buying a Bike that sat 2 years

guy has an '80 750 LTD wants 550.00 for it.

says it ran fine, put it up 2 yrs ago, and it does not run now. Says he put on a new clutch cable, new battery, and that it fires and turns over, but wont 'run' says in good shape, tires not great, and seat worn...23k miles.

So I am guessing that it needs carbs cleaned.

My very first bike was a KZ...but back then I did almost NO maintenance at all. If I buy this not it is because it will be cheep transportation for a while.

Since then I pulled carbs and cleaned on a '84 Yamaha Maxim 750, a couple times...that is the limits to my Carb cleaning experience.

On that bike there was 2 carbs. Does the KZ have 1 or 2 carbs?

Any ideas, tips, thoughts etc?

PS...looking through other info on the site...he said this was a v-twin...so looking at the specs I would say it is 2 carbs...

so the next question is how hard to get to them, and how hard to clean and adjust etc?

If I recall, the 1980 750 Ltd is a parallel twin so it would have two carburetors.

If it's an 80 LTD twin, then it's a G1 and has a pair of BS38 carbs. I believe the B4 also used the BS38's

My 1980 LTD 750 is not a twin.

Kawasaki made twins and four cylinder models in 1980.

If it's a V-twin as the seller says, it's not an LTD at all. Kawasaki didn't start making the V-twin Vulcan model until 1984.

My guess is that it's an LTD 750 twin, and $550 might be a bit steep if it's in a non-running state, depending on it's condition otherwise. The carbs are certain to need an overhaul, and I understand that valve adjustments might be tricky since the shims are an odd size and have gotten scarce.

Post edited by: guitargeek, at: 2008/03/03 18:27

clarification...
He said twin...and I guess that I implied V-twin.

My old KZ was a 4. what was the difference as far as power and riding etc? What kind of MPG can I expect from an old bike like this typically?

My take on a situation like this is that every bit of info you hear should be taken with a grain of salt.

Two years? Perhaps but the bike is 28 years old and two years may be 22 years for all you know.

The bike ran great when it was parked and now will not run? Perhaps but why would a great running bike be parked? Because of the torn up seat? Perhaps.

The owner put a new clutch cable and battery in and it won't start... That is pretty easy to figure out; he doesn't know what to do to make it run.

Lots of unknowns. Your reason for wanting to own this bike wasn't clear from your statement. Do you want the bike for inexpensive transportation in these days of high gas prices? This one won't be all that inexpensive I fear. It will require some work to return it to serviceable condition and $550 is too much for a bike in this state; especially a 750 twin (NOT A V-TWIN AT THAT). If you want cheap transportation, look for a 90s vintage small displacement bike that is in good running condition. You might spend as much as $1000 but the extra money will be you will be rolling immediately. This bike will likely end up cost more than $1000 (including purchase price) to get it rolling and registered.

If you are looking for a vintage bike as a project, work the price down and jump on it. The 750 twin is a fine bike and would make a fun project but be aware that a project can be something of a money pit... especially if the reason the bike isn't running is because of engine internals. In the end, a restored, vintage bike can be the source of tremendous pride and enjoyment... when you go down to the Dairy Queen on bike night, the folks will tend to gather around a nicely restored KZ more than a $50K chopper/clone and that drives the yuppies (is this term still correct?) crazy!

In the end, a restored, vintage bike can be the source of tremendous pride and enjoyment... when you go down to the Dairy Queen on bike night, the folks will tend to gather around a nicely restored KZ more than a $50K chopper/clone and that drives the yuppies (is this term still correct?) crazy!

Well said WG!!!

well, I already had planned that I would NOT get anywhere near $550.

If I can get it cheep enough, then my motivation is yes...cheep-ER transportation...but also because i like projects, and I like to ride.

The whole story that I got on the bike was, the kid(younger man who currently owns it) bought it 2 years ago to go ride with dad and brother once in a while. Never got his M-endorsement, and did not ride. parked it. Brother moved away, dad does not ride as much now...and so it sat.

Also, I am better able to pay 300-400 now, and put in 200 in tires in 30 days, and another 200 in parts in another 30 days than I am to be able to crop 800-1000 right now cash.

Thanks for the replies!!!

del

Sounds like you're going about this smartly.

The 750 twin was never a speed demon. They're okay, but their main strength is their affability. I hear you can take off from a stop in 4th gear and it'll simply chug away. They're heavy, they don't handle that great, there aren't many hotrod parts for them, but they have their own loyal following due to their easy going nature (and the fact that they sound pretty cool).

mcompton1973 wrote:

clarification...
He said twin...and I guess that I implied V-twin.

My old KZ was a 4. what was the difference as far as power and riding etc? What kind of MPG can I expect from an old bike like this typically?

My 1979 KZ750 twin has always gotten around 40 mpg city and about 60 mpg highway. If the engine runs OK, yours should be in that ballpark.