78 KZ650 Mono Rear Shock Cafe/Brat Style

650ed wrote: Do you plan to run a single cable throttle and also remove the kill switch? If so, there is the risk that if the throttle sticks "open" you will not be able to close the throttle or kill the engine quick enough to avoid a serious problem. Ed

I was going to move all the right hand controls off the bars. However I think given the information I've learnt about the throttle I am researching a kill switch that can go nice and close to the throttle!

531blackbanshee wrote: a good return spring with a single cable and you should be fine.

when i was young i rode my 78 z1r around with no return spring and used both cables.one to open one to close.
worked just fine .

until i got a lil overzealous with the throttle while turning through a homeland grocery store parking lot :whistle: .

i was going to do a big ol nice broad slide and lost the rear tire out from under me and sent the z1r sailing across the parking lot on it's side with the throttle hung open :sick:.

killed the engine the next day,broke a piston trashed the sleeve,beat the cases up

leon

That sounds like quite a bad couple of days!

I'm still researching the kill switch issue. There seems to be a distinct lack of good looking switch gear. My favourite choice so far is from Highway Dirt bikes
www.highwaydirtbikes.com/HDB_Shop/index....rodshow&ref=SM_SA_03


Though I'm not sure how much they will end up costing when being shipped to the UK. There is a supplier just down the road from me with the silver ones in stock as another option. I would prefer to go for the black ones though.

I've not done as much work this weekend on the bike as it's been absolutely foul in the weather department. High winds and rain are not conducive to painting. I managed to find some decent weather to start making my replacement battery box.



I making it in aluminium, I've made a cardboard template of what I'm planning. The first piece has been cut and shaped. I am waiting on some 2mm aluminium for the more complicated piece, as it will make the bending much easier.



My cordura has arrived for the seat, I've been trying to design how it will look with my wife. Neither of us is 100% clear on how best to get the look I want to achieve, so more research is needed. I also need to order some foam to start to make the base of the seat. The extra 3mm aluminium in the above picture is going to make up the base of the seat, I'm going to need to shape and bend it to follow the profile of the frame.

Well, I've made a fair bit of progress, some of it forward, some backwards.

I spent a load of time creating a battery box mount in aluminium. I thought I had it perfectly, but I had not allowed for the support bars in the frame, so it's not going to work.



So I've decided to mount the battery to the underside of the seat instead so I had to remake it.

Next I was trying to find some new brackets for the headlight as the current ones are bodge jobs and rusting. I thought these would work.



But sadly they were far to long. In the end I found some guy in Germany who cnc'd these.



They are awesome, I've ordered a set of indicators from the same guy.

His site is thospa.de/thospa.html for those wanting to find out more.

I need to find some time to fit them, but I'm waiting for the indicators to arrive before fitting them.

Next up I had to paint the frame where I had cut and sanded back. I masked off the rest of the bike and went to work.



After that it was time to work on the seat pan. I first bent the sheet aluminium to the right angles



Test fit went well



I then trimmed it to get the shape of the frame.



I had created a new battery cage to be attached to the bottom of the seat pan



I'm working on the mounting points for the seat pan. I've drilled through the cross member and put two nutsert's into the seat pan as the main attachment point. I'm now making a bracket to also attach the front of the seat to the frame. Using the two threaded holes under the tank.

nice work sir!


leon

looks tidy.
I used a thin switch block off a quad bike/off road trike...i think it was a honda one from memory. kill,horn and lights-on/off/high beam is all. about 1 inch wide and black.
It's peeing rain and 8 degrees outside so ill check tomorrow.

boyracer wrote: looks tidy.
I used a thin switch block off a quad bike/off road trike...i think it was a honda one from memory. kill,horn and lights-on/off/high beam is all. about 1 inch wide and black.
It's peeing rain and 8 degrees outside so ill check tomorrow.

Thanks that would be most useful.

Well, I've had an interesting couple of weeks, but I've made more progress on the bike. Not nearly as much as I hoped for but at least it's moving forwards.

The indicators I ordered to go with the headlight brackets have arrived and I think they are going to look ace.



I've been making up a bracket for the rear lights and indicators along with the number plate. I've also after ordering four sets of indicators found some that didn't look cheap and nasty. They are cnd'd and look good. I need to sort the wiring out for them though.







After this I have continued work on the seat. First order of business was to paint the seat base. It will be mostly be hidden from view, but I wanted to make it black like the other parts.





I then glued the seat foam into position using spray on contact adhesive. I used tape to hold the foam in place whilst it dried. I was worried that the glue wouldn't work to well but it was great.



I then took an angle grinder with sanding disc to shape the foam. I thought this would be a nightmare, but it wasn't too bad. I have quite chuffed with the results.







The other item I've been working on is getting a replacement set of gauges. As I would like to clean up the front a lot more. I was looking at Motogadget ones, but they are a little bit too expensive. Also the ones I liked didn't have both a rev and speedometer. So in the end I went for a Koso DB-01R which ticked most of the boxes for me. Of being small, but having all the features.



It came with a mount to attached to the handlebars, but on my bars it isn't going to work as you can probably tell from these pictures. Where the cable needs to go is right where the brackets are. So I will have to create some kind of mount so that I can attach it. I will wait until I remove the original gauges to decide where best to mount it.





Another job that I have completed is the battery bracket. It is now painted black and has a rubber base to keep the battery

Nice fab work Gordy.....those headlight mounts look really good, thanks for the contact

bluezbike wrote: Nice fab work Gordy.....those headlight mounts look really good, thanks for the contact

Thanks, glad it was of some use.

The bike is looking great! I cant wait to see it finished up.

Very cool project. I like the fact you are working right in your driveway on much of this project. I too have a KZ650 but bone stock. I am envious of your willingness to take this out past the edge.

Forrest wrote: Very cool project. I like the fact you are working right in your driveway on much of this project. I too have a KZ650 but bone stock. I am envious of your willingness to take this out past the edge.

Thanks. Basically I have two options for workspace, 1 is the front garden the other is the house. My wife will murder me if I do things in the house, so it has to be the front garden. I used to have a massive double garage, but sadly not any more.

It works quite well, I just have to time it around the weather.