Windjammer removal

I couldn't decide between wiring and bodywork, so move as necessary.

Let me start by saying that I've already found a bunch of useful info on this site, especially the four gallons of gas if the bike is straight upright, that I think steell may have posted.

As I mentioned in my hello post, I'm planning to remove a windjammer that came on the bike I just got. The story I was told is that she was in a bit of a wreck, the fork got bent, and a junkyard yielded a new fork with a windjammer, but I would think that would also include fork mounts and possibly new bars. This is at least third hand information that I am dispensing, so I can only assure the accuracy of the story as I heard it, not necessarily the truth.

Anyway, I want to ditch this eye sore. And I'm a little intimidated. There is a TON of electrical tape on wires and wiring harnesses between the ferring (sp?) and the fork mounts. There are also a lot of dead-end butt connectors inside the ferring itself. From what I saw at a glance, there only appears to be one wiring harness going into the ferring, with I believe has twelve wires. The headlight looks like it should go back into the mount on the fork mount. I plan to rig up some blinkers as cheap as possible. I'm just a little nervous about digging into the rats nest of wires and electrical tape that's before me. Also, another point for moderate concern, the plastic piece that holds the ignition, neutral light, and blinker indicators is held between the tach and speedo with some elegant black duct tape. Scary, cause no one has black duct tape just lying around, someone went and bought some specifically for this task. :dry: Presumably to match the sexy black windjammer. (sorry if there are any windjammer fans reading, but this one is ugly as sin, especially since it's missing the windshield.)

Sorry for the long post, I can ramble at times. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

If I'm remembering correctly, that's a 1980 750 twin?

Don't worry about finding parts, I'm parting one out (bad title)

The windjammer uses an adapter harness that goes between the fairing and the bikes harness, and plugs in. Look inside the headlight shell (assuming you still have one) and you should see where the turn signal wires from the fairing connect, and the fairing headlight should be plugged into the regular bike headlight plug.

If all else fails, I have a complete wiring harness (and probably everything else).

My 79 750B is dressed up as a 1980 KZ750G, it the bike that says "For Sale" Here but I don't know if I am going to sell it.

I'll probably just keep it

Wish I could remember who sent me the pic of the black one

Oh yeah, the three pictures of KZ750G's are all the same bike, the one I'm parting out (the body parts are on my 79)

del

The bike is listed as a 750H in his new member post, so that makes it an Ltd-4.

Ah. I see.
His mentioning my post that the tank held four gallons threw me off, I said that in a post to e member with a 1980 KZ750G. :blush:

steell wrote:

Ah. I see.
His mentioning my post that the tank held four gallons threw me off, I said that in a post to e member with a 1980 KZ750G. :blush:

The letter after 750 had been confusing me. I assumed they were talking about an LTD-4 when they didn't say twin. And I think I might be more confused now.

I haven't really dug into this, because I don't want to get too excited about it before I can drive it. From what I remember, I only saw one set of wires going into the ferring, and that was the twelve wire plug I referenced. The headlight looks like it should just come out, and come back to the stock? headlight mount on the fork mounts, but I will look to see if it uses wiring from the bike or from the ferring.

All the dead-end connectors I've seen are in the ferring, so I don't really care what they do or are supposed to do, because it wont be on the bike anymore. I was mostly throwing that out there as a reference of how seemingly haphazardly this thing was installed.

As for the blinkers. There is a farm supply type store that sells basically everything up here called Fleet Farm, or further south, Farm and Fleet, but they aren't quite the same. They sell a bunch of automotive parts, and if they have it, they are always cheaper than anywhere else around. Anyway, I'm going to get the cheapest set of 12v amber lights they've got, and make something to mount them on, at least for the time being.

JMKZHI, yes, both gauges and all the lights work. And both gauges are solidly mounted, it's just the gray plastic piece that the key goes in that is lose. I'm guessing whomever did the fork swap, swapped the whole front part of the bike, but kept the ignition piece from the junked part so the seat and ignition had the same key. I don't think that I need any parts, but I appreciate the offer.

