beater's kz400 build - video up!

beater · Nov 19, 2009

ok - been lurking a while, but decided to post this up here. I have it on the kz400 board, but I thought I might get some more feedback here. I have a boat load of pics so far, I just wish there was an easy way to post them here.

Bike is a 1978 kz400b1. Bought the bike as a rough beater, the owner swore he did a bunch of stuff, but it was really a pile. Good compression though, so it became mine.

Idea is to build up a "repli-racer" or what would have been a bracket race bike back then.

So far, I have:

Built a center dump exhaust
cut tabs from frame
cut passenger pegs/frame off
bobbed tail
built/formed new seat from 22 and 28ga steel
cleaned out the carbs
a nos fork kit with emulators
ebay forks
r1 throttle
r1 master cylinder
fzr clutch lever
fzr rear sets
fzr heel plates
1" longer rear shocks

Still to come:
Clip ons/clubmans
steel brake line
led tail light/signals
a real headlight (possibly a ducati ss fairing/light I have laying around

Too many pics to post one by one. If someone knows a batch way, I am all ears.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8761598@N08/sets/72157622709291847/

boingk · Nov 19, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

Nice work beater, some good photos there. You may want to consider posting up its original state, and then how it sits now with perhaps a few crucial stages along the way. I'd imagine no more than say 6 photos, but its definitely your call - post as many as you want. Unfortunately I know no way of 'bulk posting' them. As an aside, many people prefer to post their images as reduced size items. If you haven't done so already, 640x480 is generally a good size.

Anyway, all that technical crud aside, I like the direction you're taking the bike in. Looks very clean, no fuss or bother about it. Do you have any plans for the engine itself?

Cheers - boingk

beater · Nov 19, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

well - it put out 42 sae net when it was new, about 32~36 bhp stock, and weighed in about 407lbs, so anything would be an improvement right? The exhaust actually restricts back down to a 1.5" perforated outlet, so that should keep some torque. I will probably clean out the head ports a bit, add dual coils or a accel super coil, advance the timing a bit, and call it a day. My goal is to get it down to 340lbs, but I don't know if I'll make it.

I need to reinforce the swinger, and that will have to be in steel, as well as add in a fork brace, but I might try and lighten the flywheel too.

I select some pics to put up...

j

beater · Nov 19, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

bike was a "one family bike" when I brought it home:

check out the forks and seriously, I think he thought rtv on the caps would fix the leak

he really rtv'd the carb boots, THEN painted them!

before gutting/chopping

Yes Virginia, that's piano wire holding up the auto kickstand

I think the caliper was frozen on one side..

stock seat cut:

exhaust fabbed:

extra fairing laying round? Might be cool - duc tach is mechanical, we'll see

De-tabbed

frame bobbed, seat pan mocked and fitted

seat pan detail. It will be mounted on stock rubber bumpers, hinged, and use the original seat lock. I am going to mount the electrics on a separate pan under the seat, welded in the rails

I want to form a copper battery box, inner finder/hugger and front fender, but the wife wants kawi green like the h1/h2r

beater · Nov 20, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

fabbed up the mounts for the rear set and tacked them on. Left the mig gas on so I had to tig them (vertical 110 degree angle tig sucks)

beater · Nov 21, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

all day and not much progress. Got a brace fabbed up for the swingarm, but it's still a little flexy. I have to find some more stiffening points. Got some more work done on the seat pan as well as removed the factory seat mounts.

Accidentally got to close with the plasma and blew a hole in the frame. oops.

pics tomorrow or the next day.

woodardhsd · Nov 22, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

What did you use to cut the seat foam? Looks like it worked really well. Are you planning on re-using the stock cover? Cant wait to see how the seat turns out since I though about doing the same to my cb400t.

perattzi · Nov 22, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

Alright another KZ! Looking great so far! I think that quarter fairing will look sick if you can mount it low.

noahdog · Nov 22, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

perattzi said:
Alright another KZ! Looking great so far! I think that quarter fairing will look sick if you can mount it low.

