Hi everyone! My name is Alex. I live in Auburn Hills, MI.
I hope to make this a legit project log for my bike(s). I have a strong automotive background, and have owned a few dirt bikes and motorcycles over the years, but have never really worked on one or modified one substantially. My last bike was an 04’ Buell XB9S. I loved the minimalistic engineering used on the bike, the simple color scheme, and the overall appearance. However, I am TOO big for that bike! I’m 6’3” and about 220lbs. I looked ridiculous on it! Sold it when I got engaged last year.
I’ve since been working on random car related projects for myself and my friends, but have been keeping my eyes open on craigslist and other places for a good deal on a project bike to make a café racer out of. I’m into deal-searching and not spending more money than I have to. It’s not “cheap”, it’s “frugal” haha. Well, I stumbled on one a few weeks ago, and the seller ended up lowering his price substantially from where it started. I picked the bike(s) up last night.
They are both KZ400, one is a 74’ and one is a 76. Both have clean titles, and I got all the parts for $300. There is really only enough stuff here to build a single bike…only one engine and trans. I am missing a few random pieces and will need to pick up some other stuff, but overall I felt like I got a pretty good deal.
The engine/trans and most of the gauges and stuff come off the 76, which has only ~13k miles on it. Engine turns over easy with the kick start, but I want to check compression and probably go through the whole thing this winter. The frame on one of them is completely unmolested…just dirty. The other had been cut (see pics below). The seller had apparently bought these to use for parts for his own KZ400, and decided to try and make a chopper out of what was left. He has a sportster tank and some “ape hanger” handle bars. I’m not as big a fan of that style, and wish to concentrate on a café bike.
I have yet to decide which frame to actually use…I’ve been scouring the internet and the build logs on this site for ideas, and have seen that a lot of people mod the rear anyways to make a custom seat fit. We’ll get there eventually.
My overall goal with this bike is to build something for ME. This bike is not going to have to be sold to someone who is shorter, taller, skinnier, fatter, etc. I want it set up for me to ride, and for me to enjoy. That being said, I appreciate any tips, tricks, advice, etc that I can get!
There are only a few things I specifically want to get out of the bike. Here they are broken down as I can think of them.
Minimilasm
This is the biggest and most important thing to me. I really don’t want anything on there that I don’t need/want based on my overall goal for the bike. That being said, I do plan to keep a few things that are not necessary. This engine has a starter in it. It seems like a pretty easy thing to bypass, but part of me wants to have the electric starter. This stems from my old dirt-bikes, which were a PITA to start. Carbed engines piss me off…EFI is so much easier for start-up and drivability. However, I have heard that this engine is actually VERY easy to kick-start…so I’m a bit on the fence about this one. As far as the rest of it goes, I’d like to lose the turn signals most likely (don’t need them in Michigan), either lower the gauges or find smaller ones that will work (anyone know of any??), lose the side panels / brackets, lose the rear fender, etc. I’m also considering hiding all the wiring in the frame…
Overall Naked / Café Appearance
This means grinding down mounting points and brackets that I don’t need, removing unnecessary trim and modifying other components to make them smaller. I am planning on a custom seat, most likely I’ll make it myself. I’m also thinking about a clubman handlebar or some clip-ons. They seem pretty cheap on eBay, shipped from China. Anyone have any experience with these? I’d also like to modify the front fender and make it a lot smaller. I want to lower the headlight a lot too, it looks like it will sit too high up.
Electronics
The wires on the bike all appear to be in great shape, actually. If not a bit large…why is such a heavy gauge necessary!? I may end up re-doing the entire wiring harness to simplify it. I plan to get a small battery and hide it in the seat, and am considering hiding all of the wires that I can in the frame.
Stance / Handling / Tires
The bike does not appear to sit too high as-is. I’ve seen some of these older bikes that have a very high ride height. With a custom seat, I don’t see myself modifying the suspension that much. I am in need of a set of rear shocks, however…didn’t come with any. I’ve seen at least two people with older Kawasaki bikes on here use the eBay shocks on their bike…the ones that say RFY on them? Anyone have any input as to which length I need to get or how they perform? As for tires, I plan on getting some new ones…these are old and I’d like something a bit sportier looking. Anybody know a good place to get tires online? Also, plan to use the stock brakes unless someone knows of a nice modification that can be done using parts from a different (Newer) bike, or something.
