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Wanted to replace my 02VFR with something without vtec to simplify my life. To save on bills I decided to go vintage and I found this nice looking 77 KZ650. Had stayed away from DOHC bikes until now for simplicity sake but for a daily decided that it would make for a smoother ride. Got the bike for $800 but it wasn't getting power to any of the lights and wouldn't start. Kid said it had a new stator, reg, and rec. he was deployed last year and the bike had been sitting since. Based on how clean it was I took the gamble it wouldn't be to bad.
Getting it apart it does look like some of the electrical was changed out and since they didn't have jap connectors it's all gross. They also had a battery that was to tall in the bike and it has shorted itself out on the seat. Battery was so shot my charger wouldn't recognize it. So, new battery and lights and things work. Getting some parts from fleebay and hope to get her on the road.
Congrats on BOTY, well deserved. I have a love of these ol KZ's too. I have two 650 motors, a few frames, wheels, etc.. I'll throw together one day I'm looking forward to your build. Looks like it's in great shape to start with.
Congrats on BOTY, well deserved. I have a love of these ol KZ's too. I have two 650 motors, a few frames, wheels, etc.. I'll throw together one day I'm looking forward to your build. Looks like it's in great shape to start with.
There isn't a ton to do, yet.... New seat, new bars, fix up the wiring... then assuming it does run then i'll be happy for now. Then i'll rebuild the carbs, maybe put some slimmer turns on it, rebuild or upgrade front suspension, maybe put a small fairing on the front.
First thing im working on, the controls were shit, paint flaked insides were corroded switchs didn't work. So i took them apart, cleaned up the housings, powder paint, soldered a broken wire on the turn signal board... going to pull the wires through the bars and get them put back together.
Tifun came over and hit the paint with his DA and got it all shiny. There is a part that looks like someone hit it with 100 grain paper that'll need some real love but I'll wait for that.
He also brought over some unknown bars with holes already cut for inner wires. About 5" rise which looks about perfect for what I need. It's not that far off from these mini apes that came on it, just without the limp wrist assist. Shits gonna be bolt on and I'm got gonna have to fuck with drilling a million holes in handle bars. Score one thanks Tifun!
Good choice on bars those should improve the ride experience without taking comfort away too much. I hate the limp wrist bend bars too. Nice they are already drilled too.
I put almost the exact set on the GL after the crash, my old set was just a little to low an since they broke in 3 places I went with about an inch higher. Bike still handles the same but my back and wrists are much happier.
Just finished my KZ650 (700cc bore) and Andrews #20 Cams. I put 86 miles on it so far since the rebuild and I am OBSESSED! So much power. It's a nasty sleeper.
Just finished my KZ650 (700cc bore) and Andrews #20 Cams. I put 86 miles on it so far since the rebuild and I am OBSESSED! So much power. It's a nasty sleeper.
Right now I dont plan to mess with the engine if I can help it. However, depending on how much I love the bike maybe some of that will be done next winter
That King and Queen seat is an abomination on one of then most gracefully styled bikes of the Seventies. Hopefully you'll have a ceremonial burning when it comes off.
Aside from that, sounds like you've got a great project brewing.
Well one of them was a '1976 kz650 seat' but ended up being a ltd seat so I'm not fighting the seller on giving me my money back (didn't make a model with this seat in 77) other stuff is some wiring harness stuff as mines poopie.
Unfortunately the bars I got from tifun where bent so they went in the trash. Had a set of bike master Daytona bars I cut up and threw on instead then. I liked the free ones better, little higher little more pull back but I'll run these for now and tifun had no idea what they came from.
Going to have to get new throttle cables, clutch cable, and brake line... these are all about 8" to long from the mini apes that were on it.
I had super bike bars on my '78 650 and the kz400/440 clutch cable works good for them. Motion Pro Clutch Cable 03-0005 - 48.5" long with 4" slack, it's a half inch more slack than stock but you can adjust it out. The kz1000D throttle cables work good for both the push and pull but they have a .25" less slack than stock so it's a little tight to get it on but they do work.Motion Pro Throttle Cable 01-0233 - 40" long with 3.75" slack. One of my pet peeves is overly long cables.
I had super bike bars on my '78 650 and the kz400/440 clutch cable works good for them. Motion Pro Clutch Cable 03-0005 - 48.5" long with 4" slack, it's a half inch more slack than stock but you can adjust it out. The kz1000D throttle cables work good for both the push and pull but they have a .25" less slack than stock so it's a little tight to get it on but they do work.Motion Pro Throttle Cable 01-0233 - 40" long with 3.75" slack. One of my pet peeves is overly long cables.
These bars are not as low as superbike bars. The bars that came on it were really large, so these cables are super long. I was looking at just getting stock cables. Do you know if both push and pull are the same cable? I was looking at the motion pro 03-0001, but some people say its the pull cable, some say its the push cable, and no one says its both. However, I cant find any other cables out there. If you think i'll still run into length issues with my daytona bars i'll look into those kz100d cables, but I get annoyed quick fucking with throttle cables and that sounds like a sure fire headache. This weekend i'll run the current measurements and see what size cables seems to fit best.
That does look nice, but not very good for 2up. I want to make sure these says a full 2up bike for the lady. I really like this seat from ebay but im not paying that much. At this point im just going to take my current couch seat to the local guy and see what he would charge to form it up into one similar.
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