anything to back up this.
74 z1 #'s start at 20001 and mine is 28685 making it an early engine.
Anyone got info on this?

I have also read that the early 1974's (Z1A) were marketed with factory painted motors. No one seems to be able to produce a photo of this and it is not well documented on the Z1 site (kawasaki-Z-classik). Additionally, you are 8684 motors into the Z1A series and your motor would not be considered an 'early' motor. I suspect you have a painted motor (by a previous owner)

I think if the early Z1A engines were black there would be some reference of it on the database. I didn't see any specific column or info in the additional details. And yes, 8k into a model year wouldn't be considered early.

Kidkawie wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

spdygon wrote: so I been doing some research on Z1 since I got the bike. The motor on this bike is black...at first I thought it had been painted. But looking at it looks to be original. Talking to another owner that has several z1...he was telling me that he has an early 74 z1 that came from factory painted black. Cant find anything to back up this.
74 z1 #'s start at 20001 and mine is 28685 making it an early engine.
Anyone got info on this?

I have also read that the early 1974's (Z1A) were marketed with factory painted motors. No one seems to be able to produce a photo of this and it is not well documented on the Z1 site (kawasaki-Z-classik). Additionally, you are 8684 motors into the Z1A series and your motor would not be considered an 'early' motor. I suspect you have a painted motor (by a previous owner)

I think if the early Z1A engines were black there would be some reference of it on the database. I didn't see any specific column or info in the additional details. And yes, 8k into a model year wouldn't be considered early.

From David Marsdens book




as far as engine colors go
Pete

Good Fortune!