A quick intro before I ask the question(s).

My name's mark and I'm from the UK - I recently bought an almost finished KZ750E project from a friend that was planning on building a cafe racer, he had already fitted a GPZ900 swingarm and was using CBR600 wheels. I took the project on and wanted to go another route and this brings me to the question, I have adapted the yokes (trees) to take ZX7R forks and wheels but I need to know if the rear of the ZX7R will fit? I have read on here that it is possible to get the rear in to a KZ1000 frame but I'm unsure if the frames are different between the 750 and the 1000?

Any help will be greatly appreciated as I'm purchasing a complete rear end later today or tomorrow and I don't want to buy if it will cost extra $ as I am already on a budget with this build.

Thanks again

I built a bike out of some old Kaw parts and want to get the speedometer to work. These are the build parts I used for the bike.

***PARTS LIST***
1978 KZ1000 frame
1976 Z1 motor
1976 bodywork and controls
1980 1000C triple trees
1982 1000P forks, front and rear wheel
1982 GS1100 swingarm

I know I will need the longer C or P speedometer cable, but since the drive is from a 1982 1000P and the dash is from a 1976 KZ900 I'm not sure what cable I need. Will a J model speedo cable hook up to a KZ speedometer?

Welcome aboard!

Here are some tips that you may find helpful:

Many newbies and not so newbies run into or issues with their bikes which could be easily avoided with a little preparation or information. Here are a couple recommendations that I hope you will find useful.

Before riding your KZ you should take a little time to become familiar with it. Simple things like checking the oil, tire pressures, etc. are explained in the Kawasaki Owner's Manual. If you bike didn't come with one (they normally are in a little holder on the bottom of the seat) you can usually find one on eBay - be sure to get one for your exact year/model.


MANUAL

You really should consider buying the Kawasaki Factory Service Manual for your bike. The factory service manual provides instructions on the various maintenance procedures and schedules for your bike, procedures for diagnosing problems, proper torque values for the various fasteners (VERY IMPORTANT), and insight into how each system on your bike works even if you are not repairing that system. Studying the manual before you attempt performing service on your bike will impart an understanding of the system you are working on which will increase the odds of success.

The manuals usually are readily available for most models on eBay and other sources; but be sure to get one that has your specific year and model in it as there are differences between the various KZ650 models. I do not recommend Clymers, Haynes, or other aftermarket manuals as I have seen instances where they provide inaccurate advice. You may decide to use those to supplement the factory manual, but in my opinion they are not a suitable substitute. If you have trouble finding one for your model ask us to help.


TOOLS

WARNING! Do not even try to use Phillips screwdrivers on the Kawasaki cross head screws. Despite their appearance they are not Phillips screws. They are Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) screws. The tips of Phillips screwdrivers are too long & pointed to allow the 4 blades of the screwdriver to properly engage the screws, so when you apply force the screw head slots will deform and look like crap. The fact is that Phillips screws were deliberately designed to have the screwdriver bit "cam out." This was done to prevent production line assembly from over-tightening, stripping, or breaking the screws. JIS screws do not have this problem. A proper fitting JIS bit can tighten a JIS screw to and beyond the torque spec without camming out. Here's the good news - you can easily modify standard Phillips screwdriver tips to fit the JIS screws.

I have ground down the tips of DeWalt #2 and DeWalt #3 Phillips to make them fit JIS screws. The large crosshead screws on the cases take modified #3 bits (or genuine #3 JIS bits). To modify the DeWalt bits you need to grind the very tip a little, then test fit, then grind a little more and test fit, etc. until the bit no longer "rocks" back and forth in the screwhead. Picture 1 below shows how a DeWalt #3 bit fits the case screws of my KZ650 after being ground properly. The #2 DeWalt bits can be modified the same way to fit smaller JIS screws. Pictures 2 and 3 below shows DeWalt #2 and #3 modified bits.

I did find a place that sells authentic JIS bits. They don't list the #3 bit, but if you contact them they can provide the #3 JIS bits even though they are not listed on the website. These folks were very easy to work with, and the authentic bits do work great. Here's their site:

www.rjrcooltools.com/shop_item_detail.cfm?subcat_ID=89

Pictures 4 & 5 below show a comparison between my home made modified bits with the authentic JIS bits.

PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2

PICTURE 3

PICTURE 4

PICTURE 5

Before reaching for that wrench or ratchet consider the following. The bolts are steel, but your engine and front forks are aluminum. The bolts are much tougher than the aluminum and if over tightened will strip the aluminum threads. Although these can be repaired, preventing damage by applying proper torque will save you grief, time, and money. Tightening fasteners properly requires torque wrenches. Various vendors, including Snap-on, CDI, Sears, etc., market torque wrenches. The two most popular types are the bar type and micrometer type. Either will work, but the micrometer type is a bit easier to use, especially if you are tightening several fasteners with the same torque - such as cylinder head covers. You will need a torque wrench calibrated in INCH POUNDS for many of the bolts. You will also need a torque wrench calibrated in FOOT POUNDS for the larger bolts. Don't try to use the foot pounds wrench on the smaller bolts as it will not be sensitive enough at low torque settings to provide accurate torque. There are many fasteners that require low torque. These include such things as 6mm oil pan bolts, cylinder head cover bolts, etc. for which the torque in 61-78 inch pounds. These low torque bolts require a wrench that is accurate at low settings and this wrench should be graduated in inch pounds. In addition, there are numerous high torque fasteners such as the front axle nuts (51 - 65 foot pounds) or swing arm pivot shaft nuts (58 - 87 foot pounds). These require a wrench that is accurate at higher settings; this wrench should be graduated in foot pounds. Using the proper torque wrenches to correctly tighten fasteners will help prevent damage and contribute to a safe bike. The Kawasaki Service Manual will list the various torque specs for the bolts. I suggest you get the manual before buying the torque wrenches so you can decide which wrenches best meet the torque specs.

