'78 KZ1000 Ugly Duckling

Christmas come early. I got a deluge of goodies in the mail, including Progressive springs, an All Balls fork seal kit, the same Ohlins copy shocks 750 R1 used on his beautiful tribute project (Thanks for the inspiration), and a really lovely top triple clamp from Cognito Moto. Unfortunately, that top triple was supposed to be machined out for a Motogadget mini speedo, so I need so send it back. The guys at Cognito Moto were absolutely great about it, though. I called them up and they had emailed me a return shopping lable before I was off the phone. They're a real classy shop.
 

Christmas indeed 

I put those same rear shocks on my 750...

They sure look sweet on there. How do you like them?

For the 6 miles I got on it, I didn't notice them.  I had several other gremlins taking all my attention while getting it back to my shop.  Not to be unexpected for a frame off rebuild.  I just have the carb synch left to do before the next test drive, but winter has been too cold to bring the motor up to temp with the shop doors open.  Warmer temps are right around the corner, so I am really looking forward to putting some REAL miles on her!!

I may have an update on those shocks later on down the track, I have a suspension specialist not far from where I live , I'm thinking of taking them to him to see just how good the valving inside is and the scope of adjustability. My curiosity gets the best of me and I like to know all the nitty gritty details. I'll say one thing though, you won't get a better shock for the money, there are shocks that are 5 times as much as these that don't have the functionality of these shocks, The only thing that concerned me was spring rate, but springs aren't real expensive, if I need to change out the springs it won't worry me at all, I am a fussy bugger though...!!!

If it weren't for fussy buggers, fraudulent hacks like me couldn't just slap stuff together!

$75 per spring, 2 per shock, x 4 corners.  Yeah, springs are cheap!!  Hahaha!!!

wrote:

$75 per spring, 2 per shock, x 4 corners.  Yeah, springs are cheap!!  Hahaha!!!

Trust you to complicate things !!!   

Hobbies are expensive, m'kay??? (South Park reference)  

But wait; there's more!

 

All Balls steering head tapered bearing kit and a teeny Antigravity battery that somehow supplies 360 CCA.

I'd better get some of this stuff on the bike...

I had to leave town for a couple weeks, but I've managed to do a little wrenching, and now it's a roller!

 

In the words of The Dude, new shit has come to light. My lovely wife has landed a dream job up in Jackson Hole, WY, where we'll be moving at the end of May. This means I'll get to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth (the house the school is providing us is actually in Grand Tetons national park), but it also means I'll be somewhere the real estate market is so nuts that I'll be stretched thin to secure a garden shed. Now the pressure is on to get this bike built in a couple months, while I've still got access to a shop.