Another KZ400???

StopBreakingDown

Active Member
Seems like quite a few KZ's have been poppin up on DTT and Chopcult so i figured i'd add to the collection. I've wanted a cafe racer for years now but just never seemed to pursue it until last summer when i got this bike. It's a 75' KZ400s (kickstart only) that i picked up for $600, ran perfect and was decently clean. Pretty much just rode it around in stock form all summer while i figured out what i wanted to do with it, plus i didnt really wanna tear it apart when i could go out and ride it hah.

It's slowly been comin together the past couple month. Not really goin for any particular style but it'll probably be more brat than anything. All i've done so far is clip-on's, extended the swingarm 2.5" and lowered the front a little. Tires should be here this week and i should have my seat ready for upholstery next week, then its clean up the frame (cut and grind off dumb unnecessary tabs) , get the rear hoop welded on and get it powdercoated then who knows hah.

Anyways here's some pics

The first day i got it, already messin around with it.

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then fall came and i started taking stuff off and figuring out what i needed/wanted to do

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and here's where its at now, extended 2.5" and lowered the front a little.

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Probably wont update this thread a whole lot since all i have is my camera on my phone but i thought i'd just throw it up here for any idea's or criticism.
 
StopBreakingDown said:
ya they are pretty fun bikes, when they're running right hah

Yeah, I'll let you know when mine runs well! Hard to start/get idling when cold, bastards.
 
Nice! I'll be interested to see how your knee dents go. They are one thing that has always intimidated me for one reason or another? I'm always trying to fix dents, so theres something about making them that I cant grasp..
 
haha ya well the PO dropped the bike so the right side of the tank is already dented pretty badly, i've got another tank i might run so if it turns out bad i'll just run the other tank.

Hopefully i can get the motor out today and get the frame ready for powdercoat and try the knee dents.
 
Damn! I wanna hit your tank with a hammer too... haha

I'm going over to Trietz in a bit to see if I cant help him figure out his elect. issues. Then it's back home to start wiring El' Pescado... yay!

EDIT: I have a couple buddies coming by later for a few beers. You are more than welcome to swing bye...
 
You didnt miss much last night. Except the opportunity to be a complete tard, and have it caught on record! haha

One pic from yesterday. After a few beers and scotch.
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ahhh shit that looks like a good time hah. I was stuck at my friends shop all day saturday while he was workin on his car, or else i would've came over. I did manage to beat the hell out of my gas tank while i was at the shop though... Man it's tricky to shape metal when there's dents in it that have been there for years hah

here's a pic of it so far

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Wait wait wait.....you just whacked the gas tank with a dead blow hammer and it turned out like that!!!!!??? I need to buy more hammers....
 
MotorbikeBruno said:
Wait wait wait.....you just whacked the gas tank with a dead blow hammer and it turned out like that!!!!!??? I need to buy more hammers....

pretty much... i just started in the middle and work my way out to the edges, it was pretty simple. I'm gonna use body hammers to try and get the edges as close to identical as i can. But ya go get an old junk tank and just try it out.
 
Very cool. You may have just saved my brain from trying to figure something out on my tank! haha. I'll find an old one and start hammerin' I'll be keeping an eye on yours though!
 
ok so got quite a bit done this weekend. Mounted the tires and put them on to see how high the hoops gonna need to be, got some uncracked carb boots off of another kz we have here at the local junk yard, and got the motor out and cut off all the useless tabs on the frame. Next up on the list is make battery mount, get the rear hoop welded on and get the frame ready for powder coat. While the frame is at powder coat i get to start polishing motor pieces and start doing filler work on the tank.

My friend came over who is really into photography so all i really have are some artsy fartsy photos lol, kinda wish i had just regular pics but oh well.

Tires mounted

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and the motor out and ready for cleaning

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then had some of these

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