Kawasaki Kz650. You can't have too many toys.
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- This is a non-running 1978 Kawasaki Kz650 C that came in from Ohio earlier this year.
It's not run for an unknown period , certainly 5 years and has suffered several unattractive non standard modifications but I felt the basic bike is in good enough shape that we can work through the issues and come out the other side with a very pretty bike for a relatively modest cash investment.
If you have, or know of any 60s or 70s bikes for sale or that would make a good story please Email me on rodcurrie88@gmail.com and I'll get back to you.
Enjoy the vid and apologies for any flaky camera work.
Rod
Posh aftermarket coils and ht leads. It’s the blinking mixture screws I struggle with. Good stuff, Rod.
You gotta practice.:0). Thanks Mark . HUGELY noisy though.
I've kz 650 kz750 and kz 1000 to restore just waiting to get garage finished
Hi Emmett. If you decide that 3 restos is too much to work through give me a shout and maybe we can have a deal on one of them
Hi Rod, Great entertaining videos and very useful to helping people like me tinker in the garage. I currently have a Kawasaki Z650 C2 Custom and I have just put in the Boyers ignition system. Having a right wrestling match on getting the timing set up. I have been giving a timing gun but unsure of the steps to get it running. Fancy doing an 'idiots guide to timing' for us meer morales!?!? Keep up the great work.
Hi Rod; You were trying to say synchronize the carbs Rod ;) Well done Sir. Where are you located Rod ? UK ? Scotland ? Nice collection of 80's bikes ! I have had many over the years too :)
Hi there. I'm in Yorkshire, England, tho' I'm a Scot by birth. The 70's /80's bikes is the stuff I wanted as a boy ...but when you're a boy you're broke and your Mum won't let you have one anyway. 😁
Aha, you have a C ! Maybe you have noticed if the sprockets are the same as the B?, got my new ones on anyway but would be nice to know if they are the same.
I'll have a look Aron and count 'em up
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 was wondering if the front sprocket output shaft has the same profile and if the rear sprocket was the same due to the fact the wheels are different. Had a lot of problems finding B B sprockets but C kits were readily available and cheaper.
I rather admire the metalwork (angle iron and nuts) coming off the rear as a means to mount hard panniers for touring. They look odd but they're an elegant engineering solution, and they're reversible. The centrestand was probably removed because the spring got weak over time, and it was a pig trying to fit a new spring. Does it have open pipes? I had a Yamaha 4-cylinder with open pipes, and it was just too annoying to ride properly. Might be worth getting an aftermarket exhaust system even if it isn't original. Besides, the number of people who value these bikes as 100% original is shrinking and it all ends up in an auction one day anyway. Hope you have fun with it.
The noise of the exhaust is something I couldn't tolerate but doubtless someone will buy it.
I'm something of a purist ( others might say a PITA) but I always put my bikes back to stock so an aftermarket exhaust wouldn't do it for me. I have a stock exhaust I'll probably put onto the bike. A totally stock bike will always command more in the UK than a modified bike £4-6 K for a nice modded bike, £5-7K for a similar stock bike.
This will make a nice bike so hope you enjoy the vids. Thanks for your mail.
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 It's a great channel you have there. I joined VJMC, I'm particularly keen on Kawasakis, and your type of bikes are my preferred ones as well. Keep up the good work.
Yeah. I love lots of the 70s bikes. Just a great era for development and production of brilliant, ground breaking motorcycles. The fact that there's so many of them still around is testimony to that. When's the last time you saw a 1970s Dolomite , Metro or even Allegro(All-aggro) ? Why? Because they were junk and most of them dissolved 25 years ago. ...But paradoxically they're worth much more than these bikes ....no idea why anyone would think the passage of 40 years would improve them. :0). There used to be a joke..."why does a Marina have a heated rear window? To keep your hands warm when you're pushing it" Thanks again.
Hi Rod
Do you know of any suppliers of genuine kz650 exhausts?
Cheers
Mitch
Hi Mitch. CMS are a European outfit that buy up parts collections and new old stock. They often have new exhausts and provide a great service. You'll pay up but it will add the value to your bike. WeMoto are very good too. Both have great websites. Good luck.
Rising parts advertise on the zeds facebook feed
Just seen this David. Thanks for the post and hope it helped our watchers. I'll look out for Rising Parts tho' I don't do Facebook..
