'80 LTD seat+ tail -- fit a '80 kz1000-G1 Classic?

Here is a picture of my 1980 kz1000-G1 "Classic":



Here is a picture of the 1980 kz1000-B4 LTD:


I don't like the bigass couch on my bike -- and I really like the LTD's tail section and smaller seat -- I read that the G1 "Classic" and the LTD are the same frame so I want to buy an LTD seat + tail piece and put on my G1 -- will it fit correctly, line up with all the bolt holes, seat pan fit the G1's hinges?

The problem you are going to run into with this swap is that the reason for the longer seat on the Classic is the fact that the EFI computer is housed in the rear of the seat. There also are no mounts on the frame to attach the tail piece.

The Gringo wrote:

The problem you are going to run into with this swap is that the reason for the longer seat on the Classic is the fact that the EFI computer is housed in the rear of the seat. There also are no mounts on the frame to attach the tail piece.

Thanks for the tips.
While I might be able to rig something up for a tailpiece mount, you're right about the computer. There's gotta be some way to do this, I'm sure a lot of folks out there don't like 'the couch' either and solved it. Not sure how -- yet.

I have an 82 LTD which has the same rear as your G1. I don't like it either, and I was hoping the answer to your question would be yes

Anybody know of any creative seat+tail solutions for these bikes? I've been looking for pics in the forums but haven't seen many examples.

go to kawasaki.com ...owner info-parts diagram...follow the info/?'s...it takes some messing with..once you find the actual part you will see a yellow circle with a question mark...click that and it tells all bikes that the part you are looking at fits...

for example click my link then click the yellow circle....it tells that my tail lense that for me is hard to find has kissing cousins.....

good luck

(no link it timed out...sorry)

What about a cop seat???? Hmmm...then fab up a trick license frame tail, hmmmm... More thinking :huh:

Here's a pic of my 82 LTD, very similar to your bike just no brain box to worry about. However there is quite a bit of open space that I think a box could be fabbed under the rear frame to accomodate it. Correct that the frame doesn't have the right mounting points for the cowl, but it doesn't look like it would be too difficult to make it work.

I had the cowl off of my 77 just lying around and I thought I'd stick it up there too see how it would look...



I will drag the frame off the 77 over and take a couple of shots of them side by side for comparison. I am somewhat determined to make this work. I will have to get more creative with the seat however..

The G model has more in common, frame-wise, with the 903/1015 motored bikes (1973-1980) while the later LTD has a frame more akin to the J-motored bikes 998/1089cc (1981-on). 'Marneman', search this site for a thread initiated by 'otakar' about his 1150GPz fabrication. He took a CSR (which is essentially your LTD) and grafted on a period tail piece. This would also be good reading for 'newOld_kz1000' as it demonstrates attention to detail and all the hoops 'otakar' had to jump through to get what he wanted.

Marneman wrote:

Here's a pic of my 82 LTD, very similar to your bike just no brain box to worry about. However there is quite a bit of open space that I think a box could be fabbed under the rear frame to accomodate it. Correct that the frame doesn't have the right mounting points for the cowl, but it doesn't look like it would be too difficult to make it work.

I had the cowl off of my 77 just lying around and I thought I'd stick it up there too see how it would look...

I will drag the frame off the 77 over and take a couple of shots of them side by side for comparison. I am somewhat determined to make this work. I will have to get more creative with the seat however..

Wow MM that looks hot, I like that tailpiece/fender combo, that fender looks better with that tailpiece than the regular Kz1000 'A' model fender by a mile.

McDroid, thanks for the pointer to Otakar's GPz tail piece work I'm going to have a look.
EDIT: I found Otakar's post and have a look at pages 10 through 12 of his post at kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...it=20&limitstart=180 .
In those pages Otakar talks about his seat and tailpiece mods.

It's true there is room for the EFI box in that tail piece area -- my Clymer manual has drawing of the EFI box housed within the tailpiece and not in the seat pan, so I'm wondering if the Clymer publishers either had a Euro bike that put the computer in the tailpiece, or the info that Clymer got from Kawasaki changed after Clymer printed their manual.

Here is a thought...it is possible to have the 1st generation FI and have a normal seat w/tail cowling...
Consider exploring the structure on the Z1000-H1...which was the 1980 Euro edition of the KZ1000-G1.

If you decide to sell your old g1 seat, let me know- I have one but would like to have a second pan to build a solo seat with- Thanks, fitscott

Mcdroid wrote:

Here is a thought...it is possible to have the 1st generation FI and have a normal seat w/tail cowling...
Consider exploring the structure on the Z1000-H1...which was the 1980 Euro edition of the KZ1000-G1.

Wow the continentals always get the cooler versions, thanks MD that is probably why my Clymer manual shows the EFI computer in the tail section, as I believe Clymer is out of England (or was at that time).

That points all of us on the board here who have the G model in the right direction -- good to know parts are available for such a conversion.

fitscott if I get a good result here I may put the seat up on the parts board however if I ever sell it sometimes the new owner is a 'purist' who wants the original parts so I'm not sure yet.