1979 KZ650 Bobber Help!

Hey,

I recently bought a 79' KZ650 that I'm going to turn into a bobber. I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or ideas that I should think about. I know anytime you start a project a new bike there are things that you'll run into you didn't expect. Or things that you don't think about that could save you a lot of time.

If anyone has any experience or ideas that could help me with this project please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Main thing I'd say is that Form follows Function, not the other way around. A lot of modder guys get this part backwards.

Second thing is to be sure to keep some proper mufflers on the bike. There is nothing worse for the wellbeing of bikers on the whole than noisy bikes.

Third thing is to keep the bike safe. This feeds off the first thing and maybe is the first thing. At any rate, an ill handling ride can make you dead so remember to focus on making sure the bike will be road worthy.

Thanks, I'm trying to figure out the best way to lower this bike. Do you have any suggestions?

What KZ650 model is it? Does the motorcycle run & have you ridden it much? I would get it running perfectly & do the periodic maintenance, ride it for a while, then decide if you want to start hacking it up. A 650 isn't worth that much, but once you make
permanent changes to the frame, some of the potential value may be forever lost.
If it's a 650C, I would for sure keep it stock, as the C model is probably the best 650.

+1,000 ! Ed

Is that your bike or just a C-model example? very nice.

That's my bike. Ed

650ed wrote: That's my bike. Ed

What is the eye hole to eye hole dim of a stock 650?
In my younger years, I've run as low as a 12" eye to eye shocks on a few bikes and just pulled the fork tubes up in the triple tree clamps to just under the bars.
They were not evil handling, just not a twisty king.

Come on Ed, don't you think your bike could look better with like 2ft cut off the back and a bicycle seat? Lowering is pretty easy as well, just slip the forks up around 8" in the triple clamps then eliminate the useless rear shocks with 6" shorter than stock metal of some kind. 3/4" or so square thinwall tube could work and be drilled in any length to match lowering front to rear to the amount desired. :lol:

If you truly want to make this thing into a bobber, my advice is to build a custom frame that'll fit you, the engine, and all its parts including the airbox.

The problem is, bobbers are made out of cruisers and what we're all riding here are basically the apex of the UJMs. UJM means Universal Japanese Motorcycle. It's kind of the ancestor to the modern sport bike. Back in the day they couldn't be beat, and there are still drag teams who race with (modified) KZs and blow away everything else on the track.

The problem comes with the fact that UJMs sit too high, and they're designed in a way that everything about the way they're built interferes with the very idea of making a bobber. It's sort of like trying to turn a Jeep Cherokee into a two door convertible sportscar. The body styles are just too different. It can be done, but it's going to take a LOT of cutting and welding, and I don't recommend doing that because if you mess up, good luck finding a new frame.

RonKZ650 wrote: Come on Ed, don't you think your bike could look better with like 2ft cut off the back and a bicycle seat? Lowering is pretty easy as well, just slip the forks up around 8" in the triple clamps then eliminate the useless rear shocks with 6" shorter than stock metal of some kind. 3/4" or so square thinwall tube could work and be drilled in any length to match lowering front to rear to the amount desired. :lol:

If I wanted to lower mine I might just take the wheels off. That should drop it down by at least 9 inches. :laugh: ed

650ed wrote:

RonKZ650 wrote: Come on Ed, don't you think your bike could look better with like 2ft cut off the back and a bicycle seat? Lowering is pretty easy as well, just slip the forks up around 8" in the triple clamps then eliminate the useless rear shocks with 6" shorter than stock metal of some kind. 3/4" or so square thinwall tube could work and be drilled in any length to match lowering front to rear to the amount desired. :lol:

If I wanted to lower mine I might just take the wheels off. That should drop it down by at least 9 inches. :laugh: ed

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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