Hi Rod loving the tutorials could you tell me what model carbs are on the bike as i have the same on my kz1000 which was a G1 EFI model as the system failed thanks Mark
They're Mikuni VM 26s Mark. ALWAYS change the needle valves and if the bike has a standard vacuum type tap change that too for a simple on-off gravity tap. The vac type taps leak and the carbs often leak as a consequence. That aside they're great. Thanks for watching
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 thanks Rod much appreciated your time and advise keep those vids coming
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 Rod if you have any 4-1s laying around id purchase one if you want rid
I do have one Mark. Yours for nothing if you want it. I'm in Yorkshire, near Penistone. Mail me on rodcurrie88@gmail.com if you want to arrange it
Rod If you come across a pair of z650 side panels in candy red (ill take any colour for originals) Im your man.
Be grateful if you’d keep a lookout. Thanks.
Hi David. There's 2 reds, the metallic one on the B2s and a slightly different block colour on the B3s. Both are really nice though. I've no red bikes en route just now but I'm sure one will one along. They look great. Thanks for watching
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 thanks Rod Im refurbing my 77 b1 after it being laid up in the garage for 25 years.
Just done. Disassembly and clean, reassembly on the carbs.
The tank has taken sevearl cleans and probably needs re-lining as the in tank filters and petcock gauze keeps clogging but apart from a set of matching side panels she’s lovely.
A B1 will be the metallic colour, there's not a lot in it but if a pistol were put to my head I would choose that as a preference over the later block colour. A good acid clean and flush (30 quid-ish)usually sorts the tank, but yes lining is sometimes the only way.
Re: the panels the chance of buying a pair that match your own isn't great as a bike that gets more or less sun will be more or less faded than yours. If you paint some good old panels, that's alas not an answer as 1) the paint people only guarantee a match to within a couple of shades, 2) the tank and tailpiece WILL be faded so you'll not really have a match.The only real way to get that win is to paint the lot.
My advice is do it. The bike will look immeasurably better and the tank and panels are what draw the eye first. It's worth the pain of the spend. Only my opinion of course. Enjoy the 650-I love them.
watch my Kawasaki fuel levels vids David. It'll help you set the carbs really nicely
@@rodcurrieclassics8102 thank you yes. I agree.
She sports a pair of black panels at the moment but the rhs one is a plastic replacement as I lost the original in traffic on the westway into London 20+ years ago.
Hello, I'm Patrick from the U.S. and I am very happy to have came across your posting. I am currently working on my 2 kz650's and I look forward in learning more from you. Stay safe!
Hi Patrick. GREAT bikes. Next vid on Kz 650 in the coming 24 hours. Thanks for the comment. Best, Rod
Rod, these videos are fantastic! I just inherited a ‘78 KZ650 & plan on making it road worthy again. Getting these lessons from you are incredibly helpful. Keep it up!
Deegan. That's really kind of you so thanks.These are brilliant bikes and values are going up faster than ever so you have also a great investment as well as the fun of doing it up and of riding it after wards. Win-win
great !
Thanks for that Keith. sorry the camera was a little low on the vac gauges...Must do better! :0)
Good work Mr C. Hope they're JIS screwdrivers.
Course they be!
Superb videos Rod, enjoying them.
Thanks Michael. A more lighthearted one coming out Tuesday when I'm back in the UK
Loved watching this video step by step carb set up, I have a 77/78 kz650C I've restored it was from California it had the amber running lights on as yours does if I noticed correctly, do you know if these are legal in the uk 🇬🇧 or not? Can not find any info anywhere
Keep up the good work chap
The running lights are just 5w/21w stop/tail lights with a feed to the "tail light" element as well as the 21w indicator element. Just disconnect that feed to the 5w element and you're sorted. I know they have been left on by others but anything that confuses a car driver is probably to be avoided. :0)
Thanks for your kind comment Mitchell.
Good bike, I enjoy watching other people working on old bikes, I am not alone enjoying working on old bikes, keeps us old blokes sane, and happy.
I think there's a lot of us around but it will also make you bald, irrational obsessive and grumpy ..look what happened to me. :0)
I'm with you there brother. These are some of coolest bikes ever in my opinion.
Great work!!! Keep it up
Thanks for the kind words Hassan.It really helps to know you're enjoying the vids.