77 kz650b1 cafe build

Got a little project out of the way for the build this afternoon while my son was napping. I fabbed up a license plate mount using the third number plate that came in the package I bought for the bike. I used the mounting points for the stock tail piece and cut the bracket to fit between those with a little flange hanging down to support the plate, kind of a short, squat T shape, and then mounted the plate to that. I bent the plate upward just a little just to be sure that if I hit a wicked bump it wouldn't gouge into my back tire.
The project was easy as pie, used a box cutter and scissors to cut the bracket to shape and just bolted everything up.

another angle

and one more...

good idea using that mounting point. I like it.

Another little project out of the way on this build. Just finished up mounting the number plates and adorning them with my lucky #13. The more of these little pieces that fall into place the more anxious I get to have my paint finished. I'm really hoping that my painter gets finished with my stuff this week like he said. After I get the stuff back I still need to skin my seat, get intake boots, mount and dial in the carbs (hopefully without the napalm this time), get my throttle cables shortened and fit for the linkages on these carbs and pick up some round bar end mirrors and that should be the end of the project.

one more pic

Scored a cool little find today. I was at my buddy's shop getting my cables shortened, and I popped the end cap out of my MAC to see if he happened to have a baffle in the store that was the same diameter. The store has been open for 30 some years, and they're constantly finding cool old stock stuff that has been in there since the 70's.
The baffle in the pics was labeled for a Kerker (what style or model I'm not sure) but it fit like a dream in my MAC pipe. I had to drill holes in my pipe to fit the mounting screws (and plug the original hole for the MAC set screw with quick steel putty, it's on the backside of the pipe and can't be seen unless the pipe is pulled so I wasn't real worried about it being off color from the rest of the pipe), but the length and end cap diameter were perfect. Gives a much better overall look to the pipe too.

another angle

So the bad news is my painter has got to be the most procrastinating person I've ever met with the worst sense of deadline...somehow the three weeks that it was supposed to take has now been 2 months and so far as I know he hasn't started yet. The only reason I haven't picked my stuff back up to give to someone else is that he's doing the work for such little money. Might have to find another seat that I can throw on with my other tank just so I can have a rider until he gets around to finishing.
On the bright side though, the money I got from selling the 81 has let me get a little more ambitious with this, and I'm getting more excited for how it'll come out. I ordered a BUNCH of stuff for the build:
K&N pods, rear progressive wound shocks (in black), mini speedo and tach (2.25" white faced, 12K on the tach, 160 on the speedo). I'm going to replace the stock headlight ears with universal aftermarkets so that I can adjust the height of the light more than just being able to flip the headlight ears. I'll be removing the stock gauge assembly and relocating the key switch into the headlight bucket, and adding an oil gauge since I'll be lacking the idiot light. The mini gauges will tuck up nicely bolted to the mount for the stock assembly and tuck right up into the back of the headlight (assuming everything works out the way I'm hoping).
Pics to follow as I start getting delivery.

Sounds good. Can't wait to see the pics!

-KR

Got a little project finished up. I modified my headlight bucket to hold my ignition switch and an oil light. I flipped the bucket upside down and filled the rectangular hole where the stock wiring all entered and exited. I used an epoxy modeling compound that I had used in my sculpture work. It's a two part putty that mixes really thick and dries into a plastic like substance. I laid a piece of duct tape behind the hole and just pressed the compound into the hole and smoothed it by hand as much as possible, let it dry and sanded it smooth. Drilled out the hole for the ignition switch and the oil indicator and sprayed it all with primer and ultra flat black krylon. My new headlight ears are supposed to be here today, so I'll be able to get it all mounted up and get the triples and bars all remounted. The mini gauges are supposed to be here tomorrow (along with the shocks and K&N pods).
Sorry there aren't any progress pics of modifying the bucket, I was in work mode and didn't think to grab the digi till it was done.

Just finished mounting the headlight, upper trees, bars and all things bar related. The switch in the bucket turned out more perfect than I'd hoped. I don't have the gauges mounted yet, but they will leave enough room between them to easily reach the key switch and see the oil light. I can't believe how much meaner it looks with that big ass stock gauge cluster stripped away. Here's some shots of the headlight bucket and there will be plenty more pictures at the end of the night (mounting gauges, wiring for the gauges and oil light and putting on the new rear shocks. I'll be getting my carbs dialed in too assuming my pods come in today like they are supposed to).