New member from Norway - 76 KZ900

I'm the proud owner of a 1976 KZ900-A4. US model sold in 1976 in California (still got the receipt), imported to Norway in 1998 and I got the bike Aug 2006. It's been a dream since I saw these kawa's back in the 70's and 80's, but I never had the time and resources. Not before until recently, I got my driving lisence in Sep 2006, but since I work offshore I had to leave the bike at home 2 days after I got the lisence, and on return after work Oct 2006 it was just too cold and risky to ride in case of ice on the roads. Can't wait until the summer to ride more, but meanwhile I have plenty to do on the bike. I've changed the coils to Dyna coils 3 ohm, changed spark cables and spark plugs to NGK, the front wheel is in for new spokes and rim (rusty crome), new tyres will be fitted and also considering renewal of the electrical wiring. Another project will be to fit double disk at the front. Attached is a pic of my bike, the last ride before I had to put it away for the winter.

Post edited by: Noggie66, at: 2007/02/03 10:37

Bike is absolutely gorgeous!

Awesome looking bike Noggie. There is another guy here on KZR that lives in Norway, knows a little about Kawasakis....:whistle:

There are plenty of us here in the Northern climes that are also waiting for spring to arrive... then there are the guys in California and Arizona that bust our chops because they can ride all year.:pinch:

welcome awsome bike,the weather here is starting to
change for the better i hopeB)

another example of a beautiful kz900.
you must be very proud of it.

Welcome to KZr Noggie.

Aside from the seat, you bike appears 100% original and in absolutely pristine looking condition! :woohoo:

Take good care of those orignal 4-into-4 pipes, they're as rare as a Unicorn and worth more than their weight in gold! :ohmy:




Hey Nevco.
Want me to send you some of the warm weather we just got so you can go riding this weekend? :whistle: :laugh:

Welcome to the board. Very correct, very beautiful bike you have there. Bet it set you back a few Krone, not that it much matters as the bike seems to be investment grade. I am curious as to the mileage from the way looks it is very low. Whoever had the bike prior to you must have cared for it lovingly. You have a summer of fun to look forward to, enjoy!

Hi all and thanks for the comments
The bike was bought new by a female in 1976, maybe that is why it is in such a good condition .
A photo can hide details, the two left exhaust pipes has this blue colour on it over the bend, I suspect because of heat. This is why I changed coils, they were of different brand when I took it over, and I suspect 2 of the cylinders producing more heat than the others. Any suggestion for a type of polish to get rid of the blue colour?
The bike came to Norway with 4 into 1 exhaust, so the previous owner fitted a brand new 4 into 4 exhaust (costs 1/3 of what I paid for the bike :blink:).

Noggie66 wrote:

A photo can hide details, the two left exhaust pipes has this blue colour on it over the bend, I suspect because of heat......Any suggestion for a type of polish to get rid of the blue colour?

Everyone has their own personal methods.
There are a lot of really good suggestions for procedures, tools and types of polishing compounds to use.
Best thing I can recommend is to do a forum search with "Polish" in the subject field.
Like this:
Polish

Welcome. Nice Looking Ride!!!

Noggie66 wrote:

Hi all and thanks for the comments
The bike was bought new by a female in 1976, maybe that is why it is in such a good condition .
A photo can hide details, the two left exhaust pipes has this blue colour on it over the bend, I suspect because of heat. This is why I changed coils, they were of different brand when I took it over, and I suspect 2 of the cylinders producing more heat than the others. Any suggestion for a type of polish to get rid of the blue colour?
The bike came to Norway with 4 into 1 exhaust, so the previous owner fitted a brand new 4 into 4 exhaust (costs 1/3 of what I paid for the bike :blink:).

1976 KZ900 was final year of famous Z1 4 into 4 exhaust system. Internal baffling was altered to comply with stringent new emission laws and was no longer removable. Originals were stamped "76" to show compliance.

Original headers had double walls to minimize heat discoloration and bluing. Am guessing yours are modern reproduction units ($$$$), perhaps single wall design, which could explain bluing especially if cylinders #1 and #2 are running slightly lean.

Recommend careful consideration before much scrubbing on the headers with "Blueaway or similar such products) which IMO can do more damage than good. Besides, the coloring imparts "character" to the bike. The '76LTD model came with single wall Jardine pipes made specially for Kawasaki, and they all blued of course.

If small drain holes are in muffler bottoms, important to keep them clear and open to deter rust.

Unlikely IMO that coils would have caused the discoloration.

Believe the '76KZ900 European model came with dual front discs, and that a factory upgrade kit was offered in the US for converting to duals.

BTW, are those bar end weights shown in the photo?

Welcome aboard Noogie66.
I think we will be next to each other quite a bit on the "who's online" list. What does 66 mean to you? Anything?
Your bike looks fabulous and I'm sure you will continue to enjoy it.