Current Value of Lester Mags? 18"R drum & 19"F 4 bolt disc.

Looking for current value of Lester Mags?
Picked up a bike to use engine and some parts. It has lesters on it.
FBG built 1180cc , 38mm Lectrons, Dyno'd 124 HP on Paul's dyno yrs. ago. Old Bob Carpenter Header.
76 KZ900. 18" rear with drum brake. 19" front with 4 bolt disc brakes . I plan on cleaning them up with paint and buffing.
Actually has good rubber.
Just another project. Looking for opinions on value.
Thanks in advance.

My impression from watching Ebay is that the 4-bolt 19" front would go for something around $150. The 18" Z1 drum rear is more, maybe $300 and up to $500. A set of 6-bolt front 19 and 18 drum rear can go for maybe $600 to close to $1000. There are a bunch of different widths and variations, so they cover a wide range. Like if you have an 18" x 4" rear wheel, that would be worth a lot more than the 2.5" rear. On the other than, a 16" rear is cheap.

Any interest in trading that 18" drum rear wheel for an 18" disk rear Lester? I have a new one, never mounted.

I need the drum wheel to put my dad's Z1 drag bike back on the street. You mentioned in another thread about having a wheel double cut and welded to fit a fat tire. He did that same thing with the Lester that's on it now, to fit a flat slick. Oddly it has flanges from two different wheels, so the two sides don't match. Anyway, it's no longer a street wheel, so I'm looking for an unmodified Lester.

Hi DO, This is a new project. I just got it off my truck yesterday. The bike is a hybrid of parts. Title is a 77 vin. "B" LTD frame. It has 76 LTD front dual calipers. Drum back, seat latches were cut off for that fiberglass short rear cowl and seat. Now I just seen the engine #s The engine is a 75 Z1B, Z1E-057406. Someone might need that # for a resto? I am in the thinking and planning stage.
Engine runs strong and crisp! Has a reworked FBG tranny with neutral down all the way, and 5 up. It's all buggered up? I need to sell some things to recoup my investment. How wide is that rim you have? It will take a 5.5" slick nice. Do you have a picture?
Thanks.
Marty in Buffalo

Sell Them as a set. The 18" rear is a very rare bird you have there and still with the logo on it even though some curb rash and nicks. how straight are they? One thing for certain if removing the front rotors use extreme caution at removing those bolts as the threads will probably come with them.

Wow 9er, that is so good to know! Thanks! It seems they were on for a long time! A week's worth of Kroil & propane heat! That's when I get to it!
Like everything else, I am in the middle of selling off a honda vtr superhawk. Be glad you don't have to work on this thing! Worse than a sub-compact import car! Don't burn your eyeballs looking at a Honda! :laugh: :laugh:
The Guy said he ran 10.40 et's in the 1/4. Said it went straight, he has 2 steering dampers on it too.

I currently have 3 sets Ive collected over the years from barn finds. Definitely give a holler up on the price you decide. I would say buffed up and oridional paint would bring more cash up to $1200.00. Not all of us live back east.

I might be interested in those rims for my 750 twin hot rod project. Do you know the width of the rear rim?

DoctoRot wrote: I might be interested in those rims for my 750 twin hot rod project. Do you know the width of the rear rim?

Does the 750 twin use the rear drum brake from the 900 or from the kz650? I know Lester made a kz650 specific wheel.

Hi DOHC, it's the skinny one. I have not looked real close yet. But the tire is a 130.
Did someone spray paint on the rib lines? Are they clean when new, the lines on the spoke parts?
I see both ways? Here is a pic of one. Or do people just shine up the lines?

Is the wheel size stamped on it anywhere? Ideally I’d like to move up to a 140/18 I think I need a t least a 3-3.5’’ wide rim to do that properly.

The kz750G used the same drum as a kz650 however with a 20mm axle instead of 17mm. What ever is going on with these rims I will make it work if I go that route.

z1kzonly wrote: Did someone spray paint on the rib lines? Are they clean when new, the lines on the spoke parts

DoctoRot wrote: Is the wheel size stamped on it anywhere? Ideally I’d like to move up to a 140/18 I think I need a t least a 3-3.5’’ wide rim to do that properly.

It's most likely that this is a 18x2.15" wheel. That's what I've seen the most. So a 120 is about as wide as you can go. The size is stamped on the flat inside of one of the spokes. Like this. It's hard to read, but it says "18x2.15TL" on the top and Lester on the bottom with what I'm assuming is the date, 6 13 77.



Also, z1kzonly, I talked to my dad about his wheel. The first half was done by Puppet, just like yours. He ran it like that with the tire offset, and then later my dad and some friends did the other half.

Interesting. I had not considered widening. There is place close to me that does custom widening.