So here is the build tally...

Project Bike was Purchased for $800



This bike was not running, and it looks much better than it really was. There were some serious issues with this bike, but it was complete and that is the most important thing I can say about a 1300. If you buy one that is not running make sure it's complete. Rear turn signals sell for $100 a piece of you want originals, front fork ears sell for $400-$500 a pair... the head light bucket can fetch $200, some parts are just about impossible to find at any price. So just be aware of that. The salvage value of these bikes come from only a hand full of parts, the rest of thing you can't give away. I bought an entire rear swing arm/final drive/drive shaft set for $30 plus shipping... the guy tried to get me to take the rest of the bike... This means you may not be able to part out a 1300 for much money at all if the pricey bits are already missing. The Chrome air box cover on the right side of my bike sole for nearly $300 to a guy in Europe.... just crazy!

This project took quite a while (6 Years) because my life got busy, I bought my first house, got married, went back to Graduate School in Engineering while working a professional job that often includes nights and weekends, my Daughter was born, I Graduated and now have a 2nd child due in July.... so it was a lesson in time management and patience to get this one done. Most of this work was done between the hours of 9pm and 2am in may one-car garage.

Total Project Cost Including Purchase Price = $5600

This is better than I expected, I managed to keep this project on a budget. Nice 1300's are selling between 5 and 6K currently and it is very rare that a project bike is finished for less than they are worth (it is just the cold hard truth of wrenching on old bikes). Of coarse I'm counting my time as free, but I love tinkering in the garage at night... who doesn't right.

I know some of you following this project may be surprised at the costs, but this really was budget restoration. Look through the detailed list below...

Parts and Repair List

Carburation/Induction - $250
Carbs ultrasonically cleaned
Enrichener tubes repaired
(3) Carb Kits (Z1-Enterprizes)
(3) Brass Floats (Forum Member at KZ1300.com)
Jet Kit (6 Sigma, Cheap on E-bay)
Air box Top “Snorkel” Replaced
Carb Boots (Used E-Bay)
Pingle Fuel Tap w/Adaptor (Dennis Kirk)
Fuel Line and Filter
Uni Air Filter (E-Bay)
Fuel Level Gauge (Used, E-bay)

Engine - $2250
All Engine Mount Bolts and Nuts (Used, E-Bay)
Gasket Kit (Generic)
OEM Base Gasket
Custom Comitec Head Gasket
OEM Timing Chain Rollers (Updated Version)
ZX-10 Tensioner
Timing Shaft (Used, E-bay)
Water Pump Drive Gear, Plastic (Used, E-bay)
Water Pump Mechanical Seal
Water Pump Oil Seal
Thermostat (OEM)
Thermostat Cover Gasket (OEM, pattern gasket was crap)
Radiator Hoses (Cut Pieces from Single Automotive Hose from NAPA)
Colling Fan Switch Sensor (OEM)
Repaired Colling Fan Wiring
(6) Forged Pistons from Ross w/Wrist Pins and Clips
(6) Total Seal Piston Ring Sets
(6) Vesrah Intake Valves
(6) Exhaust Valves (possibly Vesrah from the UK)
(12) Valve Seals, Steel Bucket Type from Z1-Enterprizes
A Few Valve Shims (Two from Z1-Enterprizes, One from E-bay)
SS Allen-head Bolt Kit (E-bay)
Custom Blanking Plates for Emissions Reed Valves
A Ridiculous Number of O-rings (All OEM)
Valve Job, Re-Surface, and Mild Porting from Cavanaugh Racing
Cylinders Bored by Quality Machine in Fargo, ND
(4) Rubber Cam Plugs form Z1-Enterprizes
OEM Clutch Cable
Chrome Engine Covers Stripped and Polished

Exhaust - $550
DG 6 into 1 - Worth Every Cent!

Suspension and Brakes - $400
Front Fork Seals (OEM)
15w Fork Oil
Front Tire, Shinko 230 Series
Rear Tire, Shinko 230 Series
Rear Swing Arm, Pivots and Bearings (Used Parts, E-bay)
(2) Rebuild Kits for Front Calipers
Rebuild Kit w/Center Seal for Rear Caliper
Rebuild Kit for Front Master Cylinder
Piston Seal for Rear Master Cylinder
Spiegel SS Break Line Kit w/Bolts and Washers
Front and Rear Brake Pads
Progressive Air Shocks (Used E-Bay – Rebuilt)

Final Drive - $50
Drive Shaft (Used Parts, E-bay)
Drive Shaft Boot (Used Parts, Ebay)
Ring Gear Shims
Final Drive Oil Seals
Gear Housing O-ring

