PAINT MATCH FOR A 77 KZ650

I have a 77 KZ650 that I am restoring. I have been fortunate enough to obtain a new in the box fuel tank and it is my bike's original color, emerald green. I have the Kawasaki color code of 04. It is the last two digits on all of the painted bodywork. I am having some challenges finding a paint match to get the side covers and tail section repainted. Color-Rite on the east coast did not seem to have a clue. Anyone out there know where I can obtain the proper color matching paint?

You won't find the color code anywhere, many of us have tried to find them and I believe Kawasaki has never released them for the KZ line.

With a brand new tank I would take it to the best painter in town and see if he can match it, then tell the rest of us what the paint is and how he's going to do it. We have a few 650 owners with the green model on here who probably would like to know.

Thanks for the feedback. It odd though that these paint matches could be lost after only 30 years. My local Kawi dealer informed me the last two digits of the part number is the code for the paint color. For instance, my green KZ has a gas tank part number of 51001-5032-4U. The -4U is supposed to I.D. the color. The red that year is a -2U(I think?). This may not be a color match paint number but you would think Kawasaki or others would be able to cross reference this and provide the paint formulation. I have a new in the box NOS gas tank going on soon. I will try to use this as an opportunity for a local paint shop to match up. If I can get some postive results, I will then be more than happy to share info.

I had Sherwyn Williams automotive match up paint for my Z1R from a sidecover.

A week later I was lucky enough to match the repainted tank up to a mint original Z1R. Real close.

Take it to a pro and your 650 will be just fine.

Thanks Kickstand. I will likely do just that. I have some good automotive paint shops nearby. I will check it out.

BTW, does anyone know what you can do about getting some of those little clips that the model badges are attached with on the side covers? The interim owner of my bike knocked all the clips off then repainted then glued the badges back in place. I would love to slap him one for that. Maybe the same quality automotive place could remove and reattach? What say ye collective?

Forrest wrote:

Thanks Kickstand. I will likely do just that. I have some good automotive paint shops nearby. I will check it out.

BTW, does anyone know what you can do about getting some of those little clips that the model badges are attached with on the side covers? The interim owner of my bike knocked all the clips off then repainted then glued the badges back in place. I would love to slap him one for that. Maybe the same quality automotive place could remove and reattach? What say ye collective?

Good luck. I just repainted the GS1000 as well and had the exact same problem. I kluged up my sidecover badges with some speed nuts from Ace hardware. Some not so gentle persuasion was needed.

I'm going to try McMaster Carr next.

With what I know about ol ma kawa [just about F.ALL]:woohoo: your bike will have a different part number to my 500 but my parts book says those clips are
SPEED NUT 92018-005
My p.o. slapped a lump of gunge around the pin to hold the badges on.
Just a caveman I guess. Lots of em around.
Regards. Brit.:silly:

More good info Kickstand. Say, how would you be interested in trading for the XLCR or Z1-R? You have some mighty nice machines on your list there.

And, great part info Brit! Cheers!

Forrest wrote:

More good info Kickstand. Say, how would you be interested in trading for the XLCR or Z1-R? You have some mighty nice machines on your list there.

And, great part info Brit! Cheers!

Thanks!. The more I bring home, the angrier my wife becomes! The fun is driving me broke!

Actually the Suzuki was an $800 project bike that I'm slowly cleaning up. It'll be respectable for a 30 year old mount but never cherry. And that's OK.


Funny thing is, a KZ650 in orange got me going on the UJM thing in the first place. I was stupid enough not to bid on a mint one that went for a very fair price. Still bitten, I bought and painted the Suzy in an Omaha orange color in tribute.

Always loved those KZ650's.

The part # sparky suggested is the right part and still available through Kawasaki 92018-005. 3mm is the size. Trying to remove these from the emblems usually ruins the pins on the emblems. Best to cut these off and replace with new every time the emblems are removed. About the paint as others have said it's a pain. I mentioned before that I had some good friends that worked at decent dealers and they ordered me the exact Kawasaki paint through Kawasaki for a 1979 KZ1000MKII after a few paint shops had no luck matching the paint. Even the Kawasaki paint was not that great of match. This was for a sport fairing I wanted for long trips, otherwise I don't paint so have no clue other than maybe the basecoat has an effect on the final color? The paint match looked good from 50ft anyway and lasted through my long trips good enough.

Forrest wrote:

... BTW, does anyone know what you can do about getting some of those little clips that the model badges are attached with on the side covers? ...

Kawasaki lists those as 3mm lock nuts & they may be available at the dealer, since the diagrams at Kawasaki.com show them as being Active. Hardware stores have the same type of push clips that're slightly larger (1/8").

Alternatively, others have used 1/8" thread cutting hex nuts, but these might mangle the studs. Or...

The following was posted by BARNEYHYPHEN:
For what it's worth, I just re-attached my repainted side cover badges by using a small 6x32 die and cutting a thread on each pin them used s/s nylon lockwashe nuts with a dab of loctite threadlocker on each. Cut the threads 1/4 turn then back-off, 1/ turn etc. Worked well.

Have you looked at this website for badges?
www.reproductiondecals.com/default_frame...ml?content.html~main