I noticed this week at bike night that it looks like you can swap and flip the headlight ears upside down to lower the headlight 3". I've been looking for a 1/4 fairing for my KZ400 and have been concerned about the clubman bars hitting the fairing so I started at looking at options to lower the bucket.

beater · Nov 22, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

woodardhsd said:
What did you use to cut the seat foam? Looks like it worked really well. Are you planning on re-using the stock cover? Cant wait to see how the seat turns out since I though about doing the same to my cb400t.

well - what else would you use on a japanese bike? a Ginsu knife!

I have scratched using the two up seat. Looked like poo and was real wide

supercafe · Nov 22, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

whats up,

like the build so far, nice work on the rear sets.
as for the pic posting, go to photobucket.com and set up there.
upload your pics on there, then put the arrow on the pic and it will bring up four files, go to the bottom one on the list. then click on it to copy, go to your post in the forum and paste it, that it.
it is really easy. i think it is the img file or some thing like that its the last one any way.

any way, looking good.
later.

beater · Nov 23, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

final? swinger bracing...

seat ready for glazing/primer. I have a couple air gaps, but its 28ga and that's a pain even on tig

seat pad will be shaped minicell foam.

tomorrow I mock the wiring plate under the seat pan and figure out were to fit the battery.

supercafe · Nov 23, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

hey man,

have a question, why the swing arm brace??????????
to stiffen the arm up, for better handling, etc.???????
looks cool but what is the function?????????????????

any way, coming along nice.
later.

beater · Nov 23, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

supercafe said:
hey man,

have a question, why the swing arm brace??????????
to stiffen the arm up, for better handling, etc.???????
looks cool but what is the function?????????????????

any way, coming along nice.
later.

a, because I can.
b, stiffen up the old girl a bit
c, looks cool

I can always cut if off it it gets in the way lol..

j

supercafe · Nov 23, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

cool,

keep me posted on how it works, as for handling, stiffining in the bike.
might be interesting to see how it works.

any way, keep me posted thanks.
later.

beater · Nov 24, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

got some little things done. Started replacing the fork guts and cleaning the legs. New progressive springs/emulators. I will probably add a spacer of about 15mm as well - maybe a stack of quarters to be real old school.

got the linkage on both sides for the rear sets fabbed. I chose the fzr sets as the levers/controls are steel. They may be heavier than aluminum, but easier to play with to get right. (I can tig copper better than aluminum - lol) I just sectioned in some rod for the shift linkage, and cut the old rod mount tab off of the original brake lever and welded it in place to the brake side.

Cleaned - slightly polished for leg:

Rocan · Nov 24, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

looking good!

beater · Nov 27, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

ok so now with the mono-shock xs up, I feel really inadequate. Just thought I'd share. Anyway - did some more mokcing up and stuff.

The R6 short turn throttle is 4" too short. oh well. I'll just use a dirt bike one I guess. I did get the radial master, clubmans and the panel for the batteries and electircs put on.

beater · Dec 6, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe

ok - been doing a lot of research and shopping, but I managed to get a few things done.

You can't really see from the pics, but I polished the bar mounts and the triples.

I have been around cars and bikes all my life, and I have never seen what came out of this caliper. It was like some brownish gelatin. Man was it bad, and to think the previous owner was riding this turd! Caliper was completely stuck, but no lasting damage. polished the bore and piston and it went back together with no leaks.

Got the master on and bled, just for feel. It's a brembo radial 16mm from a r6 (2009) I am going to keep the yamahopper controls too as they are so much cleaner than the old ones. Plumbed it with a 4an 36" steel line from aai speed equipment. They're a local shop, but I highly recommend them for go fast stuff. www.aaispeed.com

Remounted the stock cluster by flipping the bracket and mounting it under the stock mounts. I am not sure, but I think I like it. I had to re-angle the bracket, but it let's me keep the ignition where I want it.

Does anyone know where to get new gauge rubbers? The isolation mounts on the back of the gauge?

all for now

midnightcafe · Dec 6, 2009

Re: beater's kz400 cafe build - first cafe bike build

nice progress. what made you ditch your first seat attempt and fab your own? was it simpler (I'm on the fence on the same issue)?

beater's kz400 build - video up!

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