kz750 twin....bratstyle/cafe bastard (strap on sally) phase 1 complete

sinbad85

Been Around the Block
thats when i saw the z? sitting on ebay....
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after contacting the owner he told me he was after a smaller bike for scooting around on....i suggested a swap....
2hours laters (minus a postie a 500 bucks) i was cruising back over the harbour bridge on my newly aquired kawa....
damn it felt so good to be back on something with abit of balls....
after getting it home i checked it out thoroughly and discovered that the previous owner/s may have not looked after her so well... so i started the routine maitenence checklist that any decent bike guy would do...
ripped the seat off and was instantly inspired by what i saw....
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potential for coolness?
i thought so!
thats where this story begins.....
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

What a great story. Welcome, from another Aussie.
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

traded for this baby last april and now its finally starting to look alot more like i had envisioned.....
i like the wrenchmonkee bikes and anything that has been bobbed chopped slammed stretchedand super clean....also im more of a fan of bare metal than paint....so after i painted the side covers silver with the tank....i decided i wanted metal
here is my progress.......so far....
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made up a smaller brake light using a trailer plastic i had lying around....
i actually used the kz globe and housing with the trailer surround.....hybrid style....ha...and smaller dirtbike indicators....
then on went the original honda postie bars.....
as seen in the first pic..... these were a little lower than the original plus alot more straight.....i felt they gave it a much more badass stance....
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sourced some shorter shocks from ebay....
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bring that ass end down abit.....
also it feels though the change in geometry it wants to track alot straighter now.....(harder tipping into corners) but its ok itjust means you need to steer with the ass a little more...
ive had me n the missus on it no probs with the shorter travel....
heres where the bikes name comes from.... the shocks are on the hardest preset....strap on sally is doing gnarly things to your ass.....all in a good direct way though....haha.
the huge stock seat had to be excused of its duties.... now sally bites....hard!
i love the nitroheads seats so i decided to get one......thanks ebay.....previouse owner didnt like the seat coz the stitching is slightly crooked....so he sold it to me for a gem price....
also the stock mufflers had to go..... on went some straight pipes with internal baffles to give some shhhhh...... (originally i had used the baffle bolts through to the rear exhaust mounts-they were cheap chinese bolts and coz they were stressed one blew out under hard exeleration- i thought "shit ive blown a piston/rings") but it was all sweet...
upon mounting the new seat i had too cut off the rear tab on the fuel tank....
it rattled around like a bitch and was making the bike feel very dodgy so i made up some belt straps to hold the tank down tight........(inspired by one of shinya kimuras bikes) it works really well and the bike felt solid as a rock after the straps....(also fits in nicely with the 'strap-on sally' theme....
i flipped the number plate off to the side with a custom mount coz i like the look of the clean rear.....open wheel etc...
heres some shots....
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oh by the way i removed all gauges and lights..... for the clean look.....
plus you really take alot more notice of everything else on the road without these distractions i thinks.....man and machine!
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you can also probly see in the photos that i changed the headlight mounts (coz i hated the built in reflectors on the original...)
i had some from an old cb250 lying around.... i cut and tie-wired them on dodgily (but strong) till i get a new smaller headlight....
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i also changed out the huge rear indicators and gave a slight bobb to rear guard but for me it still was no where near short enough...... i wanted a nice metal hoop to follow the curve of the seat....
also the new rear indicators i had put on were shoit quality dirtbike ones......which broke..... so i had to replace with some good quality ones.....
new......vs old (taped up with silver electrical tape so they would stay on after they broke)
and bare metal tank
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.....
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

cheers staffy! im playing catch up.... fast
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

hoop hoop hoop!
decided asap that the rear needed to go.....
i am a very impatient person..... so as usual i went out bought some metal and that day rode down to grandmas......disassembled........cut grinded welded reassembled then rode home!!!!
theres nothing quite like a 40minute shakedown run..... after EVERY MOD or a days works......
i used to love leaving my bike in pieces for a month at a time while i did bits and pieces......
but the biggest positive about doing it this way is that it means the bike is never off the road.... so no money going to waste while its rego'd n off the road...its a daily rider..... and my favourite bike to date....
so here it the new tail section before welding.....
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put some sleeves into the frame and hoop to give me some metal behind to tack too......(just in case) the old stick has known to be quite harsh in my hands before....
another angle...
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much cleaner.....
definatelly follws the lines of the rear seat.....
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

