KZ650 Project

I wouldn't call it a spot on measurement but near as I can tell, centre to centre is 72mm.

I'm in Dublin but will be home in Mayo at Christmas.

I spoke to a friend who is in the design field and he has two friends who do 3d work, one has experience of 3d work on motorcycles, the other, I gather is a more reliable guy who can whip up a model if I provide schematics. Way I see it is I can mock up a template and do the drawings and send them to him to have a cad file for cnc purposes.

Given I can pick up used calipers fairly handy, for more modern bikes, I amn't completely put off by designing a part. I don't mind design work but I'm not well positioned to machine things myself. I already have an idea of what it might look like - obviously subject to a lot of tweaking to get the measurements spot on. I've attached some prototype sketches done in 2 minutes. The design is fairly simple. Particularly in elevation (upper right of image). In plan you can see it is a y shaped bracket - basically sandwiching the mounts on the fork. It might be overkill but I'd imagine this would be stronger than just relocating it on a single plane (as in the pic attached earlier). Even if it is overkill it probably allows me a bit more scope to make the design prettier - I could provide for bevels etc. to pretty it up.

* I'm aware I may have to design an offset into the mount in order to centre the caliper on the disc. No point putting that in concept sketches until I have some brakes to play with.

I just bought a gpz1100 A1 that has had a ZZr1100 wheel and caliper transplant. The center of the bolt to bolt is 72mm so depending on your disk size you could also look for GPz calipers. im thinking of set her back to stock or swapping the forks out all together. Either way the whole tokico system will be up for grabs.

Wow, that would be amazing if we could arrange something. I'm on a 300mm disc. If you are planning on a full swap I'd be interested in the calipers and adapter plate - with luck it might just work on my KZ. I'd be happy to do an electronic transfer if you do take them off the bike.

Ciarán wrote: Wow, that would be amazing if we could arrange something. I'm on a 300mm disc. If you are planning on a full swap I'd be interested in the calipers and adapter plate - with luck it might just work on my KZ. I'd be happy to do an electronic transfer if you do take them off the bike.

If you find nothing better Id say it would be just the calipers you would need and work around them, the zzrr1100 disk is 320mm and there is no saying that the distance to the fist mounting hole and the center axle would be the same on your bike. You would have to fab your own bracket but i can send the one thats on the bike to see if you can use it as a template or as a 1 in a 100 shot that is works.

Yeah, if you're up for selling the calipers if you decide to go that route then I might take the brackets as well. Highly unlikely they'll work but if you don't need them and they can double up as a template for me that'd be great.

Well the bracket is yours free of charge if you want it, though i still think there are more specific and less complicated solutions out there for you. Do you know the axle diameter off hand? and the distance from bolt center to bolt center on the rotor? Im a ebayoholic and can find things easy enough. There is also the option of a front end swap to the zr750, there is an allballs bearing swap to be had
www.allballsracing.com/forkconversion
Kawasaki ZR750 (ZR-7S) 2001 25 48 13 99-3509-5 28 52 16 99-3513-5
and the run the same caliper as the zzrr1100 caliper above, Maybe someone on here has done something like that? I have but it was a full front and back end gsxr swap.

Thanks again for all the info. That allballsracing tool may come in handy in future.

I'm not going to take on a front end swap - I got this bike cheap but I know it's going to cost a lot to get some parts so I'll be trying to keep costs down where I can. I found bikebandit have 2 tanks for sale but they're big money especially by the time I ship them to Ireland and pay tax on all of it. The current tank has to go.
I also know there are a bunch of other parts that are going to turn out to be expensive - I'll be putting on new lights all round and nice led indicators run to big money.
I'll also likely go to progressive springs in the rear on longer shocks to get the bike's stance closer to stock and to get it more in line for cafe conversion. Then there's the exhaust, think I might go for the zephyr exhaust Gazzz used on their bike. That system isn't complete so I'll have to buy end cans for it as well. So all in there are a few big purchases that will set me back over a grand easily.

I took the bike for a very short test ride in my housing estate earlier today - having replaced the damaged inlet manifold rubber. Given the dubious brakes I only brought it up to second gear but everything felt good. I heard before than the transition from 1st to 2nd is the one that tends to give out most so hopefully the gearbox is good all the way up.

I don't know the axle diameter off hand - I don't currently have a way of getting the bike off its own weight so I'm not in a position to do any heavy disassembly in that sense. I have done various searches re brake brackets and never saw anything - your ebay skills likely far surpass my own though.

Thankfully my budget isn't a major constraint - I had been thinking of spending much more on a bike when this one came up for sale so I have some flexibility - at the same time I don't want to absolutely lose the run of myself.

