hillsy said:
I'd be surprised if the motor isn't locked up after sitting for nearly 25 years.
As an auto mechanic you should probably know you'll be needing to replace just about everything rubber on it.
And everything else will need overhauling.
First thing to do is to find about about a title / how to register it in your state. Don't go spending money on something you may not be able to register.
It will probably be cheaper in the long run to start with a running bike.
Registration is brutal in California. Take my word for it. I've bought bikes that were (out of the system) Bullshit! Every bike I took in was found in the system in about 20 seconds and some were north of $800 to sort out the paperwork. That's the first thing I'd do, is sort the paperwork. No sense in dropping big $ in this thing then find you can't get the paper right. Also, do you want all your $ going to paperwork and leaving you zilch for rebuild or way more $ in the bike than it's worth?
Quick story, bought a bike from the Peterson Museum, it had sat in their basement 20+ years. It took the DMV about 30 seconds to find it in the system, it was close to a grand to get the paperwork. Luckily I got the bike cheap with boxes of parts to make it right and made a small profit. A lot of states are a lot easier (I now live in N.M. and it's far easier) but 50+ years in Ca. and I know the DMV killed a lot of deals for me. Hey Bill, I have so & so car/bike sitting you need to buy. How long since it's been registered? Is always the first question.
1. Get all paperwork you can.
2. Have the previous owner write a bill of sale for $100, this is cheaper than the DMV deciding the value (free doesn't fly unless it's given to you by family).
3.Registration, sales tax and penalties could kill this project.
4. Now the paperwork sorted, put a new battery on the bike and try to fire. If it turns over, stop right there. Now the real work starts. You're a mechanic, and all mechanic processes apply. Air, fuel, spark. Check all systems, brakes, electrical, mechanical, suspension, etc. Apply your skills to anything that needs attention.
5. Once the bike is running properly, then make mods. Someone on here has a saying. Art is not finished, it's abandoned. Usually projects are finished when the $ runs out, so you have to figure out what this bike is worth to you. You may stop at DMV fees, or getting it running. Do you want $5k in a $2k bike? Is this going to be your passion? If not, part it out and pocket the $. I'd sit down and work out how feasible this bike is to restore. If this was a Vincent or early CB750 or other desirable bike, then the answers would be easier, but a KZ440? I've had several and loved them, but nobody is going to kick your door down and offer a truck load of $. A KZ440 will have to be a love child, a goal, a passion. Don't do mods that only appeal to you, unless you're going to keep it for life or realize you'll lose $.
Realities for a lot of these bikes is, you'll never see a profit (especially if you figure man hours), so you try to find a bike as complete as possible, with lots of saleable original parts to offset the cost of the build. If $ is tight or important, walk away. If the goal, passion is the point, get the paperwork sorted, get it running, then sit down and make a plan. Good luck, I hope things go as you plan.