1982 Kawasaki Kz 1000ltd Handlebars and Cables

I want to swap my Kz's "Ape hangers" for more of a straight handle

bar look. Has anyone done this? If so, what type of handlebars? Also, did you have to change all the cables; Brake, clutch and throttle? Can I use the cables from a 79 1000? Any help, pics or links to previous threads would be awesome.

Yes, you will need to change cables. If you put really low bars on the bike I suspect you will find them uncomfortable on longer rides and that they look out of place on your bike. I would suggest you find lower bars, but not anything too low. The stock bars on my KZ650-C1, which are also used on the KZ650 B models, are considerably lower than your bars and are very comfortable even on very long rides. I believe they would look very nice on your bike which, by the way, is really a NICE bike! Pics of my bars below. Ed

Yeah, I never considered that. You reminded me of my 77 650, I have some straight bars on it that I could "borrow" while my engine gets rebuilt. Thx!

Depending upon the bars, there may not be room for the turn signals & the Fr Br mc may sit at an angle. The first thing I did was move the turn signals to the headlight bucket, installing stems in place of the big headlight bolts & replaced the tiny grounding rings with 10mm rings from the auto parts store (same size as the stems). Install the new bars first before ordering any cables or anything.

Bars & master cylinder. I originally installed Flanders med tall street bars, but have since gone with emgo european bars from Z1Enterprises.com. The flanders gave an upright riding position which was comfortable around town but no good at high speeds, especially for extended periods. the mc was fairly level. With the Euro bars, the mc is tilted some. with superbike or drag bars, the mc would sit at a steep angle. some guys go ahead & ride with it that way. New mcs that aren't too pricey are available on eebbaayy. usa-motorcycles-inc is one seller. I'll probably get superbike bars when I replace the mc.

Brake lines. cyclebrakes.com is one place. mine were the old originals, so I replaced them with Goodridge stuff from Z1Enterprises. A handy way to figure out the needed length of the upper line is to lower the brake joint there at the forks until the brake line looks about right, then measure the overage. or just use a section of tubing or something to measure.

Cables. Probably the best match for the cables would be from an 81-on standard 1000 or 1100 model. Z1Enterprises.com provides lengths. When ordering cables, make sure the replacements have the correct amount of slack. a little extra may not matter. My stock open throttle cable had 4" of slack --- a replacement w 3.5" wouldn't work. Either disconnect at the throttle grip or at the carbs to figure out the overage. For the clutch cable, disconnect it at the lever to find the length. be sure to turn the handlebars lock to lock to check that the length is okay before ordering.

Mirrors. Ltd mirrors may be too short with lower bars. oem long stem are preferable to aftermarket. or you could get some sort of mirror risers. stick shift extenders might work. eebbaayy M10 x 1.25 pitch. pretty sure.

Its a great idea.The handelbars were the first thing to go on my CSR (and the seat) but I went with a full on front/back conversion so I cant tell you anything about the cables. One thing though is,if I remember right,The front brake lever/master cylinder set up is at an angle because of the big bend in the bars.If you put on straight(er) bars the lever will sit squiffy.You may need to buy a new master cylinder.
I could be wrong (it was a long time ago) but worth having a look at.

May also need to replace the front master cylinder so that the brake fluid will usually be "level" without touching the gasket (which will eventually leak).




Good Fortune!

Thanks for the info!

Erg, I better follow this thread too. I actually already have some handlebars like Ed showed on his 650, but they are pretty similar to what was already on the bike when I got it, and all the cables seemed to fit right at the time. The brake reservoir could certainly be an issue though, I had to order a replacement and I don't even remember what model it came off of (although I think it was a police bike).

I had those 'ape-hanger' type of handlebars on my old Yamaha, but got tired of them after awhile. I've never rode with any other style, so it will be interesting to see the difference.