Painting Frame

Okay, I'm planning on disassembling my KZ1000 CSR down to the bare frame this winter, and getting it painted. While that is being done, I also want to hone cylinders with new rings, work on transmission, and do a serious clean-up on engine with either paint or just beadblast and polish.

In planning, I do have a couple of questions for you folks that have experience in this:

1) Are there ay tips/tricks on removing the engine, as well as re-installing? That engine looks awfully heavy! I'm more worried about re-installation on a freshly painted frame without marring or scratching.

2) What is better on the frame - paint (professionally) or powder coat? I've heard pros & cons to both. Paint is more durable and easier to repair or touch-up, while powder coating is cheaper. I will be painting the frame, tank, covers, and sundry hardware the original red (or as close to it as I can get) What say you:huh: ?

3) What's the consensus on the engine? Assuming proper prep work (wash/beadblast/wash/solvent rinse/prime/paint with hardner), is paint the recommended path? I am also considering beadblast and polish with Maas or whatever the stuff is called. Appreciate any guidance on any or all of these questions. Thanks

Post edited by: Norseman, at: 2007/10/09 00:27

I would powder coat the frame unless you have a few burley friends to help get the motor back in. If you want to put the motor in by yourself you need to prop the motor up on it's side and slide the frame over it. Then just put a couple of the mounting bolts in and roll it back down. This is why powder coat is a good thing. If you have a couple of burley friends that can hold the motor and if you use a LOT of masking tape you can get the motor in. I think it would be easy enough if you left the head off.

Paint is easier to fix but with powder coat you probably won't have to worry about fixing it.

Sounds like you got it right about cleaning and painting the motor. Only thing is I would consider just blasting the motor and doing a light polish if you are going to paint or powder cat the frame. For some reason these bikes never look right to me when the frame is anything but black and the motor is painted with any color except that silver-chrome. Maybe it's just me. Have fun and take your time. I'm going through the same thing with my bike and gave myself two years to get it done. :sick:

Ditto, have heard the same thing about laying eng on it's side and lowering frame over it. Get some nuts and bolts (all) started and then can right side up.

Thanks, guys, I appreciate the advice. That does make sense - protects both engine and frame and is a controlled assembly. Sounds like powder coat is the way to go for the frame. I'm also scouting for cast wheels, and when found, will powder coat those as well (where they're painted black).

I also think I'll stick with glassbead blasting engine and polishing (something I can do myself). Seems to me that it would be easier to maintain, and a whole lot less money.

BTW, one of the main reasons I'm going all out on this is I discovered a 1/8" hole in the frame tube on the underside directly below left front footpeg where the frame begins to turn up. It appears to be a tube defect that just got worse over the years. There's a small amount of rust forming around it so it has to be repaired, especially as it must be a high-stress area. There's a welding shop close to my house, and the guy also builds custom choppers - I'm sure he'll know what to do. But if that is going to be done, might as well use the winter for a full make-over.

Thanks again for your responses.

Norseman, take plenty of pics and when done you can post them in the "projects" section. Always makes for a great story! Have fun...

powder coating is the way to go, just make sure all holes that bolts thru them are coverd with the rubber inserts they have, if not you will be cleaning the coating out prior to any assembly, and you will need to clean several contact areas for grounds

Thanks so much, Guys, and powder coat it is. Thanks for the heads=up on plugging bolt holes and threaded holes. I will take plenty of pics to document the project (need to for dis-assembly/re-assembly anyway - my problem is I have perfect memory, unfortunately it's all short-term:blink: ).

I do have one question, though. Since I have the front-end "wobble-effect" in high speeds, I was thinking there's an opportunity here to weld on an installation point on the frame (before powder coat) for a damper cylinder/rod (don't know exactly what they're called) from frame to fork. What do you guys think, and where would I place such a mounting point?

