'77 KZ-1000A1 Refurbishment, Not Restoration

Those of you that assisted me with my endeavor to make the '77 Kawasaki I bought a street reliable bike will already know about this motorcycle, but a quick rehash may be in order. I bought this bike last June and from a guy in California. It was touted as a bike with 5500 miles on it that had never been apart and could be ridden anywhere. In actuality it had over 19,000 miles and had been apart several times. Immediately after I received it I noticed it had a pretty good oil head from the head going on, so a tear down was in order and as things progressed I got way more into this bike than I had anticipated. Once the head was off that led to needing pistons and a 1045 kit. From there things just progressed to the point where I started replacing just about anything that could be replaced to make the bike reliable and street worthy. There really is no sense putting up pics of what the bike was like originally because it was a great 10 footer. In other words, it looked great from 10 feet away, but not so much so close up, but eventually it got to the stage where I just started on one end and began replacing things such as bearings, seals, etc. and went to the other. I retrospect I should have just pulled the engine out, but at the time I wasn't convinced I had the knowledge or the time to do so and I had hopes of getting it back together before the end of last riding season. That didn't happen.

With a ton of help from guys on this forum I dove into this project and when I needed help or assistance from members here it offered freely. I still have to chuckle when I think back to how many different ways there are to install pistons or head gaskets, but in the end it all came together. I never wanted to do a full restoration on this bike because I like a bit of patina on a bike that is used and a fully restored bike just looks odd in a way to me, same as a restored car does. Once something is used, it is and forever will be used. A vehicle can be made to look new again, but is it ever actually new again? Not in my mind, but I digress. So without further a do, here are some pics of the "almost" completed project:


I did have the original paint gone over by a paint shop guru who freshened it up as best as he could because neither one of us felt it was a good idea to lose the original paint as it still looked pretty good. Unfortunately, red is a color that likes to fade out over time and my paint job shows that in spots. I did install a few "extras, like a dual front brake set up, engine guard bars, a Kaoko Throttle Stabilizer and a Z-1 Enterprises Easy Pull clutch lever. I have only managed to get a couple of miles on the bike before it snowed, but it ran fairly well. We will see when it gets nice out if it ever does. I also had the gauges restored by RestoZ. So feel free to comment, I know it doesn't look like many of the ones I have seen on this forum, but it was my first go at this. If it runs good I may strip it down next winter and go after the frame and wiring, but for now I am happy. Thanks again to those that helped me on this project.

Rick H.
P.S. I don't think one is ever really finished with something like this....

Some pictures I missed in my original post above:

Rick H.

Nice bike! When you have the time and patience, going down the rabbit hole can be fun. I've had to go way deeper into mine than I anticipated as well. Very well done with yours!

A 10 footer???:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Are you kidding, your bike looks like new!!!:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Great Job Rick... With the work you put in should be as solid as it looks....

absolutely beautiful,

I like it! Hard to find an original airbox or 4/2 exhaust for those bikes. Bob did a great job on the gauges. Did you do the controls yourself? They look good.

My only issue...get rid of the guards!

Thanks for all the comments guys. Coming from the experts here it's appreciated! Yes, did the controls myself. I have come to know the gentleman that owns Kaoko Throttle Stabilizers in South Africa. Contacted him years ago about making a stabilizer for my first BMW K1600. I really like having these stabilizers as they are called and I thought I would put one on this bike. Problem was they didn't make one for the older Z's and KZ's so I asked him if they could fab one up for me, which he did after I sent him the handlebar measurements. Install was quite easy save for the fact there is a welded seam on the inside of the handlebar that you have to get rid of. No problem though with a Dremel tool and carbide bit. The kit he made up has both bar ends as he didn't feel comfortable only having the extra weight on the right side. For those unfamiliar with the Kaoko product it is in reality an adjustable throttle lock and/or assist so you can relax your hand when riding. Another plus is on rough roads so your hands isn't jerking the throttle up and down. It's not for everyone and somewhat expensive, but in my case it works very well. I still have to repair the knob of the high/low beam light switch. Not sure if I want to replace the switch itself, or try to epoxy a knob back on place on the remaining switch stem. I was surprised when I received a new switch with how little material is present on the switch stem in order to attach the knob.

The engine guard bars were a carry over from my first '75 Z1-B. Back in the day guys were forever smacking curbs and stuff with the ends of the engine case so I just thought it was a good idea to put them on for safeties sake. Also give you a spot to put your foot for a brief change in riding position. Thanks again for the comments and the help you guys gave me.
Rick H.

Nice Bike Rick
E mail me some more pictures and I will do a BOTMonth feature
Dave

Fantastic Job!! Would You do it again knowing what all is involved?

asphalt900 wrote: Fantastic Job!! Would You do it again knowing what all is involved?

HA! What an absolutely terrific question and one that I have asked myself many times over the last 6 months! Had I not had the wisdom and knowledge of people on this forum then no, I wouldn't do it again. My wife of 40 plus years thinks I have quite literally gone off the deep end spending more in repairs to this bike than what I paid for it, but a substantial amount was spent on extemporaneous items that I needed, or thought that I would, such as timing advancers, carb holders, extra gaskets etc. This project also gave me the excuse I needed to replace some tools that I bought 40 years ago that needed to be replaced. I even bought a Kawasaki piston installation tool off Ebay, but in the end I didn't use it. Never having used one of those tools I didn't want to run the risk of marring any of the pistons trying to figure it out.

Even though I had taken Kawasaki's apart in the past, it was so long ago I had forgotten most all that I knew, so this was no small challenge to me, plus there is no one in my geographical area that I could ask for help. Fix up an old Harley in my area? No problem around Milwaukee, there's a plethora of help on Harleys, but not so with Kawasaki's. So while I wouldn't relish the idea of tearing into another one, I certainly wouldn't feel as tentative as I did when I started on mine last June. I think I have learned or re-learned a lot doing this bike and there are most assuredly things I would do differently given the chance, like overhauling my own carbs instead of farming them out for $500.00, but I am glad I took this project on. Now if it runs good and doesn't have any oil leaks I'll really be happy, but I now have to convince my wife not to have me committed.....
Rick H.

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Nice Bike Rick
E mail me some more pictures and I will do a BOTMonth feature
Dave

Thanks Dave, I'll send you some when I can get it outside and it isn't snowing or else you will get some grainy looking pictures.
Rick H.