TOPIC:

Hi all, I am back with another project on the go. I know, the KZP hasn't been finished but I it will be 100% done in another few weeks and as always I have two going at once lol. I bought this big bag of shit a few years ago as I wanted the bathtub head from it. After having the bike sitting in the shed for a while it's big fairing and general ugliness began to grow on me and I thought I had better put it back on the road! It is a 1983 A1 GPZ1100 (ZX1100 to the US of A). It has been used and abused and has gone around the clock. I always have a pretty clear idea of what I want the finished bike to look like and this will be pretty straight forward. Because it is such a big long bike I would like to give it some modern (ish) running gear but keep the basic look of the bike the same. I am going to try and use parts I have in the shed as much as possible as I am spending all my spared cash on Z1R parts for the next project. Here's a few photos of the GPZ in all it's glory.

and a few more.................

Started pulling it to bits and working through what needs to be blasted and recoated and what needs to be chucked.

I helped a mate of mine put a wide rear rim into his CB1300 a while back and for the help he gave me the rear rim and swing arm. I love the look of the spoked CB rims so decided to use them for this bike. Tracked down a front at the local bike wreckers which was a stroke of luck as there aren't to many of this model CB1300 around.

The major changes to the bike are going to be the modern rims, swingarm, forks, rear shock, and brakes. Because I love the look of the GPZ swingarm with the eccentric (I think that's how you say it) adjuster but I want bigger for the new big rear rim. So to kind of stay with the look I have a 1991 ZZR1100 (think they are ZX in US). I also have a 89 ZXR750 set of triple clamps in my piles of bits and I bought a cheap set of ZZR1100 forks as well. They are 43mm so will fit the ZXR750 triples. Hey presto................rolling chasis!

Front end first, mostly as it looks like it's going to be the easiest. I got the front rim up to the forks and started to do some working and out and I was stoked to find out the CB1300 front rim uses a 20mm axle the same as the ZZR1100 forks. After putting it all together all I needed to do was make two 18mm spacers and hey presto, rim is bolted up! I read on the net that Honda Nissin calipers and some GSXR750 calipers fit the ZZR1100 forks. I had a set of GSXR ones on the shelf and they fit spot on. Bolted them up and you would not believe it but the spacing for the disc rotors was perfect. I don't think that has ever happened before when I have put together mismatched parts!!

Still undecided on the front muddie (fender) but I chopped the back off the original to see if it might work. Radius is a bit poo as the original wheel is a 19" but it might work. Will have to ponder on it for a while and in the mean time keep an eye out for something else that might work.

Next job, fitting up the triple clamps. Best bit with old Kawasaki parts is that Kawasaki didn't change a lot through the different models during the later 70's and 80's. Triple clamps from the ZXR750 use the same bearings as the GPZ and the stem is the same length so not a lot to do there. Bonus. The other bonus is that the GPZ1100 ignition barrel fits perfectly into the ZXr750 top clamp. Only issue is a bit of clearance around the head of the frame. I cut off the offending bracket and sanded back the ignition barrel to make sure it cleared the mount for the front fairing.

Started on the rear end today so we are pretty much up to date now. Rear end isn't going to be as simple as the front unfortunately as the wheel axle and the swingarm axle are the wrong sizes. Decided to at least get the linkages sorted so that the bike sits semi correctly. I tried using the linkage from the ZZR but it was too wide at the mount for the shock. I turned it down on the lathe but still couldn't get it work so I dug up the original GPZ linkage and used the dogbones from the ZZR (phew, confusing myself now!) It all bolted up okay and I borrowed an 06 GSXR1000 rear shock from a mate of mine to see if it would fit. Funnily enough it does so I am going to leave it all as it is and start work on fitting the rim and swingarm correctly. Thinking I will need a shorted shock or start playing with the dog bone lengths. Worry about it later.

I wee while back I got the opportunity to dig around in a guys backyard that I had been told was full of dead GPZ's. Sounded too good to be true so normally in these cases it isn't true! For a change it was and what do you know for helping to clear up the pile of dead bikes I got to take a couple of dead GPZ750's home. So throughout this build you will hear reference to robbing parts off the 750 so at least now you'll now what I am on about. Most bodywork etc don't swap over between the 1100 and the 750 but there are a ton of bits that are the same.

Got the old faithful blasting cabinet fired up again today and started working on the alloy parts with fine glass beads. Started on the footpegs and realised that they are all mismatched. Remember that GPZ750? Yep, it has no footpegs now.

very nice love the mono shock 1100's!
can't wait to see how this turns out.

i'll just leave these here for "inspiration"