Color Scheme
I have no idea what I am going to do, if I am honest. I like a lot of the stuff people come up with, but I’ve really been drawn to more muted colors…none of the shouty reds, yellows, green, bright blue, etc. I’m comsidering mixing at least two colors into the general bike theme…flat black and either a dark blue, dark gold-ish color, or olive drab green. I have not decided if I am going to polish aluminum on the bike or paint it flat black…or some combination of the two.
Engine Performance
This bike does not need to be an absolute rocket. I want it to be quick, loud(ish), and drivable. I have not found a lot of information about a big-bore kit for this bike, but I don’t expect that a few extra ccs are going to do me much good anyways, and I don’t feel like tearing into a non-leaky, perfectly running engine. Soo….
How about a turbocharger? I have a LOT of experience with turbos, and actually have one lying around that would be well suited for this application. It’s a Garret GT12, which based on the specs for this engine that I found online, would come on at full boost (calculated at 10psi) around 5500 rpm and would run efficiently all the way to 9000. I’ve never done a turbocharged engine with a carburetor though, so this would be new territory for me.
I know there are two basic ways to turbocharge a carbed engine…draw-thru or blow-thru. Draw thru is the easiest, because you can simply pull the fuel mixture into the turbo and then force it into the engine. Much easier to tune a setup like this, as the carb never becomes pressurized…always sees vac. A blow thru is the opposite, where the turbo has an air filter on it, compresses air, and then forces it through the carbs. Biggest issue here is that a carb does not understand manifold pressure, it only understands flow. So, a system like this is more difficult to tune.
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. I’d love to do an EFI conversion with Megasquirt and just call it a day, but I think I can route a draw-thru turbo easily, using only one carb, and still keep the bike looking clean. Not to mention that a turbo spooling up and down without a muffler would sound AMAZING. But this would be a project for further down the road.
A turbocharger on a cafe racer? Hence the project name; Sacrilegious.
For now, here are some pictures. Please enjoy, comment, and offer suggestions!
-Alex
I hope to make this a legit project log for my bike(s). I have a strong automotive background, and have owned a few dirt bikes and motorcycles over the years, but have never really worked on one or modified one substantially. My last bike was an 04’ Buell XB9S. I loved the minimalistic engineering used on the bike, the simple color scheme, and the overall appearance. However, I am TOO big for that bike! I’m 6’3” and about 220lbs. I looked ridiculous on it! Sold it when I got engaged last year.
I’ve since been working on random car related projects for myself and my friends, but have been keeping my eyes open on craigslist and other places for a good deal on a project bike to make a café racer out of. I’m into deal-searching and not spending more money than I have to. It’s not “cheap”, it’s “frugal” haha. Well, I stumbled on one a few weeks ago, and the seller ended up lowering his price substantially from where it started. I picked the bike(s) up last night.
They are both KZ400, one is a 74’ and one is a 76. Both have clean titles, and I got all the parts for $300. There is really only enough stuff here to build a single bike…only one engine and trans. I am missing a few random pieces and will need to pick up some other stuff, but overall I felt like I got a pretty good deal.
The engine/trans and most of the gauges and stuff come off the 76, which has only ~13k miles on it. Engine turns over easy with the kick start, but I want to check compression and probably go through the whole thing this winter. The frame on one of them is completely unmolested…just dirty. The other had been cut (see pics below). The seller had apparently bought these to use for parts for his own KZ400, and decided to try and make a chopper out of what was left. He has a sportster tank and some “ape hanger” handle bars. I’m not as big a fan of that style, and wish to concentrate on a café bike.
I have yet to decide which frame to actually use…I’ve been scouring the internet and the build logs on this site for ideas, and have seen that a lot of people mod the rear anyways to make a custom seat fit. We’ll get there eventually.
My overall goal with this bike is to build something for ME. This bike is not going to have to be sold to someone who is shorter, taller, skinnier, fatter, etc. I want it set up for me to ride, and for me to enjoy. That being said, I appreciate any tips, tricks, advice, etc that I can get!
There are only a few things I specifically want to get out of the bike. Here they are broken down as I can think of them.