Consider buying a can of Kroil penetrating oil and use it to soak stubborn fasteners for a couple days before trying to loosen them. Remember, the original screws and bolts were installed on your bike when Jimmy Carter was President, so many of them may be hard to remove. Kroil can be bought online, at guns shows, and at some other venues.


MOTOR OIL
The ingredients in oils have changed over the years. For example, today's Castrol GTX oil (and pretty much all other AUTOMOBILE oil) is not the same as it was in the 1980's. Back then it worked great in KZ bikes. But, things have changed. Early AUTOMOBILE oils contained zinc phosphorus compounds (ZDDP) to protect engine components from metal to metal contact. This was good for engines, but it was found to be destructive to catalytic converters. Consequently, in AUTOMOBILE oils ZDDP was virtually eliminated and replaced with different chemistry generically referred to as "Friction Modifiers." These work fine and offer good protection for normal AUTOMOBILE engines. However, today's AUTOMOBILE oil "Friction Modifiers" are destructive to wet clutches. KZ bikes (and many other brands) have wet clutches. As a result of these oil chemistry changes a distinction needed to be made between those oils which are suitable for wet clutches and those which are not. That distinction was documented by the Japanese Engine Oil Standards Implementation Panel (JASO). JASO developed a number of different oil specifications for different applications. The specifications that apply to 4 stroke motorcycles fall under the "4T Specifications." Within the 4T specifications the JASO MA class oils are specifically formulated for 4 stroke motorcycles with wet clutches.

There are synthetic, semi-synthetic, and non-synthetic oils that meet the JASO-MA standard and any of them will work ok. However, using oils that are not designated as meeting the JASO-MA standard is destructive to KZ clutches.

Good luck with your bike. Ed

Nice job sir.

Last photo..

It was really a fantastic day. Its the first time the KZ has been out in public, and there were so many compliments, and a few really good constructive suggestions. I am very happy I went.

There were a few guys that really liked the bike, Mike, Tim and Anthony. Plus the steampunk bike builder whose name I cannot recall.

I won an award, so does that make me a bone-ified bike builder now?

Here are a couple photo's..

The blue and yellow Gixxer was another project I helped

with.

:laugh: What took first.

Well that is a loaded question. I would have been dissapointed but the first place guy lept telling me I should have won, and he meant it. The first place bike was some kind of steampunk theme, so the peopl voting especially those who were not into the building thing, such as wives and girlfriends really liked the bike that won.

The builder was a super cool guy that spent a couple hours talking to me and admiring the KZ.

racer54 wrote: Years ago, myself and couple brother-in-laws regularly ran our Z's at the dragstrip. Added a header, slick and lowered the rear with struts and removed a few things like blinkers. Still street bikes and usually ran around the 11.9-12.0 range. On a cool night and a good run we saw a 11.8. Most Z's at track ran around 12.0-12.3 range with header change and rejetting. I've read many. many times of guys who say they ran low 11's after installing a header and maybe a longer swingarm but I've never seen any run anywhere near those numbers with just a few mod's.

I think you are right... dripping wet at 130lbs, in an absolutely perfect, 70-72 degree, low humidity (an oxymoron in Michigan) beautiful late afternoon with my KZ1000A1 and probably the best launch I ever had... 11.67. Never got it there again either. Very high 11's and 12.0's I could do fairly consistently.
I think stock gearing, (possibly the 15/35 combo), I might have had the Dunlop tires on then.... open Denco headers, carbs with some fat main jets set to as good as possible, a trick HD long duration ignition point plate (trick for it's day) clubman bars and a qtr fairing.
But like I said, out here in Denver.... it was hard to keep it in the 12's at all....
Anyhow reading some the BS over the years about the Z1, KZ900 and old KZ1000 doing all these low and mid 11 qtr mile times with average riders.... just seemed like a fantasy to me and wondered how many of the riders here have actually put their ride to the test.

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Used to race my bike when new at Milan !rst evolution of my LTD with Yoshi pipe and 29s was low 12s in street trim
...
Do you remember Zack , from Zacks cycle in Milan ?
Brings back memories of a corrupt past LOL
Dave

Sounds familiar but I moved out full time to Denver in the late Spring early Summer of 1978.
I belonged to the North Bros Ford Dealership Drag Club and would go out at least 2 or 3 times a month during the season.
I remember a well known rider at Milan who use to run a unstreetable, track prepared Yamaha RD350... set up as a semi-hard core drag bike... who always blew the socks off me on my Triumph 750 maybe even my KZ1000!! LOL.
Why did they always put me up against this guy!!??? Ha ha
Back in the early 70's I tried to hang out a lot with a gang from Ypsilanti.
And maybe you know these guys now nationally known as Kalita Motorsports.
Seems like the Kalita's all got into racing and some did not make it.
K and L Speed Shop (Super Cheetah), Dean McCain, Dudley Proctor, the Gonzales Engine shops from I think, Taylor MI... etc.
I was just finishing up my Automotive Engineering degree in Dearborn back then and a lot of these guys would audit our auto and machine shop evening classes so they could use all our outrageous, expensively supplied shops and wheel dyno (thank you Ford Motor Co, Chrysler and GM!)... LOL.
Tried like Hell to get a small Rayjay and a reliable waste gate into the Z1 in 74-75.... lost some aluminum in that project and some blown head gaskets. Never fully got it worked out... no really good kits back then.
Built my backyard H2 drag bike and I think it was around 770cc with a 1 or 2 mm over bore and Denco chambers... but had no extended swing arm nor wheelie bars so it scared the heck out of me too many times.
Miss the MC5 and those motor head Motor City days!