Looking great brother.
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

new tyres......maybe new front end.........vtr1000f??? and wheels???? eventually!!!!!!!
drag bars and new controls/master cylinder asap......along with front braided brake lines.......ow...cant wait....
clutch has been slipping of late so i got a barnett klutch kit for it on the way.....new throttle and clutch cables.....mattylight re-wire, wheel bearings steering head bearings.....chain and sprockets newer ratio......highway geared.....k and n filters.....
eventually a mac 2-1 with a re-jet.... strap on sally paint theme..... the list goes on.....
and im sure with alot/abit of encouragement from you guys.... things may get real extreme....
haha peace and ill keep those of you who want to know upto date.....
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

love these big kz twins. seat and rear hoop look great. I agree with the modern inverted fork front end swap. ive never seen stock kz forks that werent spongy.

could you take some more pics of the mounting points for the tank straps? it looks bad ass.
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

dp- took some photos this morning with my old camera......
to attach the straps (just vinyl belts from jay jays 10 bucks each)
behind the neck of the frame there is a tiny gap between the lower backbones and the top.....(kinda hard to explain)
i just bent a long bolt slightly and punched the bolt through the belt..... then used rubber grommets between the frame and the belt (to spread the load on the belt so it doesnt tear) and so the bolt doesnt touch the frame....to avoid any wear.
on the outside of the long bolt i used some trackstand bobbins i had originally bought for the vtr...
i used the bobbins so i can hook an occy strap to them and tie stuff down to the tank when i go on a longer ride....
(i plan on riding this thing from sydney to cairns and back......eventually)
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the bottom part of the belts has been bolted to the frame......(where the battery bolts are) {not the + or -} haha
then you'll see the dodgy coat hanger which allows the seat to slide right up.....(i plan on welding some steel bar to the frame which will be alot more permanent than this temporary fix) without the coat hanger on there the belts slip to the side of the tank)
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so i got the drag bars on!!!!
and the new master cylinder!!!! my custom hydraulic stainless steel lines were JUST the right size...... i had to actually drop the front end 5mm just so there was enough slack in the lines......
pulled off both calipers and gave them a thorough cleaning then flushed the system and triple bled the brakes....
FARK YES.....she pulls up so much better now.......the bike must have had the originall brake fluid in it......only 28 years old..
it is extremely tight where the banjo bolt at the m/c comes out.... it is about .5mm off the top of the fork...
i might get some new risers/slightly longer steel line...just so i can lower the angle of m/c and brake lever.....(its needs about 3 degrees more to be perfect)
i had to get quite creative with the throttle and clutch cable routing......but i will shorten and re- route them asap!
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underslung postie mirror.......
i took off the old pegs a while ago and put on some bear claws that my mate had taken off his dr650
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heres the shot of my tack job on the hoop.......ugly i know......but it is strong......and it will be tigd up soon. then painted....
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i took off the "kawasaki" front brake line splitter cover.....i think it looks alot more raw without
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new downtube mounted indicators to clean up the front forks.......(mounts will be painted)
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and last the obligatory standard side shot.....
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Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

i think im definatley going to get a new front guard......and also put a tiny one on the rear...... when riding in the wet....like this it flicks so much shit all over your back! not cool...
my neighbour also wants to do some pinstriping in the tank.....and some latin script......should be sick!
need a new tyre on the front asap.....gotta mount the seat properly! tidy up some electrics/ relocate the key/lock!....
am looking at a new front end because you said it!!!! spongy shit front ends on these kz's!!!! prob the worst ive ever experienced...
peace
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

Wicked budget build so far, Im enjoying it.

Sydney to Cairns hey? I hitch hiked that last year as well as did it in an old holden wagon I had..Its a beautiful trip.

looking forward to seeing more. Any close shots of the plate mount?
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

hey tron, heres that photo of the mount.......
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just a peice of plate.....with some nice pine.......(yep) curved for the plate.....mounted off the lower shock bolt,
the 90degree bracket is actually originally used as a mobile phone display holder in retail stores...
but this side mount wont be staying much longer anyway....
 
Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally)- new fenders

got abit crafty yesterday and painted and tidied up the rear hoop/ re-ground and welded seat support......
here is the tacked and slightly ground shot......i welded her up tight......picked up the whole bike by the new bracket with my engine hoist just to check strength....
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Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

rain rain too much rain..... equals rusty tank........
i decided a clear coat was in order.....+ getting soaked riding around the last week due to the lack of fenders......solution= down to deus and scored a blank fender and had a great chat with their parts guy taka........ i have to say as soon as i held the fender up to the bike it sat perfectly........it was definatly more than what i wanted to pay, but hey
here it is just mocked up.....
experimenting lengths....
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way to long....... still looks half decent though......
i have to say......before i mounted the fender i thought......if somehow i stuff it up, when its crooked it will ruin the whole look of the bike...... but it wasnt too hard at all.... it sits perfectly under the hoop.......i mounted it with rubbers so it will reduce vibration.....blah blah blah pics say it all.......
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the third mount i made a little bracket to the bottom of the battery box....... super strong....
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Re: here goes: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally) from down under!!

chop chop and i made 2 fenders from 1.........half price.....
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here shows before and after sanding plus clear cote (to match the tank).....front vs rear.
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Re: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally/trick 13) new fenders!!!

Hey man! Im new to the forum, but I am building a 76 kz750 twin and was wondering where you found those straight pipes. Is it a crossover from another bike, or did you just get lucky?? I can't find anything under 300 bucks and I've checked salvage yards, nothing seems to fit like the ones you have.
 
Re: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally/trick 13) new fenders!!!

swivel......yeah the plan is get a sportster style tank and "frisco" mount it...... then maybe with double fuel taps out each side....
maybe something like this>>>
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but i think coz my bike isnt a hardtail the lines wouldnt flow.........
the other problem i have is.......the bike runs a triple backbone so mounting a sportster tank means now theres a whole lot of exposed frame/tubing... not too mention then ide have to relocate the coils......and the wiring harness.... or the other option would be to cut out the triple backbone in favour if a big thick single tube......which would require an engineers cert...etc...
so at the moment im sticking with the original tank, maybe with a new filler cap... i feel ya about the cylinder head and the carbs though....would look awesome exposed.....
 
Re: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally/trick 13) new fenders!!!

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Jradofarms said:
Hey man! Im new to the forum, but I am building a 76 kz750 twin and was wondering where you found those straight pipes. Is it a crossover from another bike, or did you just get lucky?? I can't find anything under 300 bucks and I've checked salvage yards, nothing seems to fit like the ones you have.

300 bucks u shopuld be able to get and exhaust shop to build a custom exhuast from scratch......u in the states??? im in oz so that would probly cost about 1000 to 2000 for a full custom job.....

BUT.......seriosly these pipes cost me all up about 100 bucks.....

do you have the original headers???

these were my original headers...........i went down to a car exhaust place and just got him to cut me off about 400mm of 1 3/4 mild steel tube......he charged me 25 bucks from memory......then it was just a matter of cutting/removing... off the old crossover pipe and mufflers.....then slipping the new straight pipes over the headers about 2 inches from memory....then welded the pipe to the headers.... then made a l;ittle bracket at the rear to support the length....
then i chucked some baffles in there to add abit of shhhhh!!! (still loud though)

next step was then to wrap the pipes........(i know how some people feel about pipewrap- i dont care) the pipe looks heaps fatter wrapped!!!

the heat wrap i got was a charcoal grey/black ($70) but the colour kept getting lighter and lighter from sun/rain...... to combat this i have given them a light coat with a black high temp exhaust paint.... thus making them black again...

also ill had that i had to remove the center stand for this exhaust....as it wouldnt go all the way back up-----therefore scraping on the ground whilst cornering....dangerous!!! but fun.......now gone.= weight reduction... 2kgs center stand plus probly 1.5kgs with the new exhaust.

so.......jradofarms.......ide suggest having a go.....and building some out of what youve got....it will be much more satisfying (bragging rights) and you'll definatly learn some new skills on the way.....and you'll form more of a bond with your bike...
sure there'll probly be some ups and downs.....some cursing and throwing wrenches..... but i reckon you'll have a great time.
 
Re: 1983 kz750 twin (strap-on sally/trick 13) new fenders!!!

honestly, i just like the sportster tank shape........it doesnt mean i wish i had a harley.....and i dont really care what any harley owners would think of me......
however i think if i had one of those 454 tanks alot of people would be like 'wtf tank is that?' and probably it would create alot of interest..... i bought a chrome ct150 tank for an old project.....ill take a pic with that mocked up......looks tough/ridiculous.... mounting would be a bitch though.....
anyway i will leave the tank for now as i have just purchased some k&n pods and filter wraps which ill do soon!
plus i still have to put in the barnett clutch (can't wait)
BUT..... the most exciting thing.....

i just purchased a new front end for it.....
04 r1 usd's
will get a photo up when i receive these goodies........
hopefully the stem on the r1 is long enough for the neck of the kz.......
 
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