The Friendship Bike - NobleHops restores a 75 Z1

Kidkawie wrote: I did that steering bearing conversion and don't recall that much of a difference. Try using a 90 degree pich and feel under the races for any gaps. There is some difference, but I don't remeber that much. The top bearing was pretty thin IIRC.

Great minds, etc. I did check that, they are both seated all the way down, and flat.

Use a caliper or depth gauge and measure down from the top of the top clamp to the top of the stem. I'll pull the center nut on mine to compare.

Will do, definitely curious. Back in an hour with that.

NobleHops wrote: Ok, thanks a bunch fellas, much appreciated. The top bearing is a lot taller than the stock ball bearings, that's what I think is causing this. I confess it has me a tad concerned, sitting so low in there.

That's a Park Tools bearing press, designed for this very task. Makes very short work of this, perfect every time. I measured the height of the bearing race before I pressed it in so I could verify that it was all the way home, and it is.

N.

Nice! You must have made a good living! Everything is top notch. Good cash flow! I'm jealous :laugh:
But back to the bearings. I did this awhile back in the past. I put the wrong bearing on the stem (had them vise-versa).
I wasted that bearing taking it off the stem. Had to buy another set, for 1 bearing. It's been years, but I recall something similar with the height, then I realized.
Good Luck! Keep up the good work.

That Honda six, is it as smooth as the Gold Wings? Back in the day, Benelli had a 750. In their ad they had a cigarette standing on one end while the reved it and it didn't fall over. Now that was smooth. I'd like to see more to compare with the KZ 1300.
Steve

z1kzonly wrote:

NobleHops wrote: Ok, thanks a bunch fellas, much appreciated. The top bearing is a lot taller than the stock ball bearings, that's what I think is causing this. I confess it has me a tad concerned, sitting so low in there.

That's a Park Tools bearing press, designed for this very task. Makes very short work of this, perfect every time. I measured the height of the bearing race before I pressed it in so I could verify that it was all the way home, and it is.

N.

Nice! You must have made a good living! Everything is top notch. Good cash flow! I'm jealous :laugh:
But back to the bearings. I did this awhile back in the past. I put the wrong bearing on the stem (had them vise-versa).
I wasted that bearing taking it off the stem. Had to buy another set, for 1 bearing. It's been years, but I recall something similar with the height, then I realized.
Good Luck! Keep up the good work.

Thanks man!

I never regret buying good tools, including that press

I'm certain the correct bearings are installed, the lower bearing is a few mm larger than the upper. I too had to burn a set of these when I neglected to install a spacer that AllBalls suggested I might need (D'oh!), but this set was straightforward.

swest wrote: That Honda six, is it as smooth as the Gold Wings? Back in the day, Benelli had a 750. In their ad they had a cigarette standing on one end while the reved it and it didn't fall over. Now that was smooth. I'd like to see more to compare with the KZ 1300.
Steve

Honestly I don't think ANY bike will surpass the 'Wing for smoothness, The CBX is a fine engine, incredible piece of work, and when carefully tuned and synced, and with well-adjusted cam chains and maybe some oldham couplers in the camshafts, and a later model clutch basket it can sound like a sewing machine (in a good way), pure mechanical symphony.

HOWEVER...

When it comes on the pipe at 6K RPM and above, screwing by as you stand and watch, it makes the most fantastic noise any motorcycle has ever made, bar none. Even with stock pipes, but with a Bassani or a 6>6 Pipemasters, it's another thing entirely.

I got 2.5-2.6mm. You may want to call/email Z1E and see if they changed top bearings. I remeber doing the conversion and the top bearing was pretty thin, I was surprised they made them that way.

Kidkawie wrote: I got 2.5-2.6mm. You may want to call/email Z1E and see if they changed top bearings. I remeber doing the conversion and the top bearing was pretty thin, I was surprised they made them that way.

Yeah, I have 3.75mm. I am overthinking it I believe, a constant risk for me as is when I'm not thinking at all .

I'm gonna leave it be. Although I think it would be quick work to mill down the locknut 4mm and still have plenty to do its work, I can't seem to find that pesky Bridgeport I left lying around here, and I don't think that's going to cause any issues as Steve suggests, other than quickening the steering a half a skosh.

In the interest of learning and knowledge though, I'd be very interested to see what an unmolested bike looks like under that stem nut, if anyone is feeling kindly disposed to add to the knowledge base.

Many thanks for measuring that for me Kid, much appreciated.

N.

I just measured the preload nut at 8mm. So 8mm gap between the dust shield and bottom of the top clamp.

Kidkawie wrote: I just measured the preload nut at 8mm. So 8mm gap between the dust shield and bottom of the top clamp.

I'm showing 8.6mm between that dust shield and the bottom of the top clamp, but this is before anything is torqued down, so I think its equivalent. But that measurement does kinda support the idea that the preload nut could be machined (and replated) if one wanted to get nuts about it. Thanks again Kid, much appreciated.

OK, next oddness. Swingarm is assembled but not smooth. I pulled the pivot bolt back out and removed it to investigate.

I had a lot of hardware replated (zinc) including the pivot, but I confess I did not prep the pivot very well before I did, thinking the plater would. Nope. There was corrosion and pitting in the area where the pivot collar rides, and there was also a fair amount of damage on the pivot collar (not the bushing) on the chain side. I purchased a set of the oillite bronze bushings, and new pivot collars, powdercoated the swingarm, put it back together.

So I removed the pivot and took it over to the buffer, and polished it in the area of the pivot collars till it was much smoother. Test fit it again, and its now a lot better in either collar, but not good in both. It turns smoothly and freely when it's inserted just so its riding on one or the other of the collars now, but not both. So clearly, the bushings and collars are not perfectly aligned, but it's not detectable by eye.

I haven't had the problem before, these things went back together fine on my other projects, better to be lucky than good sometimes eh?

So who can give me a good education on the best technique for installing these perfectly the first time in the future?

And following the tutorial, who's got a bright idea on how to remediate this one?

TIA for your wisdom as always.