my plan to use a Kz900 or Z1 frame for my Z1R

My Z1R frame was modified with the gooseneck angle, the 'rake', being increased to lower the bike and I will replace the frame with a Kz900 frame I have. They look very very similar.

When I investigated this swap I found this ebay listing where someone else had actually done that -- at this listing if you read the questions posed to the seller (see the bottom of the ebay listing here), the seller says "this Z1R was crashed and the owner at that time replaced the stock frame with a 1976 Z1 frame, then we swapped that out and returned the bike to a Z1r frame."

So he sold the bike this past November. For a time his Z1r ran with a kz900 frame.
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kawasaki-Other-/160926215420

What will I run into as far as installing all my Z1R's parts on a Kz900 frame? With the body panels hook right up?

www.z1ownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15476
Lets see if this works,its a long build to read through but it should give you some ideas

wireman wrote: www.z1ownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15476
Lets see if this works,its a long build to read through but it should give you some ideas

Way cool dude, thanks, you can see his original frame was a 1976 kz900 or 1977 or later Kz1000 frame, and *not* a Z1R frame -- the giveaway is the solid drop-down angled frame piece for the passenger pegs -- on the Z1R frame, that solid piece is absent -- the passenger pegs on the Z1R frame are supported by a piece of looped tubing.


HERE'S THE GUY'S 1976 Kz900 or 1977 Kz1000-A1 framed original Z -- notice a big angular chunk of metal that drops down from the rear downtube -- that is a 1976 Kz900 and 1977 Kz1000 frame attribute, not a Z1R frame:




AT THE TAIL END OF THE ABOVE BIKE CONVERSION, HE CONVERTED HIS Kz frame over to a Z1R -- Dagnabbit that is fine news there. You can compare the guy's original Kz frame shown here (you can still barely see that solid angular metal piece behind the rearset footpeg's mount) and a true Z1R just below this photo here:




THIS IS A REAL Z1R FRAME -- note that angular dropdown for the passenger footpeg is not present:



POINT BEING -- he fit all the Z1R bodywork onto an older Kz900 or 1000 frame -- GREAT NEWS, GREAT NEWS.

Wireman, good deal, I have 2 choices now, I can either

1) use my 1976 Kz900 frame and give it to my welder so he can use my Kz frame to create a jig and return my Z1R frame's gooseneck back to stock, or

2) just swap all my Z1R bits over to my Kz900 frame.

Dagnabbit it's a good weekend. Good deal!

You could always swap the z1r bodywork and related parts onto the 76 frame for now and fix the z1r frame later when time/money allow.
Let me know if you want those backbone parts from one of my organ donor frames,ill leave the steering head/back bone all in tact so your welder/fab guy can grind the welds loose from steering head the way he wants it so it will be easier for him to graft the tubes in.
I need to get off my ass and build a frame jig,which wouldn't take much.
Its the getting off my ass part that seems to be getting in the way! :woohoo:

77-78 a1-a2 were the only 2 years to use those footpeg brackets,thats how I pick them out so easily.

Heres a 78 ltd Im going to use engine cradle to build a dragbike frame off of someday,rest of it is up for grabs
Free to good home if you want it

wireman wrote:

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Heres a 78 ltd Im going to use engine cradle to build a dragbike frame off of someday,rest of it is up for grabs
Free to good home if you want it

I will take it, I'm on the west coast in Silicon Valley which is 1 hour south of San Fran, I can Paypal you the cost, darn nice of you to offer to help me get my Z1r on the road again!

Damn I just came back from carmel last week! :woohoo:
Pm me a shipping address and Ill take a recip saw to it next week some time for ya,gives me an excuse to build a frame jig! :woohoo:

What can I say Im a sucker for a blue 78 z1r,Ive been looking for one since around 79!
Ive got an 80 that Im gonna build into my own version of what the 78 factory turbo should of been,with a better turbo/banana pipe/welded crank/1197 kit/flatslide carb/18" wire wheels......
Definitely has to have the blue paint job though ,need to find a 78 tank!
Ah projects! :woohoo:

wireman wrote: What can I say Im a sucker for a blue 78 z1r,Ive been looking for one since around 79!
Ive got an 80 that Im gonna build into my own version of what the 78 factory turbo should of been,with a better turbo/banana pipe/welded crank/1197 kit/flatslide carb/18" wire wheels......
Definitely has to have the blue paint job though ,need to find a 78 tank!
Ah projects! :woohoo:

The turbo with the blue tank, yep, I hear there were only 250 made, that is a rare beast, a roll-your-own with modern parts would be better, my reading tells me the '78 turbo had a lot of lag to it and only worked between 6500 to 8500rpm but what a rocket there. I'd love to own one.

I've got an 78 KZ being put together as a Moly Graphics Turbo copy. Your seat mounting, tail mounting and side cover mounting on one side is different. The rake can be removed and pretty much anything done can be undone but is it cost effective. The biggest detectable difference that is hardest to copy is the front 2 downtubes, they are double walled on the Z1R's and very easy to spot.
I also have a Z1R that has been raked in it's pass and evidence of a crash on the right side seat rail, I managed to pick up an unmolested Z1R chassis couple weeks ago while up in Michigan for the International bike show. Every once in a while one will show up on ebay but usually pretty pricy.
HTH.

Les

les holt wrote: I've got an 78 KZ being put together as a Moly Graphics Turbo copy. Your seat mounting, tail mounting and side cover mounting on one side is different. The rake can be removed and pretty much anything done can be undone but is it cost effective. The biggest detectable difference that is hardest to copy is the front 2 downtubes, they are double walled on the Z1R's and very easy to spot.
I also have a Z1R that has been raked in it's pass and evidence of a crash on the right side seat rail, I managed to pick up an unmolested Z1R chassis couple weeks ago while up in Michigan for the International bike show. Every once in a while one will show up on ebay but usually pretty pricy.
HTH.

Les

Thanks Les about the differences - I thought I noticed the seat situation as being different. But I'm wondering, and I'm sure this shows I've never had a jig, cut, and weld job done on a frame, ballpark what's the range, low $$ to high $$ that I might run into for the job?