Nice bike you have there..........I used gsxr1100 swingarm, forks, brakes, etc for my build............swingarm needed a couple spacers on each side and a sleeve for swingarm pivot........weld on shock mounts.......head bearing swap for new forks but can easily be returned to stock if need be in the future.

there is always the custom swingarm option. :evil:

here is the custom chromo underbaced arm i built to stick a 6 inch rim with a 200mm wide rear tire under my stock not modified 1980z1r.






it is also getting an 05 gsxr frontend mated to the matching r1 wheel hung on it also .
this bike will be returned to stock one day.

leon

an aluminum gs1100 swingarm( like 83 model) can hold a 160 but uses a shock with a clevis instead of the eye like a kz.

leon

This is the CSR1000 Im busy with at the minute.

From what I understand the CSR is pretty close to the LTD. Anyway,Its got a ZX9R front end complete(a stem press was all it took).Back end is a GSXR600 swinger(straight in with a couple of washers,Shock mounts welded on, Chain tensioner adapters made to fit the smaller diameter axle)
and a Bandit 600 back wheel (160 tyre,sprocket carrier turned down to bring the chain in a bit to clear the frame and tyre) Itll also need an offset front sprocket but I havent got that far yet.
It took a lot of head scratching, 3 rear wheels and many hours on the interweb to get to this stage. I wish I had been around earlier to post a list of the parts I would need and the work I would have to do to make it all fit!!
My only doubt is ground clearence.I still havent decided on an exhaust yet and as you can see the engine isnt in the frame yet. So,.I cant say.Time will tell.
Good luck with yours

Hello!

Dan from Sweden here.

During winter I am riding a modified Honda Dominator with studs, for long journeys a BMW R 1200 GS and recently a Kawasaki.

Been watching this forum for awhile now. Actually since I bought a GPZ 1100 1985 last autum. The bike was a no runner and had been involved in a crash.

During the winter I have been changing bits on the bike and now finally had the bike through the vehicle inspection and been able to ride the bike around.

Though its an old bike I find it still potent and fun to ride.

This has been done on the bike through the winter:
- new fuel pump (for SAAB 900).
- adjustable fuel regulator.
- new tires
- new brake pads
- new turn signals (led) and tailight (led).
- motogadget tiny m-flash turnsignal.
- new wheel bearings.
- new bearings in the swingarm and uni-trak links.
- stiffer rod push tensioner.
- new gas and clutch wires
- brazing the clutchside cap.
- 530 sprocket and chain conversion.
- K&N filters.
- new fork seals.
- Speed bleeders.
- garage painting in matte black.
-
And lots more.

I am looking forward to get a little better riding position with some lower foot pegs and a small rise of the clip ons. Anyone got some tips here?

I am still wrestling with som stratifierande idle going up and down and some sneezing/backfirning occasionally through the filters, but for now I just want to ride the bike.

I would like to make it even a better bike. What do you think would be the next thing to look into?

Best regards/Dan

lots of options out there.
zx6/636 zx10/14 front ends and wheels have been used.
usually lose some ride height because the newer stuff is shorter and the wheel dia. drop.

older gsxr swingers are popular as well as busa arms and several 03/04zx6/636 arms have been used.gonna be some machine work involved.

hth,

leon

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

I did post it up on KZ1000R.com, they gave me bike of the month in 2012. The link is attached. I did remove items and I was really careful on what I put on it. The ZRX swingarm is a lot lighter than the stock one. The Kerker is way lighter than the stock exhaust. I did remove about 1 pound off the back of the frame when I cut and moved the tail light assembly further back to be flush with the rear fender instead of sticking out. I ditched the stock foot peg brackets and foot pegs and went with aftermarket rearsets and brackets that came off a crashed Yamaha FZR1000 that saved about 10 pounds. I ditched the stock instruments and went with a Koso RX1 gauge. I used a ballistac battery which saved me 6 pounds, all this adds up. I wanted the engine to sit as low as possible so I could remove the top end without removing the entire engine from the frame. The 1100 engine is quite a bit taller and wider than the 750. I have about 1/8" gap between the engine and frame on both sides.
www.kz1000r.com/index.php/botm-2012-141?id=166

Jrider wrote: Baldy, just what all was involved in that swap? Sounds interesting.

A lot of work. I wanted the engine to sit as low as possible so I could do regular maintenance so I cut the bottom tubes of the frame and got the engine in really low. I welded the frame tubes back together with tubing slugs inside the tubes for strength. I can remove the top end without any problems. I had to make motor mount tabs and re-design the Kerker pipe to get it to work with the ZRX swingarm. There are a bunch of other small things I had to take care of. I installed a 1175 Wiseco piston kit in it along with WEB cams, ported head and the Mikuni RS36 carbs. I wanted it lighter than the GPZ750 so I really put it on a diet. It weighs in now with full fuel at 420 pounds.
It is a beast, it will rip you arms off when you get on it hard. If I am going to die on a bike this is probably the one that will kill me. It is so fast and smooth that before you know it your at 120 mph and only at 1/4 throttle. It requires a lot of discipline to operate. It handles better than the GPZ750 probably due to the shocks, stiffer swingarm and the lighter weight. Very addicting bike to ride. I give modern sport bikes fits.

vic,
i am pretty sure i used 1/4 x 2" .
i'm not currently close to it.
but,
i will verify that and let you know for sure.
it worked out real nice.

i machined some bungs to mount the rearsets,and got them welded on.

here is both sides cleaned up,





with bungs welded on,






leon