78 KZ650 cafe/race/boardtracker

[six206]

I was at the gas station filling up my KZ550 and a guy walks up and starts talking to me about it. After a little chatting he said he had a kz650 that he wanted to sell, for shits and giggles I asked how much and he said $100. I was excited and imagined some untouched bike in a shed but then started getting realistic and wondered what kind of shape a $100 motorcycle could be in. Went and checked it out and it was all about worth $75. So drug it home and it was in sad sad shape.

got to work and stripped it and figured out it was at laid down on both sides. I was in luck because at some point little highway bars were put on it and took most of the impact and saved the cases. Unfortunately the left fork leg is tweaked pretty bad. The good news is motor is spotless! Compression test shows everything is tight and oil looks new. Decided to keep the stock tank and got to work pulling out the dents and lead filling the badge holders on the sides. (I'll post some photos soon) Here it, I like the lines of the frame but I don't like the 16" rear wheel. The plan is to find a 18" rear wheel that is set up with drum brakes (clean and simple)

Other plans:
custom 4-1 header out of stock pipes (something that dumps right before your right knee)
front end swap (don't know what, need to figure what will fit)
the carbs and total shit, so maybe something wild like 2 weber side drafts or solex set up
head light might be this-

and the tail will be formed out of aluminum around a Continental tail light and bezel (photo soon)

If it looks like what I think it will look like it will be pretty different. This will be pretty far from checkered stripes and and ace of spades stickers.

 

[rocketman]

My man! Board tracker kz650, yeaah!
Nice grab

 

[six206]

That's the idea, even though it won't really be a board tracker, I just want to look like some GI had a '70s Jap bike with mag wheels and disc brakes and threw something together to race on the weekends in his garage in the '40s.

Here's another headlight option and the tail light I'm going to use.

The tail light won't be that tall, I'm going to trim off a few inches off the bottom but you get the basic shape of that the tail is going to look like.

I'm also diggin the flat glass headlight...

 

[canyoncarver]

Looking forward to this build. I've got a garage full of 78' KZ650 stuff awaiting some magic..

 

[six206]

Thanks, If I can pull off what I'm thinking it will be pretty cool. Have any KZ stuff you want to sell?

 

[canyoncarver]

I have several sets of forks that I need to pull out and look at. I've got 4 sets and only need one good set. I'll look through them again this weekend. And let you know.
Anything specific?

That's what I get for craigslist impulse buys...

 

[six206]

Not a whole lot done to this thing, still looking for parts mostly. Tonofun set me up with a extra 650 roller he had behind his shop that had a straight fork legs. Got those on and then made some clip-ons out of extra bars and the extra fork tree I had from the other frame. need to finish up the welds and cap the ends. Nice and low.

 

[six206]

Trimmed a little of the top tree. Clean.

 

[canyoncarver]

Any updates?