I will look over some wiring diagrams and hopefully get a feel for what I'm working with.

I plan to take some before and after pics, but this bike isn't a beauty, but she runs good, and the price was right.

del

The sudco website at www.sudco.com has some Kawasaki parts you might need. Another website is at www.airtech-streamlining.com they make unpainted parts for bikes.

As for replacing the entire harness(if you are going to) I'd try the various motorcycle salvage places for used parts.

Just to help you out

1976 - 1979 KZ750's are all twins.

1980 KZ750 could be a twin or a four (twin is a KZ750G, also 750 LTDt).

1981 750's are all fours.

1982 750's can be twins or fours (twin is a KZ750M, also 750 CSR)

1983 can be twins or fours (twin is a KZ750K and 750 Belt)

Canada got the 750 twin in 84 also, a KZ750K I believe, and of course there are 750 fours in 84

Thank you for the help thus far.

I took a closer look at it this afternoon. It's a windjammer IV. And the only wires going into it are the twelve wires in the plug I mentioned, so that shouldn't be too bad. I didn't see an easy way to get into it to get the head light out, so I guess I may have to use the sawzall. I mentioned in my other thread that someone could have it if they paid shipping, I retract that offer, this thing looks dangerous. The tubes it clamps to the frames with are severely cracked, as is the plastic or fiberglass. I picked up the two lights I'll need for $2 ea today. So two hours, four dollars and some scrap steel later, I'll have blinkers and no windjammer. (Someone ran brake lines through the old blinker holes, so rather than move the brake lines, I'll just weld the blinker mounts.)

While I'm welding stuff on the bike, I'd like some opinions on something. Do you think I should make some grab bars for a passenger, or have them hold onto me? As I mentioned earlier, this is my first bike, so I would appreciate experienced insight.

Note: I won't be taking any passengers until I'm fully comfortable on it alone. But while I have it in the shop, if it's the way to go, I'll take the extra twenty minutes and throw a couple little handles on there. Thanks again everyone.

Sounds similar to the wiring on my 1983 KZ1100 with Vetter fairing:

The 12-pin connecter you found is just an 18" pigtail that splices into the bike's factory wiring. Only 7 of the 12 wires are actually used (thus explaining the dead-end wires)--3 for the headlight and 2 for each turn signal. To remove just cut the wires next to the splices. On mine the 3 headlight wires connect via an adapter into the factory headlight plug--so for the headlight just unplug the pigtail adaptor and connect your new headlight directly into the plug. For the 4 turn signal wires you will either need a wiring chart to identify the proper colors for each light, or figure it out with trial & error.

I didn't describe it very well but it's really pretty simple. I actually remove my fairing in the spring and then re-install it in the fall. (Although I don't necessarily care for the way it looks, it is very nice when the temperature is below freezing.) I can remove/install the fairing and remove/install the headlight & signals in less than 1 hour.

Also, it is possible to remove the headlight housing from the fairing and re-mount as a standard headlight as you suggested. However, you will end up with a cheap looking plastic headlight housing. For about $20-$30 you should be able to pick up a new housing which will look MUCH better and save yourself some time as well.

This fairing also says Vetter on it, I just assumed that was the company name.

That explains a lot. I found a wiring diagram on this site in the files section, so I'll print that off when wiring blinkers.

I think for the time being I'm just going to steal the headlight from the fairing, as it's already junk anyway, and then at some point in the future, when I have a little extra money, I can get something that looks better.

Thanks for the help, looks like I've got plans for Sunday if the weather is bad, but if it's nice, I'll be riding with my sexy busted fairing.

Justyn wrote:

This fairing also says Vetter on it, I just assumed that was the company name.

You're correct. "Vetter" is the company name and "Windjammer IV" is the model.