I'm a newbie

I just bought a 1980 KZ 250 with 1,365 miles on it. It's beautiful. My wife's puppy chewed the rear brake light switch, so I'm waiting for a replacement from K1. It's been years since I've ridden and much has changed since then, like, I no longer think I'm invincible, and I have a family and a mortgage. kzrider.com/components/com_joomlaboard/emoticons/blink.png Guys at work are saying just get on the think, but I'm going to take it nice and slow. I know my limitations and the number of years since I've ridden. I'm taking the basic rider course this month and I hope to do some serious pleasure riding in the spring. -- Doug

Well, welcome and congratulations Doug...that is actually a fairly rare bike as most of the smaller cc bikes didn't survive...so you have a nice treasure...follow your own lead on getting on this bike (the rider course is a great way to go)

Thanks for the perspective, Michael. I now know why I'm having a little problem finding such predictables as an air filter element and a rear brake light switch (two hours after I got it, I left it in my backyard to go to my son's football game and my wife's puppy decided the switch looked nice and chewy). Finally, I happened across Z1 and I've ordered one, plus a spare. Any advice on sourcing parts would be appreciated.

Did the smaller bikes not survive because they weren't as prized?

Doug

Doug wrote:

Thanks for the perspective, Michael. I now know why I'm having a little problem finding such predictables as an air filter element and a rear brake light switch (two hours after I got it, I left it in my backyard to go to my son's football game and my wife's puppy decided the switch looked nice and chewy). Finally, I happened across Z1 and I've ordered one, plus a spare. Any advice on sourcing parts would be appreciated.

Did the smaller bikes not survive because they weren't as prized?

Doug

Correct! People tend to equate 'CC' with 'valuable' and when things went south with the smaller bikes, they were discarded. Which makes for an interesting situation for those who find these little jewels...the current aftermarket for parts is much smaller that for the bigger bore bikes...a function of the number of survivors. Stick with www.Z1Enterprises.com and if you don't see it on the site, email or call Jeff/Steve/Darby and they will sleuth it out for you. On a positive note, the KZ200/250 market is huge in Asia so with a bit of work, parts can be had. :)

In the event you need parts in the future keep in mind that Kawasaki used that same basic motor in the KL 250 dual purpose bike as well as the KLT 3 wheelers. This will broaden your search parameters. The same instruments were used on the 305 CSR's as well. With the low miles on that bike there should not be too much needed. Just remember that this bike is extremely cold blooded so you will want to allow plenty of warmup time before you try to take off.

Welcome, Doug!
Sounds like you've got yourself a nice vintage Kawasaki. Nice find!
Don't know where you're located, but most people that take up riding after a long break say two things:
1. Their riding skills come back quickly (like riding a bicycle!)
2. The world of traffic has change alot. More cars, faster traffic, SUVs that don't pay attention to bikes, etc.

A Safety Course is a great idea, and inspect the bike, too. Look for mechanical wear in the brakes and cables, good tires, good lights and blinkers, proper chain tension, tight bolts/nuts, etc.
Then go have some fun!

Thanks, guys. I live in Virginia. Two follow-ups:

1. On the cold-blooded (oiled) point, should I go with synthetic? It gets places more quickly than dino-juice, I've read.

2. This thing actually has the original tires. No cracks anywhere I can see. They LOOK great. Can looks be deceiving?

Doug

Hello Doug!

1) It is probably on Dino now...stay with it but use a name brand multi-weight oil (I prefer Castrol GTX 20-40 or 10/50, etc.)...there have been stories that synthetics have 'slippery' oil so it tends to find it's way past gaskets that have been acclimated to Dino oil...e.g. you may develop leaks where none existed in the past. You will hear differing opinions.

2) Replace the tires before you ride...those original tires should be retained only if you are restoring and showing the bike...new tire compounds are much better than the old compounds, plus tires tend to harden with time.



Post edited by: Mcdroid, at: 2007/11/06 08:48

Mcdroid wrote:

1) It is probably on Dino now...stay with it but use a name brand multi-weight oil (I prefer Castrol GTX 20-40 or 10/50, etc.)...there have been stories that synthetics have 'slippery' oil so it tends to find it's way past gaskets that have been acclimated to Dino oil...e.g. you may develop leaks where none existed in the past.

I can attest to that. I put synthetic in the 1100 a few weeks after buying it this summer, and now it oozes around the gearshift shaft, which it did not do before I put the synthetic in. I'll put a new seal on the shaft at the next oil change and hopefully that will stop the leak.

Thanks for all the information, guys!

Doug

Where in Va are ya? I'm down in Norfolk....

I live in Richmond.

Doug