82 KZ550 LTD cafe racer.

So I purchased a 82 kz550 Ltd I found on Craig's list for pretty cheap. The guy said it only had 20k miles on it and the previous owner took care of the Kawasaki. The owner before used her as a daily driver back and forth to work. Everyone told me the kz550 wasn't a good base bike to start a cafe racer project. I went along with it and got the kz as my first bike and drove it home. I would ride it around my neighborhood to enjoy the comfortable stock seat and feel. After a little fun it was time to get to work and I also new nothing about motorcycles

Prepare yourself for the obligatory slagging from the purists on the site for hacking up such a sweet bike. Dont let it put you off (the build or the site). A nice clean,working example of a bike is always going to be a better kick off point for a project than a rusted out old barn find.For a lot of reasons.
(And anyway,the best thing you could do with a cruiser,is hack it up and make a proper bike out of it!!!!!)
Good luck with it.

P.S. Being a cruiser,the front end is sometimes quite high compared to other models.When you whack a modern,sports front end on it, it drops it down. A lot.You need to keep an eye on the ground clearance under the exhaust.
My tuppence worth.

I put together something on paper I want it to look like. I got the engine out and got my grinder out and made my first move. I got my pipe wielder friend to make it all fit and look good. I had to go find some thin tubing at a metal yard but found only th. Some peices were Machined and bent to make look best and for the integrity of the fame. I heated the existing rear frame me and my friend cut and bent it straight and wielded a hoop on the back of it.

I agree. I started this project January 2015.

I decided to put pods on my carbs, so I took them apart to put new jets in. I purchased shocks but I looked into it and figured they were the wrong size. I got my 06 07 gsxr 600 750 front end on eBay for a good decent price. I knew I had to get a new stem and bearing and also found out the frame for the kz650 was the same diameter as the kz550. Cognito Moto had the stem convention so I got that and pressed it into the fork lower tree. I made a stupid mistake and dented the sides of my gas tank. I started to make a foam mold for my rear seat to sit on. I want the battery and wiring harness to all be hidden under my seat.

I got the foam mold all finished and it's ready to lay the resin. It's my first time ever fiber glassing so it was a mess from hell but it still came out alright. There is still so much work to do. I got a seat pan wielded on and got her ready to powder coat

I forgot to take pictures for top end rebuild. I put new piston ring and valve seals in. I also cleaned the grit and grime out.
Also I took apart the oil pan and cleaned out the nasty. After I put a new filter in.

I got new shocks that are the right size. The rear fender is coming along well just keep adding coats.

The powder coating looks great. I got the top valve cover powder coated as wells the carb top and bottom covers.
I cleaned the engine and preped for paint. After I painted the it, I later regretted it and should have left it. The paint job was amateur and looks terrible but she will do. I was dumb and used VHT paint which chips like crazy. I'm kinda just ready to soda blast the engine and do it right. In the end repainting the engine, it will be a future job.

Getting the engine in the frame by myself was no easy task. I chipped some of the new paint off the engine and I was upset. I could have done it different but It was to late.

For this project I didn't wanna put to much money into it.

Wow! This build has come a long way Alex! Kudos for coming up with a plan and sticking to it man! It's going to be a beauty.
Love the seat styling you laid up and the tank work also. Very retro feeling yet upgraded with contemporary performance.
I have a 550 too and love that bike. It's light and nimble and hauls ass all day long. Yours is going to be a real speed demon! :evil:
Keep up the good work!

Thanks man. I looked at your kz550 build and I love the way that engine looks. That polish job is on point. I still got some more progress pictures to post later today.

The bike coming along nicely. That's quite a big undertaking, but your vision of what it should be is right on the money.

I don't know if you have a plan for a mudguard on the front of the rear wheel, but it's pretty important. The rear tire will basically be throwing off grit right at the air filters.

Keep up the great work.

That's a great point, I'm gonna have to have my friend to shape some metal for me. I will bolt the front under the lower triple tree. I guess I will figure out a way to bolt it on the rear and make it look clean. Also have the peices powder coated flat black to match the frame. You got me thinking on that now. Thanks loud

So after getting my paint on, I continued to get my fiberglass on. I keep adding coat after coat till I could trust my 200 pound friend to stand on it with one foot.

Next thought was how to mount my seat. I don't have pictures of it but I will get some. I thought of a way to sandwich the fiberglass seat pan that I haven't made yet and the fiberglass rear fender together with 4 bolts. I purchased silicone plugs for a gallon jug to make for my cushion. I got them in the mail and they need to be cut in half, This was know easy task. I got it all mocked up and when everything was said and done, It would be installed.

I was trying to figure out a way to put my LED strip rear brake and turn signal light installed into the fiber glass rear fender. I came up with an idea to Dremel the shape out of the fiberglass. To do this I had to add more resin and fiberglass to make the back the right thickness. It took time but it was achieved. Once the rear fender is painted I will silicon the led light bar in place and make it look nice and clean.

Sorry about the pictures I don't know how they are almost all positioned weird.