Hey Hey

Hello All, You have a great site here, so I decided to see if I could hang around a while.

I’m the proud owner of 2 1980 KZ1000 LTD B models. I found my new one 2 weeks ago while shopping on EBay for side covers for the LTD I’ve had since 1985. I had a Z1 900 before that which was stolen. I still look closely at any Z1 I run across. I do have an old basket case Z1 I picked up for $200, it's saved me much more than that in parts over the years.

After falling in love on the internet I had to find a way to Tulsa Ok and a way to get her home to West Texas in weather that is unpredictable to say the least. After lots of research and more internet shopping it was as simple as getting on a plane and riding her home. I checked a box with my helmet, jacket, rain gear, gloves and 4 nylon tie downs just in case the weather made me drive it into a uhaul truck. (Why else would you haul a Kaw?) The gentleman I bought the bike from picked me up at the airport and an hour later I was haulin’ass west on I-44 toward OKC. It was cloudy and threatening rain most of the way but other than a little light rain for about 30 minutes just north of Wichita Falls the clouds actually seemed to part.

551 miles and almost 12 hours later I rolled in to the LFMC Clubhouse parking lot. (Where else ya gonna get a beer at 3am?) All my old hardcore biker friends were fawning over my “New” 1980 Riceburner. One friend who had one or 2 too many insisted I had found a time machine and wanted me to go get him a 1940’s Harley Knucklesomthing. All in all it was a great and uneventful trip.

When you see the pics I hope you will understand why I pushed the “Buy It Now“ button after only about 30 seconds.

Oh, by the by, it has a fresh top end, Dyna 2000 ignition, Jardine pipes and a lockhart oil cooler.

Yep, I'm in love.

Jimm, Odessa Texas

Post edited by: mrbreeze, at: 2007/05/19 03:19

Post edited by: mrbreeze, at: 2007/05/19 03:47

Oh yeah...pretty bike! I have a soft place (in my heart, not elsewhere) for bigbore LTDs...used to have a 1979B3 20+ years ago but, alas, it was stolen...and I still look for mine too! The long term plan is to turn my basket KZ1000A1 into an LTD. Welcome to KZR:)

I think it would be cool to ride some new bike home from wherever I bought it...but I wonder if the ol', I mean my darling bride would pack up and move before I got home? LOL:woohoo:

Great story and fantastic looking bike. Welcome to the home of old Kaws.

Hmm, would that make this the Old Kaw Pen? :S :whistle: :woohoo:

Your "Buy it now" decision is officially approved! Nice ride.

Welcome, and very nice bike indeed.

How does the Ownership and Insurance deal work down there? Did you have all the paperwork done up before hand, or did you take your chances with the Law and ride her home anyway?

Thanks everyone for the replies and compliments on the new old scoot. I’m enjoying it very much, even tho I broke a throttle cable this morning. Thank goodness it didn’t happen on the Tulsa trip. I have driven many a mile (well, 65) with a broken cable wedged in my pliers. This time, luckily I was only a few blocks from the house and she idled home like a champ. I was able to get a cable on and am rearing to get out again. NONB, I thought about your Wrench, wrench, wrench, ride! Wrench, wrench, wrench, ride! Hopefully today there will be more riding than wrenching. I guess it just goes to show no matter how pretty they are it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for the next thing.

All I had to do as far as ownership was to get the VIN and get insurance on her, just to be able to drive down the road in any state. So actually I had insurance on a bike I didn’t own yet. Once I had the signed title and a Bill Of Sale in my hand the bike was officially mine. The tags were good in Oklahoma for 30 days. I found out when I got back that they were good for 20 days in Texas. Texas had me get it inspected and get what they call a green sheet, which is the inspector certifying that the VIN on the bike and the VIN on the title are the same. For a whole day I ran around with an OK tag and a Texas inspection sticker. Once I paid the sales tax I was issued a Texas tag. Not that bad really but it woulda saved me a couple of trips downtown if I had known beforehand how it worked.

I put a couple of pics in the gallery, they are so huge I wouldn’t be surprised if they get deleted. I’m still trying to learn how to reduce the size of the pictures.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I hope I can contribute something of value once in a while.

Wow,Jimm...VERY nice LTD!:ohmy:

Welcome to the K-ZOO Bud!

Yeah I have to say thats a really nice bike and a really great adventure. I wish I went throughg it. I love riding in the rain.

that is a real sweet bike! welcome!