'76 KZ900 (ZRX1200R) Build

Little teaser...

More to come....

Cory

I'm jealous. Possibly drooling too.
You're doing very close to what I wanted to do to mine. Spoke rims, ZRX swingarm, front end swap.

I need to move again so I can have shop space to work in.

Love that wheel

There would be a picture of the front one, but the shop screwed up and ruined the bearings by pressing them from the center. Pulled them out and will press them in myself at work. My shop press wasn't wide enough between the uprights for the 17" hoops.

Cory

Sorry if I already asked this....

Are you going to use a radial tire on the rear? If so, what inner tube / tire combo are you going to run? I couldn't find a radial approved for use with a tube.....

Same question for the front tire...unless you're mixing radial and bias ply....have heard that's not good but don't know for sure. Thanks

Metzler makes inner tubes for radials. In addition they were the ones who supplied the tubes for the spoked wheels on the Ducati GT1000 "Sport Classic" made from 2003-2009.

As far as the discussion on running tubes in tubeless radials, there is a lot of conflicting information out there about it. Mostly from the tire manufactures themselves. I think the biggest thing is that the tube is sized properly for the tire and wheel combo. The tire carcass itself is what is rated for the different loading a tire takes at speed and cornering forces, not the tube. In fact the carcass gives its structure to the tube.

Anyway, I bought the appropriate Metzler tubes and rim bands.

Cory

I've seen lots of choppers and factory bikes with spokes and very fat rear tires...just couldn't find the right combo and then, like you said, lots of conflicting information out there. I've heard that the tubes can heat up and burst unless it's a tube specificially designed for radial tires.

Can't wait to see the tires mounted up!

Bridgestone also makes radial motorcycle tubes. Ed

Yes but there sizes are limited to only a couple of sizes. Metzler has a ton of options.

Ok, I want to get some opinions here. I have been toying around with another directions for the tins/body work on my project. I have my color and paint scheme all played out. Was going with the stock style paint, but with these changes:

Stock Diamond Green paint replaced by Jaguar Racing Green (04 S-Type R)
Gold Pin Stripe painted instead of decal
Lime Green Pin Stripe replaced with painted Silver Pin Stripe

This treatment would be carried onto the front fender with the base color and striping run around the outside edge of the fender. The idea I am toying with is replacement of the tail, tank, and front fender with polished alloy pieces. If I had an english wheel or access to one, I would build these myself, but I don't anymore. So thinking about this:

www.roccitycafe.com/alloy-cla...afe-racer-tank

Send them my tank as a template and let them go to town. Buy a standard front fender from them, and finish it off with a cafe seat/tail or have them replicate the stock KZ tail. After polishing, powdercoat it clear. I would etch the pinstripes and badges into the tank, tail, and fender and then clear over them. Side covers I would do in either satin black, Jaguar Racing Green, or see if i could get them made in Carbon Fiber. Thoughts? Too over the top?

Cory

it sounds pretty cool.
but,
that is all stuff that could be done after you get it running and riding.

you can keep coming up with good ideas but,
they are going to keep pushing the completion date back.

get it running and riding and then worry about the new bodywork :whistle: .

thats my .02 fwiw,

leon

I understand. The bike would have paint work if my May-2014 completion date stays. Mostly what swings my dates is $$$$.... Should be mounting up the tires on the new wheels this week.

Cory