Minimilasm
This is the biggest and most important thing to me. I really don’t want anything on there that I don’t need/want based on my overall goal for the bike. That being said, I do plan to keep a few things that are not necessary. This engine has a starter in it. It seems like a pretty easy thing to bypass, but part of me wants to have the electric starter. This stems from my old dirt-bikes, which were a PITA to start. Carbed engines piss me off…EFI is so much easier for start-up and drivability. However, I have heard that this engine is actually VERY easy to kick-start…so I’m a bit on the fence about this one. As far as the rest of it goes, I’d like to lose the turn signals most likely (don’t need them in Michigan), either lower the gauges or find smaller ones that will work (anyone know of any??), lose the side panels / brackets, lose the rear fender, etc. I’m also considering hiding all the wiring in the frame…
Overall Naked / Café Appearance
This means grinding down mounting points and brackets that I don’t need, removing unnecessary trim and modifying other components to make them smaller. I am planning on a custom seat, most likely I’ll make it myself. I’m also thinking about a clubman handlebar or some clip-ons. They seem pretty cheap on eBay, shipped from China. Anyone have any experience with these? I’d also like to modify the front fender and make it a lot smaller. I want to lower the headlight a lot too, it looks like it will sit too high up.
Electronics
The wires on the bike all appear to be in great shape, actually. If not a bit large…why is such a heavy gauge necessary!? I may end up re-doing the entire wiring harness to simplify it. I plan to get a small battery and hide it in the seat, and am considering hiding all of the wires that I can in the frame.
Stance / Handling / Tires
The bike does not appear to sit too high as-is. I’ve seen some of these older bikes that have a very high ride height. With a custom seat, I don’t see myself modifying the suspension that much. I am in need of a set of rear shocks, however…didn’t come with any. I’ve seen at least two people with older Kawasaki bikes on here use the eBay shocks on their bike…the ones that say RFY on them? Anyone have any input as to which length I need to get or how they perform? As for tires, I plan on getting some new ones…these are old and I’d like something a bit sportier looking. Anybody know a good place to get tires online? Also, plan to use the stock brakes unless someone knows of a nice modification that can be done using parts from a different (Newer) bike, or something.
Color Scheme
I have no idea what I am going to do, if I am honest. I like a lot of the stuff people come up with, but I’ve really been drawn to more muted colors…none of the shouty reds, yellows, green, bright blue, etc. I’m comsidering mixing at least two colors into the general bike theme…flat black and either a dark blue, dark gold-ish color, or olive drab green. I have not decided if I am going to polish aluminum on the bike or paint it flat black…or some combination of the two.
Engine Performance
This bike does not need to be an absolute rocket. I want it to be quick, loud(ish), and drivable. I have not found a lot of information about a big-bore kit for this bike, but I don’t expect that a few extra ccs are going to do me much good anyways, and I don’t feel like tearing into a non-leaky, perfectly running engine. Soo….
How about a turbocharger? I have a LOT of experience with turbos, and actually have one lying around that would be well suited for this application. It’s a Garret GT12, which based on the specs for this engine that I found online, would come on at full boost (calculated at 10psi) around 5500 rpm and would run efficiently all the way to 9000. I’ve never done a turbocharged engine with a carburetor though, so this would be new territory for me.
I know there are two basic ways to turbocharge a carbed engine…draw-thru or blow-thru. Draw thru is the easiest, because you can simply pull the fuel mixture into the turbo and then force it into the engine. Much easier to tune a setup like this, as the carb never becomes pressurized…always sees vac. A blow thru is the opposite, where the turbo has an air filter on it, compresses air, and then forces it through the carbs. Biggest issue here is that a carb does not understand manifold pressure, it only understands flow. So, a system like this is more difficult to tune.
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. I’d love to do an EFI conversion with Megasquirt and just call it a day, but I think I can route a draw-thru turbo easily, using only one carb, and still keep the bike looking clean. Not to mention that a turbo spooling up and down without a muffler would sound AMAZING. But this would be a project for further down the road.
A turbocharger on a cafe racer? Hence the project name; Sacrilegious.
For now, here are some pictures. Please enjoy, comment, and offer suggestions!
-Alex
