The Martyr Machine project, codename "Haggard"

So I am starting a series of projects. The first of which is a motorcycle to get me warmed up to mechanical work. I've done a bit before but i'm still completely novice. The term "Martyr Machine" refers to sacrificing old broken vehicles to the gods of inspiration to create something wholly new. This lovely pile that I picked up from a shady character in St. Louis (title is clean and it's not stolen) is a 1981 KZ440.

My inspiration comes from various sources. Old school cafe racers, actual old race bikes, Mad Max: fury Road, military bikes, bobbers and a bit of the new school car culture.
Currently it is being disassembled and all of the parts that need to be replaced or rebuilt will be. I'm going to clean it up and piece it together with whatever I can get my hands on.
The front fender was jacked from my brother's pile of old Harley parts (he's helping me out with the build). So i'm chopping that up and making it fit, same thing with the rear fender. The wiring harness was ripped out because the previous owner clearly had no clue what the hell he was doing with this bike. I drained the oil out, there was gasoline in it, so i'm going to rebuild the engine, replace the carbs with Mikunis and put the stock airbox back on.
The 2-1 exhaust system looks like it was welded by a drunken neanderthal with a bic lighter and a can of axe body spray. So i'll need to get a set of stock pipes to throw on.
The handlebars are going to be a set of vortex clip-ons.
I have a laundry list of things I need to do to this thing. The goal is to have it rideable by the end of April.

Good luck with it!

It's refreshing to see someone using a bike that has already been modified to build their dream bike. All too often folks start with a nice stock survivor and cut it up. Often they then abandon the project as their attention spans seem limited. :laugh:

Good luck with your build. If you run into any issues that you need help with be sure to ask. Plenty of folks here are quite well informed and very willing to help. Ed

You may already know this, but if the rear brake shoes are old old old, replace them. A lining can separate from a shoe, then get jammed between the shoe & drum locking the real wheel. I was lucky that it happened when rolling the bike off the center stand.

Trying to get the engine out... But the exhaust was welded to the mounting point on the rear, right side passenger foot peg. So I have to cut that off first.
Anyone know the best way to take the belt off?

The swing arm probably has to be removed.

or if your going to convert to chain drive just cut it off

How much of a pain is it to convert it to chain drive? i'm not completely opposed to the idea, I'm just not trying to do more work than it's worth.

You should compare stuff for yourself, but as reported by others it should be a direct swap. Most if not all of the 440s have the same output shaft & rear wheel stuff. The Ltd belt chain guard is the same as the 440A & they have the same chain guide at the front pulley/sprocket. Remove the pulleys & belt, then install the sprockets & chain. The conversion is usually done because a replacement belt is NLA.

That figures. I never cared for belt drives anyway.
Steve

Do not cut it off! Even if you don't want it they are worth a pretty penny. I would keep the belt till it breaks, they last forever. The belt on my 305 still looks new. To take off the belt just take off the rear wheel. Once you take the bolt out you can usually just push the wheel cockeyed and the belt will slip around.

punisher11b wrote: Do not cut it off! Even if you don't want it they are worth a pretty penny. I would keep the belt till it breaks, they last forever. The belt on my 305 still looks new. To take off the belt just take off the rear wheel. Once you take the bolt out you can usually just push the wheel cockeyed and the belt will slip around.

This is a good point, those things are super rare and you could probably sell it for new sprockets/chain and break even. I personally don't like belts purely from an aesthetic point. they seem so pedestrian, and not in the vein of racers, mad max, bobbers etc.