The Perfect KZ....

I bought my 78650 SR in 1994. I have had lots of 650s, a KZ1000, a full dressed KZ1100, and a Z1-900. I've sold all of them EXCEPT for my 78 SR. Money or love can't come between us! As far as just having one general purpose bike, you won't find a better bike. I like all of the 650s, but I like the comfort and handling of the SR best. Maintenance is simple, parts are cheap, and they are indestructible. Good luck and keep us informed.

Don't buy a smaller bike because you think you can't handle a bigger, faster bike. My father always said it's not the size of the bike that matters because you have to learn how to ride each one individually. You know the throttle is at your discretion and the weight? I started on an 850. Heavy bike, very top heavy but I managed no problems. My 1000 is much more nimble and balanced than that triple was.
The 650 is a nice bike. I liked my friends but wait till you get on 1000. Nice bike. They all have their things that make them adored. :kiss:

Jon, I assume you are in the GTA, and mentioned travel is limited, but this might be worth a bus trip. Type "195773938" in the search field of Kijiji Canada. It is a low mileage KZ650 in the London area (not sure if it is still available?).




As far a a bigger bike, here in Ontario, our speed limits don't necessitate the need for a big displacement bike (though they are fun), unless you are driving long distances daily on a 400 series highway. I find the 650 an ideal size, as I, like you, travel mostly locally and don't have the need for speed. I've even toyed with the idea of selling the ZRX. Sure the displacement and ride is thrilling, but it is a large speeding ticket waiting to happen. If I come across anything locally, I'll let you know. Happy hunting.

Thanks dkmk,

Ima email the guy and get some more details before I make any decision on going that far, but it sure looks nice and clean. I live in St. Catharines, so close to the GTA, but not quite, although the distance is pretty much the same.
I do have a car, but a very small part of why I'd like to buy a bike now, and moreover, a runner, is that I'd like to avoid sinking the $300-400 in parts into it that it needs to make longer trips like that safe and worry free. :laugh: I'd rather put the money into a bike for the spring, and put the cage on the back burner for a while...

And you make very good point about Ontario and the size of bike. I'm not afraid of a bigger displacement bike, and I can certainly appreciate the fun of riding one, but I mostly want to drive around some of the lovely twisty 2 lane stuff that Niagara has this summer, and get something this is more environmentally friendly than my 1.5L car. Going up towards the 1000cc class removes some of the advantages of riding a bike. (That might get some groans, but I try to live with a very small footprint) The 650 should have the power to deal with highway driving when needed etc, I always felt a little outclassed on my 440 driving around cars on larger roads and highways.

If you happen to see anything else, I always appreciate it. I'm trying to get ahold of the fellow with the grey 78C. If he still has it, he lives literally 5 city blocks down the road from me! I could practically walk it home.

Jonny

Mine now!
The guys was very reasonable on price, maybe took a little pity on a broke-as student: and the bike is pretty clean... A few funny things, like the front fender was cut off on the back side for some reason (?), and the valve cover bolts don't seem to be original, but they all match.

Test ride was nice, and she rows up and down gears smooth, kicks over right away, good steady idle. I know there is only so much you can tell from a thorough inspection and a test ride, but its all pointing in the right direction. Hopefully it works out. :blink:

So now its just setting about getting the paperwork done, and making it a little more *mine*...

Finally have a KZ again. Glad to be more *officially* back. Thanks again to all for the help and opinions.

Jon.

I have a feeling this is just the start of asking questions here.

More pics.

Yeah, and the signal lights are not stock. But they work, and they match, so its a start; and an easy fix...

One last.
(for now)

That is a freakin cool bike. The only thing that I would change is the seat. I want one of those 650's, every time I see one. Best looking tail on a KZ. Good luck!

Very nice score! Looks to be real clean.

I like those signals, they remind me of the gpz ones.

Cool!

You will be happy with the 650. Looks like a nice Kerker pipe. Same as my pipe, they sound good and perform really well on a stock or mild engine. I suggest ou put in new plugs and ride it for a day then check to see if it lean or rich. Many people don't re-jet the carbs when they put on a pipe. If it's not right, it will burn out the pistons! I don't want to scare you, but it is important and a fairly easy task if it hasn't been done yet.

Congratulations, it's a nice bike.

Thanks Mellvis,

Good Advice, and I will be sure to do just that. I'm not sure of the make, but it does look alot like the Kerkers I've seen before, and it certainly has a nice sound, and the baffling is all still in very good shape. Thinking it might go matt black if I can't get the finish really nice and shiny...

As far as checking the plugs goes, I assume there is nothing special about it; Ie, I'm not doing a plug chop to get an accurate picture of whats going on. I will try to locate a vendor for the accel/denso plugs in my area and go from there.

As far as the rest, it will be a daily driver for summer, and probly get lots of spit and shine. This winter hopefully some bits will start to get the TLC they need to make her a look and run great!