Big KZ to little KZ compatability?

I have an 83 KZ500 LTD. I don't particularly *love* the appearance of the bike. It's a bit to tall, and bulky for my liking. I like the bike, but if I'm going to be on it a lot, I want to at least have feelings for it, not just settle on appearance.

I started digging through threads, looking at pictures, and seeing a lot of KZ900, 1000's, Z1's, and love the look of the lower profile seat and the rear fender.

I've been looking through pictures trying to see how the rear fender is mounted, and I saved a handful of pictures, but my current issue is, the bike is at my parents, and I'm up in an apartment 35 miles away. I can mess with it once or twice a week, but even at that point, I don't have any of the big KZ parts to try to fit.

Has anyone tried to make their big KZ look more like a little KZ? I don't mind a little bit of cutting and welding to get the mounts, seat hinges, etc in place, but I really don't want to do too much structurally to the bike. I also don't want to spend a good bit of money to be in way over my head.

I appreciate any feedback, I'm rather new to the motorcycle scene, and it's hard to fit in anywhere as a n00b with n00bish questions.

the big kz are taller than yours , they might look lower in the pics but most are modified.

have you considered lowering yours?

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I figured that the big KZ's would be taller, but they at least appear to have a lower profile. The LTD bars and seat make this thing look short and tall, even if it has a lower seat height.

I've considered lowering it, but I want to get some more seat time on it before I do anything that can alter the handling.

I've been wanting to put something like superbike bars, or drag bars on it, I figured I would have to at the very least re-route the cables and whatnot. Any good write ups on shortening cables, or will it be a deal where you measure and purchase the correct cables? The unfortunate thing is that the brake hose is relatively new. I got it about 5 years ago, but it had some new parts just before I got it. Haven't checked out the rear brake shoes yet, but that's going to go on the checklist.

The ducktail is exactly what I like about the standard models. It makes the bike look longer, and makes it look like it has a lower profile. Also makes it really nice for the fender elimination.

I appreciate the input greatly.

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martin_csr wrote: ...As for the mc, yours has an angled mount, so it will sit at an angle on flatter bars. You can use it that way, but a different mc might be better....

Yes.
Angle mounted M/C invites leakage.

Good Fortune!

A new MC is a good idea in my case anyways considering the screws that mount the reservoir cover are completely rounded out. Doing a brake hose is no big deal, I can do a braided stainless line relatively easy.

After going through pictures all over the net, it looks like a KZ650 ducktail may not require much work to get on the bike. It looks like I would just have to make up and weld on the mounts, which really isn't a big deal. Some of the pictures had an identical seat to mine, which if that is the case, it may make things easier in the way that I can do everything in baby steps. I never do things that way, but at least it gives me the option.

Right now I'm having a co-worker rebuild the carbs for me. Once I get those back, and get a new petcock for it, I may start up a project thread. May help other people out.

The info has been great, very helpful. Thanks guys.