Did you see the collection on z650 parts for sale on done deal?
www.donedeal.ie/vintagebikes-for-sale/z650-parts/26454496

Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't seen the ad but having looked it's for earlier model KZs. Given someone has modified my frame already - and as I don't know how compatible parts from earlier models are with the F - I don't want to risk buying parts.

I think fundamentally the brakes are an independent standalone part I can figure out but beyond that - I think it largely hinges on the tank. I've been laid up in bed for a few days so in terms of a plan I think if I can sort an original tank I can then work backwards from there in terms of sorting a seat, side panels, and tail. The tank also has an impact at the front - enabling clip ons etc. - the current tank prohibits any rear work on controls up front. Given I have a chopped rear end I may have to make my own cafe seat - but again I need the tank to plan that.

So I think I'll bite the bullet and order a tank in the next few days.

Sorry to hear about you been laid up mate, yea i saw that add about an hr or so after it had been posted and was thinking that could be a score. Funny the first thing i bought for my 750twin build was a tank, you kinda get the feel for the whole thing from there. Im missing a caliper too, but im lucky as its a single disk so ill find one, do a full rebuild on it with the best pads i can get and braided line it should suffice. Have you decided on any direction to go style and function wise?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationTruth be told I'm nearing my wits end looking for a decent tank to commence with. I wish I could bring the bike to a massive breakers yard and just try different tanks out to find what might work. I know quite a few bikes use a similar mounting style but that's not to say that I'll randomly buy a tank from a cb750 and find it is the right width etc. So many tanks on ebay are in rotten condition with more dents than a granny's car - and on top of that they cost an arm and a leg. Then a load of stores offer a series of new tanks that are clearly all from the same manufacturer at dubious low prices - for example this one . There are some exceptions in terms of used ones that may not break the bank such as this
The temptation is to chance my arm on a super cheap tank that seem to be provided by many retailers such as:
4into1.com/gas-tanks/?sort=pricedesc
www.xlmoto.eu/mc-parts/frame--chassis-parts_c7/fuel-tanks_c6150 and
www.caferacerwebshop.com/en/the-bike/tank-more/tanks/
cafe4racer.eu/en/129-custom-tanks
As long as the tank holds petrol and doesn't immediately rust through I don't care if its welds are immaculate works of art etc.
If I can mount a tank then I car work on controls, seat, and rear end.

Style and function wise this bike is for a weekend spin. I have a GSX1250FA for touring and any longer trips. This is for a jaunt to the sea side and to a cafe (once that's allowed again).

Desired cosmetic mods:
- Clip ons
- Rearsets
- Single headlight - maybe led
- Depending on how things go I may order a vintage quarter or half fairing from airtech www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage-fai.../vintagefairings.htm
- LED indicators - (something like these www.louis.ie/artikel/kellermann-bullet-1...0fbba2d462c3afd35c9a )
- A cafe seat that I'll try make myself - ideally I don't want to have to chop the rear end (again as it has already been modified) and have someone weld a new frame hoop.
- Shorty fender - aluminium - I don't think I'll paint it.
- New shocks at the rear that will lift the rear end out of its current cruiser stance - will return it to a more street bike look.
- I'll remove the rear fender and see about making a simple clean undertray etc.
- I'd like to get a new exhaust system - the cheapest full system seems to be a Delkevic system; however, Gazzz used a Zephyr exhaust system that seems to work but would require separate end cans so could work out quite pricey.

Mods that won't happen:
- I'm not relocating everything that's under the seat at present which means I'll need to keep side covers. Unfortunately I think the original mounts for the side covers may be gone so I may look at making some simpler ones that hug the body more tightly and rely on allen bolts rather than the weird knob style approach on what I'll charitably call the "modified" side panels I have at present.

Mods that are absolutely essential:
1. Functioning brakes and appropriate mounting brackets - therefore requiring a new master cylinder and braided lines.
2. A new tank that will enable me to use clip ons.

I have an idea, don’t buy a tank just yet., I’m currently renovating my work place in Galway city and will be done this Saturday. I’ll be in my workshop on Sunday and Monday and I’ll be working on both my Z1 and 750 twin, I’ll have them both down to the frames and I’ll measure up their ‘’ backbones" and inside tanks and overlay the measurements onto the photos so you can better understand the frame and tank dimensions compared to your own. If you are going the tail loop direction you will need a welder and that’s a good thing as I’m shaving the 750 and I won’t need the side cover mounting loops, get the mounting location s for the tabs and weld them on. I’m fitting a cafe seat on ]this week, fairly affordable and will be starting a new build thread since the last one was deleted in the move. Mounting a tank regardless if it fits over the backbone will probably need the front rubber bung mounts relocating and some form of mounting for the rear of the tank. All sounds very complicated but it isn’t, a days work if even that.