1984 KZ6550 brake swap on 1979 650

Hi all. New member here with some questions. I have a 1984 kz650 parts bike I've been holding on to. I've thought about restoring it but I just found a 1979 kz650 that I'm buying today. The '79 just needs some carb work, it looks great and has spoked wheels which are my favorite. The '84 has mag wheels, dual disc up front and single disc in the back. The front and rear breaks are independent of each other, both hydraulic. I'd like to swap all the breaks while keeping my spoked wheels. I'd also like to make the rear and front brakes work together so I can get rid of that big lever and cylinder. I understand I'd need a larger bore cylinder. How would such a long hose affect braking in the rear?

Also, can anyone point me to information on the difference between these models? The '84 is in really rough shape but only has 700 original miles. I'd like to swap the motor someday and maybe some electrics if it's worth it. Thank you!

DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO HURT THAT 1984 KZ650! I believe that is an extremely rare bike if it was actually built in 1984. Supposedly the last KZ650s were built in 1983, so your bike may be part of a special production run. Maybe post the VIN so more research can be done. Ed

Ha, it may be just an '83. I'll check the frame tag today. Could give me some info on my question though, if the bike is just an '83.

The vin can be checked at Kawasaki.com for US models. A photo or two would be good.
Are you in the USA, Canada, or elsewhere?

nitsua93 wrote: Hi all. New member here with some questions. I have a 1984 kz650 parts bike I've been holding on to. I've thought about restoring it but I just found a 1979 kz650 that I'm buying today. The '79 just needs some carb work, it looks great and has spoked wheels which are my favorite. The '84 has mag wheels, dual disc up front and single disc in the back. The front and rear breaks are independent of each other, both hydraulic. I'd like to swap all the breaks while keeping my spoked wheels. I'd also like to make the rear and front brakes work together so I can get rid of that big lever and cylinder. I understand I'd need a larger bore cylinder. How would such a long hose affect braking in the rear?

Also, can anyone point me to information on the difference between these models? The '84 is in really rough shape but only has 700 original miles. I'd like to swap the motor someday and maybe some electrics if it's worth it. Thank you!

Hello, nitsua93, and WELCOME to KZrider!

I'd also like to make the rear and front brakes work together so I can get rid of that big lever and cylinder.--- This would imo be ill-advised. Different riding situations call for different braking applications on each wheel; sometimes all rear; sometimes all front; and constantly variable in-betweens. Some of the larger touring bike models have combined front-rear braking when the brake foot pedal is depressed (with a factory designed percentage of braking power applied between the wheels), while the front brake remains independently operating front brake only via the hand lever.

For help in determining parts compatibility, there's a link in my signature for assistance with navigating kawasaki.com.

Good Fortune!

Front and rear are not going to work together unless you spend 2 tons of $$$ and replace the entire brake setup with a customized modern ABS setup. You cannot simply add a front brake line to the rear master cylinder (or vice versa) to provide front and rear braking, because the force applied to front and rear must vary based on traction conditions or the bike will skid (at rear wheel) or underbrake (at front wheel). Rear brake on the spoked wheel will be drum, not disk. You would need to get a different spoked rear wheel already configured for a disk brake and all the bits and pieces that go with it to have disk/spoke rear wheel. Fronts may be somewhat easier to do. Take a look at the models in this link to see differences. Ed

jarlef.no/Kawasaki/Series/Z/650/z650files.htm

Thanks for the info guys. I was definitely concerned about the different situations in which you'd only apple one or the other. I'll just stick with the big lever and cylinder for now, maybe try to tuck some of it. Don't even have the '79 yet.

Bike was manufactured in 11/83. VIN kakz6a1xea001175

nitsua93 wrote: Bike was manufactured in 11/83. VIN kakz6a1xea001175

The date indicates it is an 84 model - I'd guess a KZ700 (USA).
Double check the vin. The closest thing to it that I could find was for the 84 KZ700.

nitsua93 wrote: Bike was manufactured in 11/83. VIN kakz6a1xea001175

Take a look at the left side of the engine to see if it is marked "652 CC" as in the picture below. Also, the engine should have a serial number on the right hand side on top of the engine case. Ed

well, 80's guzzis had so called linked brakes: front M/C operated one front caliper, rear foot M/C the other front caliper + the rear. Hated it, transformed like many the system in my Le-Mans III back to normal.... Honda Superblackbirds and others had similar solutions too.

That said, unles you REALLY know what you are doing (and dont take offence, but by the fact you are asking you dont seem to) please, leave well alone.

Wonder if that 79' is the one i bought in Waco, TX, rode all the way up to NYC and sold there in the summer of 87' for 500$

turboguzzi wrote: well, 80's guzzis had so called linked brakes: front M/C operated one front caliper, rear foot M/C the other front caliper + the rear. Hated it, transformed like many the system in my Le-Mans III back to normal.... Honda Superblackbirds and others had similar solutions too.

That said, unles you REALLY know what you are doing (and dont take offence, but by the fact you are asking you dont seem to) please, leave well alone.

Wonder if that 79' is the one i bought in Waco, TX, rode all the way up to NYC and sold there in the summer of 87' for 500$

I've also seen some bikes (BMW comes to mind) that came from the factory with combined brakes. I think they all use a proportioning valve to control the pressure differential between the front and rear brakes. As turboguzzi suggests - pretty complicated stuff to try to replicate in your back yard.