Introduction - Just Inherited a 76 KZ900

KZ900 Hello, I have been following this forum ever since I learned that I would be inheriting my father-in-law's 76 KZ900. You seem like a great bunch of guys willing to help. Both of his sons passed due to it having engine troubles. I accepted because my 1st street bike as a teen was a 1978 KZ750 twin. My goal is to restore this to as close to stock as I can. www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/7g3zpnno03buf233g...ad7i3kkk83lkowo&dl=0 I will attach pics of the bike shortly after unloading it in my garage. 

Welcome aboard !

Looks like a great candidate for saving.

A great candidate indeed!

Ha, in the grand scheme of restoring a 50 year old bike, some engine work is one of the most enjoyable aspects (my opinion), and easiest to accomplish.  

Good luck, and thanks for sharing your project!

Should be a fun restoration and is very doable.  Noticed that you have plenty of other 'interests' in the background...suggesting you have some skills.  Nice save.

Do you know what may be the issue with the engine. I typically tear the whole engine down and split the cases and inspect everything. These bikes are pretty easy to work on but you should pick up a manual Factory and Clymer is what I use. I have most of it memorized but always refer back to them. How many miles are on the bike. My guess is between 12,000 and 15,000. The KZ900 bikes don't command the prices like the 73-75 but pretty much the same bike with a few changes. 

Thanks for the responses!
Bike has almost 30,000 miles.
Father-in-law had in his notes that engine was "noisy'. I heard that he had the bottom pan off to look things over (which is why the pipes are off). He was then searching for a donor motor. 
Most of my mechanical experience is with 2 strokes, but I am willing to attempt this knowing I have kzrider as a  resource of knowledge!

At 30,000 I would bet the cam chain needs replacing. Also the front guide tends to break on these bike because people neglect to adjust the cam chain on a regular basis. With an engine with those miles I would pull the cylinders, head and split the cases. You could probably get it running and it would run but at 30,000 I would expect the bores would need an oversize piston set and a bore and hone. The guide are probably showing wear also. I would also replace the cam chain with a heavy duty DID chain from APE. I would also replace all the cam guides and rollers with units from Liska. Was he hard on the bike like burn outs and racing. Check the crank thrust bearings. The cranks are pretty tough so if the engine was not abused it should be ok. I normally send my cylinders and head to APE. They  know what they are doing and their work is always top notch, at least I have had no issues on the 8 bikes I have rebuilt over the last few years. If you put the work and money into it it will serve you well into the future, otherwise sell it as it is.
You may want to add your location in your profile
This is a bike i'm working on at the moment. I received a 76 KZ900 engine with a 74 Z1 I bought so it's in a 1980 Kz1000 frame and kinda semi modded  to use up some parts I have around. The engine was split, cleaned , inspected then painted and installed in the frame yesterday. 

Great to have you join. Looking at the bike it’s an excellent survivor. Having the original exhaust, airbox, seat, and rims are a huge advantage. The only item I see non-OEM would be the mirrors, side covers. Other than that it’s completely there. No broken fin on the head, you have a great bike. Don’t fall into the aftermarket parts arena, their longevity is unknown and as of now there are no service parts available for repairs of them. Get yourself a factory service manual and get the names correct for the items within the different systems, to get good feedback you need to ask correct questions. In my opinion get the carbs off, take lots of pictures, break them down and throughly clean all the internals. This will allow the bike to start and run more correctly to aid in diagnosing the noted noise you have documented. Clean carbs are a must. 

Here is the FSM you will need. I’m pretty sure this is the latest version. They can be found on evilbay, marketplace and  Johnnys Vintage  . Shop hard and you’ll find one for less than $50.00 

That Kz900 manual shown is a good one, I have two, one is falling apart. As far a aftermarket parts, yes some are questionable but there are many parts out there that are equal to or better than OEM. Im not sure what parts he is referring to but you have to do your home work. By products from z1enterprises or Z1parts and you probably will be safe, of course there are others I buy from but my main sources are those two. I mentioned Liska cam parts. Those parts would be an upgrade from OEM. Sure you could buy OEM if you want to mortgage your home. PMC and Doremi are two of the major suppliers of aftermarket parts from Japan and are very good quality. Both of those sources sell those brands. Take a look at what Z1enterprises has to offer, on some parts they offer OEM and aftermarket so you decide. Go to APE and you will see what they offer.  They have been offering quality parts for many a year. The KZ900 engine uses the same parts as the early z1 bikes so you can look at those sections. 
The carbs should be cleaned as Mikaw says. I use an ultrasonic cleaner but as long as the passages are clear you may be good. The carbs are not to difficult if done slowly and the first time take a lot of notes. 
The whole process can be enjoyable but also expensive if you want to do it right. These are good bikes and you do have a good candidate to bring back to its former glory.
For some inspiration here is a bike (1 of 3 z1900's) I restored for a friend. There is quite a few reproduction parts on this bike. The original was in horrendous condition.

Cra-z1 wrote:

That Kz900 manual shown is a good one, I have two, one is falling apart. As far a aftermarket parts, yes some are questionable but there are many parts out there that are equal to or better than OEM. Im not sure what parts he is referring to but you have to do your home work. By products from z1enterprises or Z1parts and you probably will be safe, of course there are others I buy from but my main sources are those two. I mentioned Liska cam parts. Those parts would be an upgrade from OEM. Sure you could buy OEM if you want to mortgage your home. PMC and Doremi are two of the major suppliers of aftermarket parts from Japan and are very good quality. Both of those sources sell those brands. Take a look at what Z1enterprises has to offer, on some parts they offer OEM and aftermarket so you decide. Go to APE and you will see what they offer.  They have been offering quality parts for many a year. The KZ900 engine uses the same parts as the early z1 bikes so you can look at those sections. 
The carbs should be cleaned as Mikaw says. I use an ultrasonic cleaner but as long as the passages are clear you may be good. The carbs are not to difficult if done slowly and the first time take a lot of notes. 
The whole process can be enjoyable but also expensive if you want to do it right. These are good bikes and you do have a good candidate to bring back to its former glory.
For some inspiration here is a bike (1 of 3 z1900's) I restored for a friend. There is quite a few reproduction parts on this bike. The original was in horrendous condition.

Oh I agree Liska, APE are upgrades and Doremi for exhaust are all good choices. I’m referring to more inexpensive stuff like hand controls, cables, engine covers, hardware. Things that most times can be refurbished and put back into service for a long time, and can been easily picked out. I didn’t mean to trash every aftermarket item. 

Very NICE bike!

Thank you for all the input and motivating examples! I finally acquired the key and found the tank is pretty rusted. Bike sat for quite a few years. So, that will be my first project. I didn't see any info on this site about tank restoration, but found some Youtube videos that make me think this isn't beyond saving.