My story: After about 20+ years of lusting after cafe bikes, I finally have the resources, tools, skills, money and parts to build a "real" one. The donor? Not an XS650- I've had three. Love'em- but want different. My KZ1000? Nah- I wanna keep it "period correct"- whatever. A CB something-or-other? No Hondas, please. A GS? Maybe- but my next idea kept me from going Suzuki. What bike is perfect for a cafe project, but is so utterly worthless that I can (and did) buy four of the (plentiful) shit heaps for about $150? What bike is so undesirable, that by hacking it to pieces and modifying it endlessly it can only ADD value to it? What bike is generally soundly engineered, but in the context of its bigger brother, the KZ1000, seems like a bike that was target marketed to old ladies? How about the KZ750 Twin. The "B" model. A real dog, I know- but not without potential! The mods include: new top end, milled head, exhaust cam in place of intake, 3 angle valve job, mild P+P, match ported intakes, pods, modded exhaust, FZ6 fork and brakes, R6 triple, tapered roller bearings, Vortex clip ons, 18" spoked Kawi wheels F+R (coated and re-laced), Torazzi rearsets, GS1100 aluminum swing arm, Progressive shocks, Vapor "clocks", hand made bum-stop, kick-only, braced frame, etc etc. I still have some engineering to do, but I have most of it figured out. I'm doing all of the work myself with the possible exception of tire balancing, because a local shop does it free. The bike is totally stripped now, with the frame cut and shaved, braces fabbed but not welded in. I have 90% of the hard parts- I just need to buy the Vapor unit, some bearings, gaskets, tires etc. I want to have it together for spring. When I get some pics that show some actual progress, and before/after type stuff, I will post them. That is all.
Albuquerque NM.
- Thread starter RN65
- Start date