So this was my basket case, a '76 Kawasaki KZ900LTD that I had bought from a former boss while I was under his employ. This bike got me back into motorcycling after selling my Magna to move to Oregon.
It was a deep burgundy when I bought it and eventually I wanted to try my hand at painting. I wanted to use a light color to hide any blemishes or runs and I didn't want white so yellow it was. Bobskoot's favorite color and I didn't know it. There were plenty of runs and I learned that I am not a very good painter, I'll leave any future paint jobs to my brother the journeyman painter.
I did fashion a fender eliminator kit for it using a Harley Sportster taillight. The '76 KZ900LTD was designed, built and assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska and I joke that it was more American than most Harleys. I put many a mile on this bike and many a dollar. I replaced the points with a Dyna electronic system, a new stator and voltage regulator, chain, sprockets and the general wear items like brakes, tires and cables but that was the extent of my mechanical ability and the bike started to fall into disrepair. It was time for a more modern bike with electronic fuel injection for daily commuting and I bought an '01 Triumph Sprint ST.
I kept the KZ with the hopes I would get around to pulling it apart and rebuilding the motor. It sat and sat and sat then moved outside under a bike cover then inside, then outside again when I fell in love with Scarlett, an '07 Triumph America.
I sold the Sprint and kept the KZ until one spring cleaning day when I knew I would never get around to rebuilding it. I sold it to a friend who was much more mechanically inclined than I. He took it apart, confirmed it had a big bore kit and replaced worn valves, did a bunch more work and rebuilt the carbs, evidently it was worse than I had thought.
I hope to see it running strong again and to take her for a ride, otherwise she may just end up as a barn find or.... gasp.... like poor little Suzi.
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Troubadour:
ReplyDeleteWOW ! You mean (gasp), that you had a 3 bike fleet ? I love yellow but when you buy used you get what you get. I wished I knew more about bike repair. I am happy to keep my mechanic smiling.
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
I did, for a brief period of time I had (gasp) a 3 bike fleet, an empty wallet, no insurance on one and no room in the garage. I don't know about being happy keeping my mechanic smiling, but there are those that do and those of us who pay those that do.
DeleteThis is a beautiful machine. I love the 70's for the bikes they produced at that time. And the yellow? Great colour! Too bad that motorcycle repair talent doesn't come automatically with the bike (but hey, all those mechanics need to make a living, too...) I hope she'll get her revival in the capable hands of your buddy.
ReplyDeleteI love the old 70's bikes too, all kinds of power and no way to control it. I drool over the local bike shows when the collectors bring out their garage queens.
DeleteI think once the nice weather arrives and we are all riding he'll be motivated to get it running.
Would love to have heard your brother's opinion on the paint job. :) Didn't he paint the beautiful leaves on your America? I don't even try to paint. I have no patience for it and it would be drips and runs everywhere (along with a lot of cussing and throwing of things).
ReplyDeleteThe yellow is really sharp (being that the runs aren't showing in the pic). I hope her rider can get her back running. We certainly don't want her to end up like a certain little Suzi!
Believe me, I'd be embarrassed to show my brother the paint job nevermind ask his opinion. Yes, he did paint my side cover and it still hangs prominently on the wall in my garage. I don't have the patience to paint, hence the runs, drips, fingerprints and like you said a whole lot of cussing.
DeleteI keep asking him about it and have even offered to buy it back from him, I'm a glutton for punishment.
Troubadour/BlueKat:
ReplyDeleteNow I can't get that song out of my mind:
" wake up little Suzie, wake up . . ."
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
I like yellow. That's actually quite a nice-looking ride. Not being mechanically inclined, I would have given up long before you did.
ReplyDeleteI loved that bike and it was hard to let it go, but I honestly knew I would never fix it and it would just sit and rust. It's in good hands now.
DeleteTroubadour - your Kawi was a pretty little thing. It seems you and share the same names for our bikes Lucy and Scarlett. Lol had no idea when I named my bikes that we had the same names. Good taste!
ReplyDeleteScarlett was the first bike I've ever named and then the name Lucy came to me on the ride home when I bought her.
DeleteWhat a coincident eh?