Norseman, a stabilizer would be a nice addition, but you should really correct the wobble problem first. While you have it apart, you could put new bearings and races in your steering neck, which is a common cause of the wobble anyway. But there's other things that can affect your wobble too, like tire balance, tire inflation etc.
Also, your swingarm bushings could be worn too, which can cause a wobble, and there are bearing kits available for those too.
I was getting some high speed wobble with mine when I first bought it, but then I discovered the front tire only had twenty psi in it. Pumped it up and the wobble went away.

Post edited by: riverroad, at: 2007/10/12 11:05

Good advice from riverroad. And also check wheel alignment. Tire tread pattern can also be a factor on some bikes which sometimes do better using ribbed style tread pattern on front tire.

Post edited by: Patton, at: 2007/10/12 11:19

Riverroad and Patton,

You guys are great - I will do exactly that, I guess I'd be foolish not to replace the bearings, bushings, and races.

I don't think it's the front tire at least - just had a new Dunlop tire installed and balanced. But the rear tire came with the bike, and although it only had less than 1k miles on it, it doesn't mean it's balanced and aligned. All I know is that I was on I75 going about 90, and the front-end suddenly began to shake/wobble really bad. Scared the crap out of me. I'm not a speedster, I was trying to pass an eratic driver, but since that experience I have not gone above 80.

See, I thought from reading about the issue that the wobble was an inherent weakness in the design of the KZ1000. Now, based on what you guys are saying, that's not true, and the potential of the problem can be eliminated by replacing the bearings, bushings and races in steering neck and swingarm. If tires, balance and alignment is in order, there shouldn't be a wobble condition.

Okay, assuming I do all the suggested corrections, and I will, where would the most effective place for a stabilizer be? I love my KZ1000, and have no intention of buying a newer bike. I'd rather sink my money into my KZ to make it top-notch. It only has 12k original miles on it, and has many more years and miles in her.

Any suggestions?

Don't know if this will help much at all with regard to possible fitment of a steering damper to your 1981KZ1000CSR, but here's some history with prior models.

The 73-75 Z1's had a bracket on right front of frame and an 8mm hole in the lower fork yoke on right hand side to accomodate fitment of the same steering dampers used on the two-stroke triples.

Maybe a similar bracket as used on the 73-75 models could be welded in place on your 81CSR. But the issue remains of attaching to the forks.

The 8mm yoke hole was discontinued on the 76KZ900 model and the steering damper bracket was replaced with a small threaded bracket for a reflector (with matching reflector bracket added to the left side). I believe the side reflectors continued in this same position on through the 78KZ1000 and discontinued in 79.

Fitment of steering damper on 76KZ900 and later models with the reflector bracket often involved enlarging the bracket hole to accomodate the damper bolt, or fashioning a separate bracket attached to the reflector threads which separate bracket also accomodated the damper bolt. Fashioning and using the additional separate bracket avoids necessity of drilling out the reflector threads.

Accessory clamps are available for connecting the other end of the steering damper to the fork tube. They are machined to perfectly fit the fork diameter, so suggest assuring availability of correct size for fork tubes on your particular model.

Regardless of model, careful fitment is required to allow clearance throughout the full range of fork movement, particularly with the 76 models forward which aren't designed for fitment of a steering damper. An oil cooler further challenges proper fitment, as the damper movement must then avoid both the oil cooler and valve cover.

Most of the dampers I've seen are mounted on the right-hand side, but some are on the left.

Undoubtedly there are other and more sophisticated mounting methods I'm unaware of.

One final thought -- should also assure both fork oil levels are equal, with the proper amount and correct viscosity. And that the rear shocks are both adjusted the same (and in good condition).

Good Luck!

Wow, thanks, Patton, I appreciate you taking time to run down through the possibilities. I took a closer look at the forks and distance to frame with full turns. From what I can determine, the fork-side attachment has to be on the lower tube, and you're right about the side reflectors discontinued. There's nothing to attach to.

I would think attaching a damper that low would look just plain weird - at least to me:huh:. The bike simply isn't designed for a damper, so maybe it's an idea that should be scrapped, and instead focus on preventing wobble as you guys suggested...