750 LTD tailpiece conversion

I had a little trouble finding comprehensive instructions for fitting a different tailpiece onto my 1981 KZ750 LTD, so I decided I'd just jump right in and go for it and document my work. Now I'm not claiming I did this the best way, but it was the best way I could think of and I think it turned out pretty good. I hope all the other LTD guys out there will find this useful.

Step 1: remove the rear fender and inner fender.


Step 2: Get out your angle grinder:evil: and cut out the cross bracing, turn-signal mounts, and front seat braces(toward the front on top of the tubing).


Step 3: Create a template out of a piece of cardboard that fits in the tailpiece right behind the bolt holes toward the rear.

Step 4: Use the template to cut a piece of steel to fit under the tailpiece and mark and drill the steel for bolt holes to hold the tailpiece as well as your new tail light and license plate

Step 5: Determine the desired position of the tailpiece. I wanted a medium length tail, so I have a little bit of room behind the front portion of the stock seat and the seat cutout on the tailpiece....so I'll be fabbing up a custom seat in the near future:S

Step 6: Once you have your tailpiece positioned the way you want it, mark and cut the frame where the tailpiece's bolt holes line up on the tubing and then weld in a piece of steel cut from the template in step three. I lined up the bottom of the steel bracket with the bottom of the tubing.


Step 7: At this point, you're probably thinking "okay, that looks cool. But why my bike wants to split in half roun' dem corners?" Take that tubing that you just cut off the end and weld in back in there. I put it right up next to the plate.



Step 8: Almost there. Time to start fitting the tailpiece back on. It will take some cutting for the tailpiece to fit flush on the frame. I had to cut off one end to fit behind the seat hinge and cut out spots for the shocks.

Step 9: slap in the new tail light...trust me...put some rubber grommets in when bolting that thing up. If you let the metal from the light touch that frame, you'll be blowing fuses left and right.

Step 10: Bolt up the tailpiece.

Step 11: Drink the rest of your 12 pack and admire your work.


Step 12: Enjoy...had to make it a 12-step program

Posting pictures will get you lots of new friends. (two years of staring at my 750 and I still don't know what to do with it).

Post edited by: lowbuck, at: 2006/08/25 18:41