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1977 KZ650 Custom, need tire suggestions please
- rstnick
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It will be my third season with the Bridgestones, and find them to be a good overall tire.
Rob
CANADA
Need a key for your Kawasaki? PM me
1978 KZ650 C2, 130K kms, Delkevic ex, EI, CVK32, PMC easy clutch, ATK fork brace, steering damper, braced swingarm, 18" Z1R front wheel.
2000 ZRX1100
2011 Ninja 250R
2005 z750s
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- RonKZ650
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RonKZ650,
Way back when I switched to a Michelin 130 on the rear of my '77 KZ650C1, but it rubbed big time. Being the ingenious engineer that I was at the time, I simply cut out a portion out of the plastic chain guard and like magic, no more rub. A few months later the summer heat and some unknown stresses caused the plastic chain guard to warp at my idiotic modification and the whole chain guard was sucked into the rear wheel on a curvy road. Let me tell you, it was a lot different than baseball cards in bicycle spokes! I didn't wreck, but it scared the daylights out of me. After discarding the ruined chain guard I replaced it with a chrome aftermarket unit that doesn't rub. Ed
Ed, That's pretty funny because the exact same thing happened to me on my KZ1000MKII, I slotted the guard to allow the tire to run then eventually the guard sucked right into the wheel. Thankfully still back in the days parts were available and $40 or so I was back stock and smarter not to cut into the plastic guard. One thing is certain though, the plastic chainguard is one great working piece of work. It keeps 97% of the crap off your back and the rest of the bike, unlike the alternative chrome guards do normally.
321,000 miles on KZ's that I can remember. Not going to see any more.
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- anarki650
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09 Kawasaki ER6n
77 kz650b1 cafe rebirth project
"Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube, that's why God made fast motorcycles..."
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Omaha NE
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- OKC_Kent
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Ron,
is a 4.00-18 tire a 100% profile? 4.00" converts to 101mm, so will a 4.00-18 be a 101/100 (if they made such a tire)?
Oklahoma City, OK
78 KZ650 B2 82,000+ miles
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- Biquetoast
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- King Jeremy The Wicked
That sucks. I cut a small piece out of mine on one of my 750s for my 120, that I ended up not needing to do anyway. It looked like it was rubbing before final alignment. Arg. I think for a 130 it would definitely have needed to be removed... It's been fine for about 7000 miles or so... Keeping my fingers crossed......Being the ingenious engineer that I was at the time, I simply cut out a portion out of the plastic chain guard and like magic, no more rub. A few months later the summer heat and some unknown stresses caused the plastic chain guard to warp at my idiotic modification and the whole chain guard was sucked into the rear wheel on a curvy road....
(1.) '75/'76 KZ400D - Commuter
(2.) '78 KZ750B3 Twin - Commuter
(3.) '78 KZ750B3 Twin - Commuter
(4.) '75 KZ400D - Sold
kz750twins.com
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- kzwolfsr
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1979 KZ SR650, stock candy persimmon red and crossover pipes
1981 KZ 1000LTD with non stock and more comfortable handle bars and 4 into one V&H
Original man of the Caribbean
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- Patton
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- KZr Legend
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... make sure the inner front of the chain guard fits between the two metal tabs on the swing arm, or the guard will twist and rub the tire....
Good advice. Also applies to Z-1. And the tabs are easy to overlook when reinstalling chain guard following chain replacement, etc.
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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