KZ650 cafe-racer

After restoration the starter motor looked much better than before.

Starter looks great. But let’s check if it works. For those, who as me is not a fan of electrical sparks, I highly recommend using a starter relay. I made simple assembly to test the starter:

Just don’t forget to press the starter motor to the table with your hand as it will try to jump once you switch it on. Here is a short video:

Beautiful work, as always!

Thank you. That is a great tutorial on starter maintenance and cosmetic restoration.

Thank you!

Wow Gazz, your work is truly amazing.

Thank you!

Meanwhile, it's time to carve some pumpkins again...

Quite simply your work is jaw dropping. This motorcycle will be a show winner wherever you bring it without a doubt!

I have just bought a KZ650 too, it's also a 1980 model so this is a really inspiring thread. Mine is a mid-life crisis bike (a previous owner tried to convert it to a cruiser). I'm planning to return it closer to stock and to maybe go the cafe racer route over the long run. I've to source a kickstart pedal too - it was removed from mine. I'll also be replacing fenders and tank. Even when I have mine done it won't be 1% what this machine is. All the polished bits actually look like top notch 3d renders to me rather than real parts!

Can I ask one question though - the exhaust you used from the zephyr, was it this one? www.blackwidowexhausts.co.uk/kawasaki-zr...es-headers-450-p.asp

Thank you!

Link doesn't work for me. Looks like Black Widow banned Ukrainian IP addresses. However I doubt that Black Widow more than one type of header for Zephyr 750.

It happened that during the last two weeks I was asked three times about compatibility of Kawasaki KZ650 and stainless steel exhaust header made by Black Widow (UK) for Kawasaki ZR750 Zephyr. So I wrote a short post with illustration. . There are three points, or call them potential bottlenecks.

First of them is simplest to solve: KZ750 (inline four) and therefore Zephyr 750 are direct descendants of Kawasaki KZ650, so exhaust port spacing is similar for KZ650, KZ750 (inline four) and Zephyr 750 cylinder heads. So Zephyr 750 Black Widow downpipes fit KZ650 and KZ750 cylinder heads without issues and might be installed using their original exhaust holders, while with Zephyr 750 exhaust collars.



Next point is the drain plug. Kawasaki KZ650 drain plug positioned more to the left than Zephyr 750 plug, however Black Widow exhaust provides gap enough for socket wrench.

The third, and the last point is if Zephyr 750 stainless steel downpipes are compatible with KZ650 mufflers. Since original KZ650 mufflers are factory welded to header pipes it means that those who ask the question are already running aftermarket mufflers, or are ready to do so. And here Zephyr Black Widow exhaust has a feature which everyone who wishes to install it on KZ650 has to consider for himself. The thing is outputs of downpipes have a pretty large outward sweep. To show what exactly I mean I fitted an aluminum pipe to the downpipes, so it’s a direct prolongation of the downpipes’ output pipe. The length of the aluminum pipe is around 640mm. Thus, you may see where straight mufflers would be pointed if you use them along with Black Widow exhaust header.









And considering that there is not much of a choice of exhaust headers for KZ650 downpipes, my opinion on this question is as follows: since Zephyr 750 downpipes are made of stainless steel, their outputs might be modified without losses for exterior.

Little question to forum administrators: is there any chance to get pictures fixed on the previous two or so pages? I'd gladly upload them again but I have no permissions to edit  my old posts.

Many engine paints require “baking” to complete their curing. Also, it’s better to test paint before the engine is assembled. And even taking into account that the cylinder head will have a higher temperature than the crankcase, it’s advisable to bake the whole engine with a temperature range close to that of the cylinder head. The thing is even high temperature paint may change colour for shade or two being heated to working temperature of air cooled engine’ cylinder head. Thus it’s better to heat the whole engine up to around 160C in advance to avoid an issue of difference in shade between top and bottom of engine.

Now let’s proceed to the methods of engine baking. The method, being well known from various forums, is to bake engine and brake parts in kitchen ovens. But you may find from the same forums that this method may end up in some tension of relation between engine baker and his wife/girl-friend. And sure, not all of us like pizza with the smell of engine paint. As my garage is far from any kitchen oven, I from the beginning had to invent another method to bake the engine. I ended up with an ordinary cardboard box laid out from inside with two or three layers of cooking foil. I laid every layer in direction perpendicular to previous and with each strip of foil overlaying previous. I also use adhesive aluminum foil tape to fix every strip of foil here and there. In result cardboard is well isolated from the heat and thus never reaches ignition temperature even when parts inside of the box are heated up to 160-170C. As a heat source I use a heat gun. And this simple receipt definitely could call it “marriage savior”. Or “pizza savior”… Just don’t forget about safety measures!



After baking I put the crankcase, cylinder and cylinder head together for the first time. Looks nice so far and will look even better when that half glossiness wears off.