1978 kawasaki kz650b2 colors

is black an odd color for this year?

Here is a page from kz650.info that has the factory colors for the different years. Not sure if this helps but the site has some great 650 specific info






models.kz650.info/Models.php

1978 KZ650B2 came in orange or blue. Those were the two color choices. Orange was actually called burnt red, but it's orange in anyone's eyes. They list KZ650B2 made in black some places. Even Kawasaki microfiche cards list "ebony" as a possible. The 1978 KZ650 brochure from Kawasaki had no mention of this option, only Burnt red and blue as colors available. If there is a black one, I've yet to see it in 32yrs of looking, so if there are any they are indeed very few and far between. If there were any they would have all the striping as done with the other colors, no one toned black "spray can" junk was sold.

this is where im confused, the bike is black with gold and red stripes. i bought it from the original owner last summer and he said the paint is original. i was looking at the kz650 site and didnt see that color listed. is there anyway to confirm that? i will take a picture of it tonight and post it to see if the stripes look factory to you guys

well, found out my bike was originally blue when it left the factory. i keep in contact with the original owner and he is friends with the guy that sold it to him back in 78. he gave me the guys number and i called him tonight. he said the bike was damaged when it arrived at the dealership, so they decided to paint it black and stripe it because the blue bikes were not as popular. the original owner didnt even know that until tonight, like he said the title states its black and thats how he bought it. so off to the paint shop it goes.

I have a 1978 B2 that I am considering repainting. The guy I bought it from had another KZ650 that he had sold earlier and that buyer preferred the black bodywork of my bike. So I ended up with the silver moon or stardust colour. It is time for a repaint and I think I would like to stick to factory colours and am very curious if there were actually black versions.

5yrs has passed since the original post, and in those 5yrs I still have yet to see an original 1978 B2 in black. If they sold them, they weren't sold in the USA. Other countries may have had them, but I've never seen an original black one. Orange or blue was the choices. Back in 78 when my dad and me went to the dealer to buy a 650 those were the colors for the B2, and they had a gazillion of them. A buddy of mine worked there and said they sold 200 KZ650s at that dealer in 78. I didn't see a black one.

The B2 and B3 were indeed offered in Ebony,

I would have bet RonKZ650 was correct because I also have never seen a black B2 or B3 in person. However, the parts diagram does list ebony for both the B2 and B3. Here's the fuel tank diagram. I'm glad I didn't bet. Ed

I'm not sure on the B3, it may have come in black, but for B2 I still doubt it. I have the original Kawasaki brochures for 1978, and they say blue or burnt red (orange) were the color choices.

On the 650 line, in black... I have seen that most, if not all, KZ650's in black were assembled in Lincoln NE (based in the bikes VIN) and no where else. As far as the other sizes (750+), can't speak to colors...

jdornski wrote: I have a 1978 B2 that I am considering repainting. The guy I bought it from had another KZ650 that he had sold earlier and that buyer preferred the black bodywork of my bike. So I ended up with the silver moon or stardust colour. It is time for a repaint and I think I would like to stick to factory colours and am very curious if there were actually black versions.

John, if you have the original silver moon or stardust paint, please reconsider painting those body parts. Orig paint, in ok to good condition. is becoming hard to find and actually holds some value these days. Think about getting a 2nd set and painting them. Can you share PICs of your existing paint/bodywork?