Definitely on commission.
Doing it yourself! You got to love this guy. To many parts, Clymer a little light on details, then try Bike Bandit (
www.bikebandit.com). Punch in the year, make and model and you have all the exploded views (they look as if they came from the original pre-computer microfiches) the part descriptions and the US prices. You can even print them and make your own manual for your shop/garage/yard/driveway. Plus, I learn all the right terms… cool. Well, that’s what I did.
I hear you… I have a centre stand and it was still near impossible for me alone… so I made the poor man’s motorcycle jack stand by cutting up a spare 6” x 6” wooden post from the back yard, some left over refrigerator rollers I bought who knows when, some spare angle iron and some big bolts. I used my regular hydraulic floor jack to get it up onto the wooden jack stand and then removed it. Now, it can even be rolled about. Its higher and so much easier on my back.
My Clymer 1977 KZ650 manual was very specific about the space between top of the front fork inner tube to the top of the steering stem head. I'm surprised you were not able to find any.
Lots of harnesses going in all directions? Don’t be intimidated. Try coloured tie-wraps for each major cable. Blue for left handle bar cable, yellow for right, black for clutch interlock cable, orange for tail cable, etc. If you run out of colors double up… one blue cable, 2 blues cable, 3 blues cable. You get the idea. Then when they are all mapped-out you look at a cable and you say ‘Oh that one, sure, I know where it goes to/come from’! It made all the difference for me. I left them on for next time… there’s always a next time.
Starter switch problems? I had some too. Technically, you can mount a momentary SPST (Single Pole, Single Throw) switch anywhere you want. Even foot operated like in my dad’s old 1946 green GMC ½ ton pick-up. The current is low because it only has to activate the coil side of the starter relay… same as in your car. Practically, I chose to fix my existing switch problem because on my KZ650-B1 you must hold in the clutch, operate the throttle and press the start switch at the same time. So by my count that’s three hands work for a two handed man. But maybe being a FF4L you’re a lot quicker than I am. Check Bike Bandit to build a budgetary parts cost and availability and it may guide your decision. Its amazing what is still available through my Kawasaki dealers either from OEM or from jobbers. And it will work right. No, I’m not on commission.
My 30% chance of rain has just caught up with me. It has started so I have to get my parts out of the yard and back into my shop. Best of success.