'77 Kz1000 Restoration & Preservation

Streetfighterkz

Been Around the Block
I picked up this mostly original '77 Kz1000 a few weeks ago from the original owner. He had stored it since the early '80s. It was missing the mirrors, tool tray, petcock, chain guard, and stock front signals (had HD handlebar mounted ones). The bike has 10,702 actual, original miles on it and sits on the original tires as far as I can tell.

The goal is to make a nice preserved "survivor" and ride it to bike night, shows and occasionally work.

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More to come...

Later, Doug
 
I pulled the carb rack as the slides were frozen. Turns out the carbs were never drained and actually still had some gas (or some liquid that was once gas) left inside the bowls. To say the carbs were slightly varnished was a understatement.
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I ended up buying a can of NAPA Carb Dip (similar to Berrymans) and a couple of cans of aerosol carb cleaner too. It still took some elbow grease but got most of the funky gunk gone.
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I also cleaned up the side cover emblems. The black paint flaked off with just a little help from a small flat blade screwdriver.
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Later, Doug
 
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Installed the used set of mirrors I bought and found/installed a set of stock front signals. The bike is pretty much back to stock with the exception of a missing chain guard and a Pingel petcock I had in storage.

I also installed a new Yuasa sealed battery and a fresh set of plugs. Everything should be ready to fire it up when I get the carbs reassembled.

Later, Doug
 
Well, I finally took a break from my '78 Kz1000 project to finish up the carbs on the '77.

Buttoned them up and installed them on the engine without attaching the airbox ducts. The engine started without much hesitation. I can tell the carbs need a real sync as I only got them close by eye. I did feel confident enough to hook up the airbox and silencer.

I took temp readings each exhaust pipe and they read 130, 205, 150, 85 (L-to-R).

I think I need to sync and go from there. Thoughts?

Later, Doug
 
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Been working on other people’s bikes and finally got them picked up and out of my garage. Turned my attention back to my ‘77. Got the front and rear (finally) brakes functional. Carbs are pretty good. They were a touch out of sync. Everything is back together. Just need to put fuel in the tank and take it for a very short & slow ride around the cul-de-sac. Next up is to get new tires, tubes, and rim strips.

Later, Doug
 
Update: New tires (IRC GS-11’s) , tubes, and rim straps have been installed. Cleaned the tank out some as it had a little surface rust from sitting empty for 3 decades. (Installed a couple inline filters, too). Also, bought a quality reproduction fuel tap as the original was missing and a Pingel hit the airbox.

Fired it up and rode it for a little over a mile through my subdivision.

A couple observations: the front brake was dragging some and needed a quick clean up around the piston, the clutch is a bit grabby and the bike is really cold blooded. Other than that seems to be functional.

Yesterday I transferred plates to it so it’s 100% legal and road-worthy.

Later, Doug
 
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