Ignition and Electrical - $300
(3) Dyna Coils, Green (Ebay, One at a Time)
Fabricated a Plate to Mount Coils Where Tool Tray Would Normally Be
Added Wires and Loom to New Coil Location, Threw Old Coil Resistor in Garbage
Spark Plugs, NGK
Plug Wires (Generic Automotive 6 Cylinder Kit)
Battery, AGM Type (Batteries Plus)
Battery Tray (Used, E-bay)
Battery Hold-Down Bracket (New OEM, Found One Cheap Old Stock)
Rear Turn Signals (Generic ones from Dennis Kirk)
Turn Signal Stems (Used Parts I Already Had)
Rubber Mounting Grommets for Turn Signals (American Classix)
Repaired Wiring for Rear Lights, Replaced Diode for Running Lights
Cleaned all Connectors, Replaced Stator Connector and Contacts (Z1-Enterprizes)
Lower Head Light Bracket with Rubber Parts (from Germany)
Rubber Side Mounts for Head Light (OEM)
Spare Ignition Module (from Lauri in Finland) - Price not counted, purchased by selling some unused parts

Body Work - $1000
Air Box Covers (E-bay, Lucky To Get Them Cheap)
Left Rear Foot Peg (Used, E-Bay)
Side Cover Mounting Grommets (Z1_Enterprizes)
Rear Grab Bar (Reproduction from the UK, E-bay)
Tail Piece Rubber Mounts (E-Bay)
Gas Tank Rear Mount and Bushing (E-bay)
Gas Tank Caustic Dipped, Then Old Epoxy Liner Removed
Repaint Body Work GM Synergy Green (Local Body Shop)
Repainted Frame, Swing Arm, Engine, and Misc. Brackets ( Rattle Cans, VHT and PJ1)

Miscellaneous Other Crap
Screws, Nuts, Bolts, Washers, Etc.
Used Bore Gauge (E-bay)
Sealants, and Silicone
Honda Bond 4 (for the Water Jackets in the Head Gasket)
Grease, Gear Lube and Engine Oil (Filter Too)
Assembly Lube
Antifreeze
Permatex Gasket Remover

Some of the costs, especially in the engine should serve as a sobering reminder... The engine work I did myself apart form machining work, the pistons were pricey but they are still in line with costs of the alternatives discounting the cheap e-bay kits. Larry's charges were very reasonable for the work he did on the head, but I had to replace the valves and they are not cheap. All the little things add up, and this engine is full of little things. I would bet there are $150 or so in just O-rings and oil seals. And really every one should be replaced, these engines are way more work to take apart than an air cooled 4, you can't justify skipping something small because its just too much work to take it all apart again. A number of people on other forums have had problems with the oil seal on the water pump drive shaft leaking after a rebuild, and that requires removing the cylinder head to get to.... for a $6 seal... you get the idea.

Another example is the water pump, the mechanical seal is $55, but there is a gasket $4 and three O-rings $4 a piece and the oil seal at $6, and the Thermostat at $37 and if you find the plastic drive gear is damaged you can out much more $$$...

I am not trying to discourage people from tearing into one of these, just be realistic as to what you are dealing with. Just a set of stock bore piston rings will run nearly $300.

I will update this list again as I am sure I've missed some things. I hope this project thread will continue to be useful to those considering a 1300 project or working on one. There really are only a few good project threads on these bikes out there. I will go back through the entire thread at some point and add some additional info about parts availability as there are some different options now that were not available when I did the work. The German shop has added quite a few reproduction parts... if you can afford them.

This was a fun project to work on, but it tested my patience many times. Totally worth the effort though... these things are just awesome!

Regarding the work needed, all sounds routine.

All Balls sells a steering head bearing kit.

OEM Kawasaki cables are best and fresh cables are a thing of beauty. Be sure to grease the clutch actuation helix mechanism since that's often overlooked (along with the swingarm bearings like you have discovered).

Side covers are all over ebay. Master cylinders are too, only finding an original that's not corrosion pitted in the bore area is not easy. I put an EX650 master on my 750E. They are cheap and easy to find, and being late model you don't have to worry about internal corrosion. For the rear master all I can say is good luck. Most you will find are corroded on the inside.

Ok well got the bike home to where it is going to live till its back on its own wheels again, after tear down its not as bad as expected.
Concerns I do have are finding some parts that broke or were not there.
Both side covers are gone
Both front and rear master cyc. For brakes are cracked or leak.
Cables all but one were broke so I'll have to find them
The berrings for the swing arm don't look like they have seen greases since it was new. The front steering head they came out in many pecies so they need to be replaced.
Seat pan
Keys
Otherwise
In decent shape. Want to take the paint off and repaint or powder coat it
Same with the motor
And the controls I haven't gotten apart yet but they don't feel good its locked in the run position on the cut off switch.

The triple trees where the bars mount all the bolts but one snapped off.
Speedo and tack don't look bad but not sure they can be saved yet but plant to try

With 17k or just over I hope to use as many parts as I can and repaint.

