Buying a KZ? Frame inspection tip!

I had recently bought another Z a 78 1000 LTD and one of the first things I looked at when buying it was the thin metal plating that is welded to the front frame down tubes directly under your steering head.
If this small plating has a crack or cracks in it, you can be sure, it has taken a front end hit, or it had big crashbars bolted there and they may have twisted the frame when they went down.
This can save you years of headaches recognizing this right away.
Heres a pic of what Im referring to.
I have the majority of the plate in yellow lines and I have put a red line where these cracks are most likely.

They crack from popping wheelies

Every z1 Ive ever had was cracked from that disease in my right wrist! :woohoo:

I'm speaking from experience dealing with a bent frame. And its not the only one Ive run into. Ive seen many and checked many on a frame alignment jig. We straightened frames back in the day.
Of course when aluminum frames came out, all that stopped because they would crack before bending back and weaken if they didnt.I wont say your incorrect, But Im not sure how hard you would have to slam that bike to do something like that. Just dont discredit something that I know DOES happen and by simply saying a wheelie did it.

Quality control was not the greatest on these frames even right off the assembly line Ive seen new bikes with bent steering heads,especially on z1s.
They finally started getting it together as far as strengh goes with the early gpz frames.


Yeah I know a thing or 3 about the weak links on z1 and early kz frames ya might say,and I know how to fix them as well. :whistle: :woohoo:

:laugh: true Wireman, gussets are your friends.

Best thing ive ever found for checking a frame without access to a jig is 3-4 well placed torpedo levels in strategic locations across backbone of frame and steering head,if things arent close its time to start sweating ! :woohoo:

Don't sweat, just means it's time for a rake and gusset job. I can correct almost everything on the jig, almost! I've seen pampered bikes be farther out than wrecked bikes, not a joke, just a fact. They didn't have the quality control they have today, sorry, how many ZX14's had broken frames in the last few years?
While I'm divulging, how many aluminum semi trailer with cracked welds you see? Now you know why I'm not a fan of aluminum arms, it's called fatigue, stress! Everything is subject to it but, you make the call

Just venting

Les

Popping wheelies is all it takes too crack them on a z1 Fact

kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/242614-early...nt-frame-brace-crack

You guys have accesss to a lot of good info, so I wont argue any facts you place out Peter. But I will ask you one question.

Sure a wheelie could do it....but a direct front impact will do it VERY easily. Would you rather buy your first Z with cracks there, knowing it COULD be from a crash? of just hope its from wheelies?
I decided to buy one with no cracks to be safe.
30+ years is a long time to bank on the fact that it hadnt been crashed.