"Tangerine Dream" / Glemseck - KZ750

Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Collected the wheels / tyres today. Glad I let someone else [ ie professional ] do the job, as the security bolts were a bitch [ his words ]. Still only charged me £10 though !

I'll pull the spindles and seal the bearings off at the weekend - the bearings were new 500 miles ago - so no point risking damaging them. Then it's off to the powder coaters. I'm looking for a real "Brassy" Gold for the finish - we'll see.

Also theres a 4.00 x 18" Dunlop trials tyre on E-bay. Brand new and currently £25. A bit small really, but hey for £25 !!!
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

As pointed out by someone who was thinking clearly - I cannot leave the bearings in situ, as the heat in the powder coating process will probably damage the seals !! ::) ::)

At the very least, there would probably be grease all over my nice new powder coating.

Just as well I've just bought a blind bearing puller ! ;D
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Yep definitely pop those bearings out, also the races for them too. Another tip from a powdercoater mate is to go to a hardware store and fill all threaded holes with cheap bolts and nuts and the same with any threaded studs. Makes the job much easier for them and will save you any potential tapping issues further on.

Also if you have a VIN plate riveted on, pop it off too as they will more often than not just powder coat straight over it!
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

ManxieRacer said:
Yep definitely pop those bearings out, also the races for them too. Another tip from a powdercoater mate is to go to a hardware store and fill all threaded holes with cheap bolts and nuts and the same with any threaded studs. Makes the job much easier for them and will save you any potential tapping issues further on.

Also if you have a VIN plate riveted on, pop it off too as they will more often than not just powder coat straight over it!

Hear you on using old bolts / screws. In fact I've used all the old original fixings as "blanks", then when I come to replace them with my nice shiny stainless items - 1 - I won't have to chase the threads out and 2 - I have a referrence as to which goes where ! Getting senile, need all the help I can get.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a portable 10 gallon sandblaster for all the blasting jobs I have to do. At £90 it should soon pay for itself.

Headsup on the vin plate ............ after I had one destroyed many years ago, I always remove them now.

The frame and s/arm are very badly surface corroded, so I plan to use a fine wrinkle finish paint - similar to the H-D engine paint, but a fraction of the price ! For that reason I might just blast the parts and paint them myself.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Price dropped to £80 with only three left - no brainer ! Will also handle Soda - bonus.

However - that WAS the money I'd saved for the wheels to be powder coated [ 2 x Tracker, 2 x BMW Fighter ] ::)

The pc company is on a long shutdown after the Christmas break - not back until 2nd week in January, so I'll leave the wheels until then.

 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

beachcomber said:
Price dropped to £80 with only three left - no brainer ! Will also handle Soda - bonus.

However - that WAS the money I'd saved for the wheels to be powder coated [ 2 x Tracker, 2 x BMW Fighter ] ::)

The pc company is on a long shutdown after the Christmas break - not back until 2nd week in January, so I'll leave the wheels until then.


Where did you buy that from Beachcomber? I'm looking for exactly this kind of thing and at £80 its a bargain!
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Yes - seen the very same thing for anywhere between £160 and £180!!!

Just checked - seems like they sold out! The company is "onlinepowershop2012".

There's a 20gal unit for £109 on E-bay currently.

Good luck !
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Well, due to lots of "as before mentioned" in my other threads - this project nearly got canned.

HOWEVER, as usual, seeing some superb bikes on the DTT Forum [ inc. BOTM ] has rekindled my interest in this project. Also, various people have come forward with offers of help with small fab and welding that I cannot do [ to a standard I want ! ].

It's really just the exhaust that will be the expensive part - as it has to be right.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Yep, this project has had more an and offs than a $50 dollar whore........................... ::)

So the new year and decent weather has prompted me to pull my finger out for one last hurrah.

Frame now down at my pal's workshop with all the relevant tubing cut and dressed ready for his ace welder to perform his magic on. While it's down there the rear of the top seat hoop behind the shock mounts will be plasma'd off, ready for an under seat plate cum battery / electrics tray to be welded in.

The wheels will get completely stripped down this week and off to the powder coaters - Gold.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Frame tubing all welded in place now - just down to taking off the remaining unwanted bracketery and then down to shotblasters.

I'll start taking pix again soon.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Frame finally ready for the shotblaster. The brake torque rod fixing on the swingarm is proving a bit stubborn and is soaking in WD40 at the moment.

Wheels undergoing final prep at the weekend and then all the bits off to the blasters - at least some progress !!



 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Thanx Desmo - always good to get encouragement ! 8)

Mock up of tank, seat tomorrow so I can get a pattern made for the underseat tray / finisher. All the electrics, battery etc will live in there
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

That frame still confuses me. Not sure if someone had chopped it up or it's not a 76 kz750. I know you modified it but still looks off. Here's a typical 76-79 KZ750B frame with then rear rounded off. Looks a lot different from yours.

8D04536C-7A6D-45F7-BD2D-027965E4D288-3510-00000195FC0B9DD7.jpg
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

crackerman said:
That frame still confuses me. Not sure if someone had chopped it up or it's not a 76 kz750. I know you modified it but still looks off. Here's a typical 76-79 KZ750B frame with then rear rounded off. Looks a lot different from yours.

8D04536C-7A6D-45F7-BD2D-027965E4D288-3510-00000195FC0B9DD7.jpg

No definitely OEM frame [ numbers match the V5 document ] - and definitely chopped up !!

When I got it the top tubes had been cut off and the lower diagonals added to lower the seat - don't forget it had been chopperised before I got it. The new top tubes join at the rear shock top mounts - which in themselves have been trimmed back and plated over. I left the "original" diagonals in situ, but replaced the rotted out tube that originally joined the two sides at the back.

Instead of a traditional seat hoop, there will be a 2mm. sheet steel tray under the seat attached to the frame tubes that follows the Tracker seat contour. The electrics etc will live in there and be completely sealed from the elements by the seat underside - breather for electrics of course.

Otherwise the frame is as it left the factory.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

The swingarm has had a proper inspection now - and is very rusty at the front.

Any suitable alternates ?? KZ750 stuff is pretty rare in the UK.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Thanx go out to Phil on the "www.lonesometwin.com " forum [ dedicated to KZ750s ] who took one of his spares to the Classic show at the weekend and only wanted a tenner [ £10 - $16 ? ] for it - top man.

Back to the mock up after the holiday weekend. Seems that my Weber conversion has grabbed a bit of attention - could be making up all 4 now !!
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Finally cleared enough of my garage to mock up the frame / tank / seat.

I'll probably make patterns for the side "racing number" panels while I'm at it. Next is the underseat electrics tray / support and then I can remove the remaining tabs and it's off to shotblasters with the swingarm and side stand.

 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

Not sure how I missed such a good KZ twin thread. Looking good BC. I've got an 81' that I'm getting back on the road.
 
Re: "Tangerine Dream" - KZ750

canyoncarver said:
Not sure how I missed such a good KZ twin thread. Looking good BC. I've got an 81' that I'm getting back on the road.

Why thank you kindly CC.

It took me a while to trip over the KZ750 - I wanted one "last" big parallel twin, and an XS650 was out - for the same reason I wouldn't put a Mojave tank on a TR1.

Originally it was to be a 60's style Cafe Racer [ back to my Constallation days ! ], but the TR1 was already well advanced [ and HAS to be finished ], and to be honest, my knees are not what they used to be and a Flat Tracker riding pose will be much kinder to my ageing joints !
 
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