Finished up the rear wheel and stripped off the tape this morning. Finally had everything ready to go, so I reassembled the rear axle, finally getting everything in the right order and direction. A very close inspection will make it apparent that I hand-cut the line for the bare silver stripe on the wheels, however step back a few feet and it looks just fine.



I don't remember if I mentioned this, and you can't see it in the photos, but there was a problem with the paint over the Winter. I'm not sure exactly what it is, my guess is tree pollen, but something coated a number of areas on the frame and made the paint feel like sandpaper. I had an idea today though... I have one of those polishing kits for headlights, so I took the fine foam polishing disc and started working on one of the smaller pieces. Amazingly, it cleaned right up and showed the nice coat of paint underneath, so with much more confidence I started working on the frame. I've gotten through about half of it, but after the cleanup followed by some rubbing compound, I have the original shine back in most of the places I've worked. The one exception it the top 'platform' area of the swingarm. I got rid of the coating, but even the rubbing compound isn't really bringing back the shine. At least the areas that show are looking much better now!

So the last thing to finish up on the wheels is the brakes. I'll hit all three units with a fast pass of the sandblaster to clean them up and knock loose and flakes of paint, then give them the old gloss-black treatment. I'll have to be really careful not to spill any brake fluid on the fresh paint, but after its had a few months to cure I won't be quite so worried about it. I also need to fill the forks, and then go through and re-tighten all the bolts. I know I didn't snug down several because I expected to take things apart again, but at this stage I believe the main framework is pretty well set.

After I finish that up, I'll head back to the engine, which is still lying in pieces all over my garage floor. I need to clean up and paint the casing, then start reassembling everything. The real problem there is that since the bike sits outside, I need to have ALL the engine parts ready to bolt up at once. Can't have rain getting inside the crank. It'll be a lot of work to finish up before it shows any real progress, but then I'll be down to mostly smaller parts left to clean and paint, and some things can be removed and painted later, if I get antsy to get her started up.

Your Kaw pivot frame bolt will fit it they are 16mm. you do need a spacer on each side. 2 cheap hardware store 5/8" flat washers will work or machine 2 spacers about .160" - .180".
You will need a rear axle a little longer than the Kaw. The adjusters and 2 small tab piece will work.
Plus you need Suzi rear shocks with a clevis end on them at bottom.
Search ebay for those.
I showed you this pic before.
Good luck.

If you mean GS swingarm, the last time I checked, those parts were still available at your neighborhood Suzuki dealer.

I've bought a 83 vs swingarm. To swap out my 80 1000 b swing arm..however when I received the vs swingarm,,she was naked..no adjusters,axle bolts ,pivot bolt,,anything,,my questions,,willmy adjusters fit onto The gs arm? Any link where I can find the gs parts if that's what I need to do? Thanks for any input..pat

rimbim wrote: I noticed you have the plastic shroud that sits inside the fairing and surrounds the gauges , do you have gauges ? I took apart my set . The rubbers that surround the fuel ,volt ,tach and speedo are rotten but everything else looks great . In the past i have sanded and painted gauges and the end result is nice . I can save them for you if your interested . I wonder if the rubbers are still available ? Porsche uses rubbers very similar in old 911's . I purchased a gpz 900 swing arm (too wide ) for my hot rod kawa , after seeing your post i realize i should have brought a 750 gpz arm . I took my head into shop for valve job and had my cylinders checked . they said just a hone would clean them up . I checked the price of new rings and for another 150 i can get a big bore kit .
[attachment:1]IMG_20160521_0618555.jpg[/attachmen

I have sent you a pm, are you going to use your side covers? Specifically the right one? I have a left and right but the right is a copy and I would rather track down an original if possible.

Idea four: cruiser wheel

Best one I've found so far is for a V Star 1300.



7 spokes. 16 by maybe 4. Stock tire is 170. The bike is a belt drive, not shaft, so it is equipped with a cush drive.
Best match I've found to the stock Kaw mags, but no idea now much machining it would take to make it work.

rimbim wrote: I noticed you have the plastic shroud that sits inside the fairing and surrounds the gauges , do you have gauges ? I took apart my set . The rubbers that surround the fuel ,volt ,tach and speedo are rotten but everything else looks great . In the past i have sanded and painted gauges and the end result is nice . I can save them for you if your interested . I wonder if the rubbers are still available ? Porsche uses rubbers very similar in old 911's . I purchased a gpz 900 swing arm (too wide ) for my hot rod kawa , after seeing your post i realize i should have brought a 750 gpz arm . I took my head into shop for valve job and had my cylinders checked . they said just a hone would clean them up . I checked the price of new rings and for another 150 i can get a big bore kit .
[attachment:1]IMG_20160521_0618555.jpg[/attachmen

Rubbers not available, but there is a guy over here in the UK who has had some remade, I have had a set and they are perfect, check UK ebay