Hello all. So I'm trying to mock fit everything up. I removed the rear wheel, bearings and spacer for inspection. I reinstalled the spacer inside the wheel, and pounded in the old bearings in after cleaning them up. I plan on getting new ones but wanted to learn how to do things myself. After inspecting the exploded view of the rear wheel assembly, I put everything together and now the side spacer seems like it will never go in. I have to pry the swing arm open to even attempt to install it. It's roughly 3/4" off which seems like a mile to me. Please look at the images. On the sprocket side, the shaft with the threads looks like it's sticking out the amount I need. The only way that shaft would go IN anymore is if the bearings were seated further down into the wheel. I tried to pound them in more but nothing is budging. Does anything stick out wrong?

As long as the starter motor works, people rarely think about it. Especially if the starter motor is hidden under the fancy cover like that on Kawasaki KZ or SOHC Honda CB. I duno what position tops the list of most rarely serviced parts: electrical starter or swingarm bearings. Same happens with projects: one may build a fancy bike, but under starter cover still may lurk some oxidized hulk of steel and aluminium.

My first thought about the starter motor for our KZ650 cafe-racer project was simple: dismantle it, clean, grease, do paint housing. At first look the starter wasn’t looking THAT bad. However, what seemed to be simple dirt turned out to be oxidation and rust.





I started dismantling the starter motor for cleaning.

Started some fundraising for this project today. Bought my first German bike - a 2000 BMW F650GS. This will be my commuter bike and the Hornet is up for sale. Got the BMW cheap from the neighbour so I should make a few grand on the deal.

Will be getting forks, triple clamp, clip-ons, swingarm to start off with so I can get the riding position sorted. Will probably get the wheels done too (maybe not the tires - no point in having them sit around for ages).

Getting a bit impatient, but have enough to do until I pick up the bike in a few weeks.

I'm surprised it didn't fit. About 10 years ago I mounted a GS swingarm on an 80 Kz1000 LTD. I don't remember all the details, but I know I didn't need to do anything special with the axle or bearings. I do recall making spacers for the pivot so it fit tight in the frame.

Thanks for the input guys. I had the calipers on loan from the reloading bench, out in the garage & found that the KZ axle was .775 inches & the GS axle was .778 inches or some such thing. I buddy is going to put the GS axle in the lathe & take the needed .003" off of it.

Regarding the GSXR axle, Ebay didn't have one at the time I looked & so I went to the GS axle as it was OEM to the swing arm.

Be safe!

OK, I've been doing some research and taken the advice given here. The current plan is as follows:
Engine:
- Wiseco 1075cc piston kit (w/ welded crank)
- bigger valves and ported head (letting the engine builder do his thing here - 38mm intake valves)
- WEB CAM Stage 2 cams ("hot street")
- RS34's
- K & N pod filters

Chassis:
- Shorten the back end. Keeping the original tail but moving it forward so I end up with a single seater. Chopping off the pillion footrest brackets.
- Frame bracing
- ZRX1100 forks and brakes with a new front wheel hub to fit (getting a triple clamp made for the conversion)
- 110 front wheel, 160 rear wheel (spokes)
- GSX R750 swingarm
- Öhlins S36PR1C1L rear shocks
- minimized front end (smaller speedo and tacho, headlight, clip-ons).

Before anyone goes too mental about me chopping up the frame - I got a second frame for cheap as the pillion footrest brackets are rusted and someone's been cutting things off the back end. Will use this frame and keep the original one in storage.

A couple of things I'm not sure on:
- I'd like to do away with the battery and just use the kick-starter. I've read that this works with the Tarozzi rear-sets but I'm not sure how practical it will be. Are these things a pig to kickstart?
- Earls oil coolers are crazy expensive here. Does anyone based in Europe have any recommendations? The engine guys stock Setrab coolers and one of them will cost about half as much as an Earls cooler.
- Does anyone have any gearing recommendations or should I stick to the stock 15/33?

When I tally up everything that I'm replacing, I'll be left with a frame, triple clamp, forks, swingarm, front wheel, rear rim and spokes (no hub), front and rear brakes incl. master cylinders, switch blocks, levers, side covers, carbs, footrests and a few other things. Basically, I'll almost have a second bike minus the motor. I'm considering just getting a new hub for the rear wheel and keeping the old one as a spare (and keeping my eye out for a motor). I could use the 'spares' bike to help finance the project. Any recommendations for another model that I could pull a spoked rear wheel and swingarm off? I thought about a Zephyr but the 1100 swingarm is supposedly heavy and I don't like the idea of the excentre for setting chain tension.

Replacing the bearings is the easiest way to fix it but I thought the Kawasaki's used the same axle size {20mm}? I don't have my Suzuki swingarm here at the moment but I had a Z1000P rear wheel and i'm sure it fit straight on.... Anyway, just get new bearings, its a cheap fix and you get the piece of mind knowing the bearings are new...

Edit here's a list of swingarm axle sizes, go to the 20mm section and it lists both GS1100 and the Kawasaki 1100 as 20mm..

www.dotheton.com/index.php?threads/axle-...ter-size-list.20952/

Back in 1981, I was preparing a Kz750E for a few WERA endurance races. Pulled the swing arm, and the needle bearings were almost void of grease!!!!! Same with the pivot bolt. I packed those swing arm bearings and greased the hell out of the swing bolt as I put it back together. The steering stem bearings were just as bad, plus the fork oil level had over a half inch difference between the two fork legs!!!!! Won't even get into how bad the valve job was. This was a brand new bike that I put 500 miles on before it was torn down for race prep. This bike had to be one that was assembled on a Monday morning after a holiday weekend!!!!!!!

slayer61 wrote: The steering stem bearings were completely devoid of any grease. Nothing surprises me any more...

When I pulled the swingarm pivot shaft out of my Z1R there was not a single trace of any grease. Like it was cleaned and assembled and never lubricated. Is it possible for the original kawasaki grease to completely evaporate after 40 years?

1st off sry all for the vague post and lack of communication skills let me start over I have a 84 gpz550 I would like to put a vfr750 SSSA on i am planning to use a 92 or 93 model i am trying to get a complete assembly with wheel and brakes from what I found on the site that is the easier route I have searched and only see it's been done on the bigger cc kz bikes will this be similar to my bike only thing I found is the pivot width of vfr arm is close to mine ty texaskz for the heads up on some of the things to consider has anyone done this on a 550 can anyone tell me the pivot bolt diameter or the offset of the wheel or if it is fairly centered to the swingarm I would like to do the swap not just for the look but also to upgrade the suspension and brakes I am open to taking other routes any suggestions welcome I just want it done correctly and the outcome to look good while getting the upgrade ty all for any help I hope this is a better post