Excited about my first bike project kz900

Hello all, my name is Dave and I've really been interested in a bike project recently after finishing my last project (bmw e30 vert) and now i want more of something else. I'll be picking up a 76 kz900 next week so i've been reading a lot on this forum.

Who doesn't like pictures?
My last project-



soon to be mine- kz900








So what do you guys think? is this going to be hard for someone who never worked on a bike to bring back to life? A little background info on it.. it's been in a flood, sat for a year or two and hasn't started since.

I really want to turn it into a cafe racer and trim all the fat off of it. So my question is A) is it a good base for a cafe racer? B)is there hope in the motor after being in a flood or should i start with a different motor?

Thanks guys.

Glad someone is saving it, not sure I'd go the cafe route, but I prefer the originals.

Does it turn over when you kick it? If not, it will be a much bigger project for the engine, but there are plenty of other engines out there.

you can do it...but take this into consideration...you could get a better shape one with a little effort and come out ahead...imo

by the time you have that one legal paperwork and tagged alone...is there a title..is it reg...does it have back fees...battery keys and the small/and bigger things missing or rotten...you will be spending more than fining one in okay shape running and legal.....just something to think about

for someone who has parts bikes and half bikes ect...like many here...it may not be so bad...but ten dollars here 50 there 300 here 400 there and all of a sudden you got 3 g into a 2 g bike imo

nice beemer

it can be done by all means and kz's are great bikes and easy to make your own....but that one there will need a lot to even go up and down the street....they are funner to work on if they run and are legal imo

welcome

Welcome These bikes are addictive. Like any project it's only limited to your imagination I love mine but if I were to do another I would do a very clean original design (but mine isnt even close to done lol)

good luck with it you may have just unwittingly entered the Z-Zone where garages fill with parts ebay makes time stand still and you friends say we were gonna invite you but figured you were working on your bike

Hmmm, some good points here. What if i said I was picking this up for $300? oh and it does have a clear title.

I obviously have a lot to learn but say this motor is shot and would cost too much to rebuild, are the honda cb motors swapable without much customization? Also, i want this to be a barebone type thing with minimal wiring/electronics. just a key, kick starter, and whatever lights are required.

the frame and title are worth the three bones you dropped .

cafe/boober/chopper are sometimes frowned upon descriptions that can get missles lobbed from the peanut gallery around here :silly: ,just sayin' .

tear the engine down and see what is usable and whats not.anything you need can be found on craigslist,ebay,here.

and NEVER speak of putting a honda engine in this vintage muscle bike again.

you would not be able to survive being caught on a kawi with a honda engine

keep us posted,if you do as good a job with this as it looks like you did with your beemer you will have a bike people will be droolin over.

leon

If you are going cafe style, I'm not sure a Z1 or KZ900/1000 would be a good choice. They are not great handling bikes and not compact (engine at the bottom is pretty wide. not as wide as a CBX). Sure you can do modifications and make it better, but a greater cost than other bikes. A KZ550 (take a look at xmoney's bike) or KZ650 would be better. Or a KZ750B twin would fit the cafe style even more. Having said that, the bike you are looking at will cost a lot more to get on the road rather than spending another 1500-2000 for a running bike. The only way I would restore a bike in that shape would be if I needed the therapy you gain from working on these bikes. Unlike a car, you will have to give a lot of attention to every nut and bolt as you repair them. Seemed like every bolt and nut I had to use the wire wheel on to take the rust off and shine up. Very time consuming. Not trying to dissuade you. But if you want to spend your time riding instead of in the garage, then spend the money and get a nicer donor bike.

Another option would be to try and find a bike w/o papers then swap everything over.

They made alot of those bikes but they are becoming increasingly more popular to collectors. A bike in that condition, just resurrecting it is a plus, whether it's a bobber or stock or whatever.

But like everyone has already said, it's in very rough condition and will cost alot just to get it ride able. When you get it, squirt a little engine oil into the cylinders through the spark plug holes and see if the engine will rotate.

531blackbanshee wrote: NEVER speak of putting a honda engine in this vintage muscle bike again

Yep. Not sure why you want a slower motorcycle anyways... :evil: :lol:

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationBesides, there are plenty of spares to go around...



And so on. Not positive about putting the later model 1000 engine in (J model) but the older ones should fit quite simply.

300 you gotta get it...

keep your eyes open for another one and your work to run it will be cut by two thirds...may even have enough for another project when all is done

good luck

if you put in the work and start a project thread with pics...folks here will p.m you with help and parts....

I'm not quite as optimistic about the $300 price tag as others seem to be.

I'm not trying to gloat or anything - just saying this for future reference - but I found my KZ750 in prime "restore" condition (i.e. not running but stored safely etc., basically missing a battery and a bit dusty) for $500. And that was with the title and paperwork.

The bike you posted looks like a great restore project, but I wouldn't take it for that price. For something with flood damage (let alone sitting outside in a pool of oil and covered with duct tape), that seems a little steep. See if you can get it down to $100 and then it will be a better investment. The bike will certainly shine again, but that extra $200 will make a big difference to you.

I hope I don't come off as a cheapskate, but honestly - deals are to be had if you're willing to poke around a bit. I had to wait a couple of months before I found my $500 gem, and it was by pure chance.

As others also mentioned, the bike may not be ideal for you anyhow. The 900 is a little clunky for a cafe racer - a cool flattrack bobber sure, but a high-and-tight pothole-swerver it is not. Take a look at some other models in the KZ lineup and you can find a much more appropriate relative (and probably in better condition) for well in the same price range.

Not to say you couldn't do it anyway though In fact, I almost condone it. After all, some of the coolest customs out there were the ones made from the most unlikely donors. That's what makes a bike all the more special.