kz gsx-r swap

mark1122 wrote:

Nice work .
I have a z1 tank with the same filler mount. trouble is , it sits too far forward and hits my zx9 forks, and when i move it back it hits the seat pan. i will work it out somehow though.
I take it that your is a KZ tank?

i have the stock 76 kz900LTD tank and from what i can tell it is the same as my z1 tank...the only difference is my z1 tank has a different petcock(non vacuum) and my LTD tank is a vacuum petcock

Bad Dad wrote:
[quote
Hey thane... love the bike!!! The mod to the seat is really original... hope you don't mind if I try to copy you!



Tone[/quote]


oh yea before i forget NO COPYING!!! :laugh:

I have been thinking and thinking on paint... i think i am going to have it flat black and then mask off the tank and tail same as the factory did with z1 and use mask it letters for "kawasaki" and spray gloss...so when its finished it will be flat black with gloss black z1 stlye "decal" and since i mask kawi out the letters will remain flat... that should be interesting....

thane_420 wrote:

mark1122 wrote:

Nice work .
I have a z1 tank with the same filler mount. trouble is , it sits too far forward and hits my zx9 forks, and when i move it back it hits the seat pan. i will work it out somehow though.
I take it that your is a KZ tank?

i have the stock 76 kz900LTD tank and from what i can tell it is the same as my z1 tank...the only difference is my z1 tank has a different petcock(non vacuum) and my LTD tank is a vacuum petcock

On the KZ, and ltd tanks the bottom seam is very visible, on the z1 the seam is way underneath.
I cant get a good side view of your tank, but it looks more like a kz,z1 than ltd?
The Ltd has more of a smaller stubbyer teardrop shape. the kz and z1 are very similar in shape, but the z1 is smaller.

thane_420 wrote:

I have been thinking and thinking on paint... i think i am going to have it flat black and then mask off the tank and tail same as the factory did with z1 and use mask it letters for "kawasaki" and spray gloss...so when its finished it will be flat black with gloss black z1 stlye "decal" and since i mask kawi out the letters will remain flat... that should be interesting....

Black on black, I like it! I thought your bike looked killer with the flat black before. Just geat that bodywork straight and put on a nice, even flat black. Thumbsup!

they do not out handle a well set up traditional hung kz ,when you change all the rakes and trails and put wider ,lower profile tires on em....unless somehow it's a placebo effect....the hybrid bikes i see built on this side are not any better handling...while they may be pleasing to some folks eyes ,to call them better handling is absolute B.S


larrycavan wrote:

thane_420 wrote:

timebomb33 wrote:

looks good brother nice job it looks like a few of us are doing simalar stuf right now. how does it ride and handle with the mono shock set-up

i was very amazed on how well this bike handled. you can get down in the turns hard now..on my other bike i dont trust it in the turns....feels like the front end wants to slip out..could be the small front tire. i used '93 gsx-r 750 front clip and gsx-r 1100 rear swing arm, dont know what year 88-93??

X2 on that. They feel nothing like an old Z after the conversion.

It would be cool to see if someone could quantify the before and after effects of adding the newer suspension. Lets see if Valentino would take some laps on a KZ with period correct suspension mods vs the GSXR setup. Laptimes. I know that you would watch Tri. I will say that there are more opportunities to F-up your handling by doing this. Heck if we were MC engineers, then we wouldn't be on here discussing the merits of which swingarm is the best swap.

OK THAT IS FREAK'N SEXY! HEY TWO ?'S FOR YOU THOUGH.

WHERE DID YOU GET THE PIPES?
AND HOW DID YOU MAKE THE SEAT, AND TAIL FOR EITHER OF THE BIKES...

i am also going to have "my" swingarm braced and that "will" require me delving into possible frame gussets ,as the new stiffness"will' effect the bikes current smooth flow...i'm not saying that a upside down cartridge fork is not stiffer and much more compliant,i am saying that it is too short to offset the upgrades flaws....

there is very little you could do to a well valved ,sprung,braced,and tire shod kz front end...to improve upon the bikes set in and tracking of the frames rakes.....other than start fresh with a harris or egli or bimota type perimeter frame...simply putting a gsxr front end on it actualy is gonna lmake it worse.imo...i started a thread in chit chat to discuss this topic...sorry to hi jck...also i am a fan of some of the builds....i just wanna be on the side that screams"the king has no clothes"


peace...also..valatino would not be able to ride one of these old beasts...they don'y pay him enough.... as stock 90's 600 will always be able to blow a kz away on a good caynon..,all things being equal.....

i rest my case...:lol:

Darkangel wrote:

OK THAT IS FREAK'N SEXY! HEY TWO ?'S FOR YOU THOUGH.

WHERE DID YOU GET THE PIPES?
AND HOW DID YOU MAKE THE SEAT, AND TAIL FOR EITHER OF THE BIKES...

Ok no Valantino, then give me Eddie Lawson. I just want someone who is qualified to assess the handling of a motorcycle. I'm not a fan of bench racing. Judging from what I see on the road every weekend, I would say that the average rider is as likely to give a proper assessment of a triple-bypass surgery as they are an evaluation of MC suspension.

trianglelaguna wrote:

i am also going to have "my" swingarm braced and that "will" require me delving into possible frame gussets ,as the new stiffness"will' effect the bikes current smooth flow...i'm not saying that a upside down cartridge fork is not stiffer and much more compliant,i am saying that it is too short to offset the upgrades flaws....

there is very little you could do to a well valved ,sprung,braced,and tire shod kz front end...to improve upon the bikes set in and tracking of the frames rakes.....other than start fresh with a harris or egli or bimota type perimeter frame...simply putting a gsxr front end on it actualy is gonna lmake it worse.imo...i started a thread in chit chat to discuss this topic...sorry to hi jck...also i am a fan of some of the builds....i just wanna be on the side that screams"the king has no clothes"


peace...also..valatino would not be able to ride one of these old beasts...they don'y pay him enough.... as stock 90's 600 will always be able to blow a kz away on a good caynon..,all things being equal.....

well I have no "evidence to prove that you are wrong...just the seat of my pants....but I will bet you pink slips that my '75 900 with a gsxr 1000 front end will out brake your stock set up no matter what you've done to it.
and I gues if you spent the money on a set of ohlin piggy back shocks and spent some time setting things up...new springs ect
as well as changed out the swingarm bushings and the steering head bearings....it might ....possibly ....maybe.....still dont think so but who knows...be as good
just my .02