June 1, 2008
My 1976 Kawasaki KZ 900
By Studybaker Bob
I traded a buddy of mine for it in about August 1993.
It had been in a really bad wreck and sat for about 15 years and only had 10,500 miles on it! It pretty much needed everything. Thankfully, the engine, trans were in good shape.
I pretty much spent the next year and a half or so scrounging up good used and new parts for it on a tight budget! I was just happy to own another Z 900cc! I had bought a new one in 1974.
I got it pretty much put back together with new and used parts. Used front end, gas tank, tack and speedo, side covers. Laced up a new 16’ rear wheel, new tires and tubes, king and queen seat, drive chain and sprockets, chain guard. Made a sissy bar and struts combo, rebuilt carbs, tune up, new battery and got it running real good, installed dual disc brakes on the front. Painted it silver, so looking good and running good, 2 new leather jackets w/gloves, so we be cool, we be bad!! We kicked a lot of butt from stoplight to stoplight! Lots of fun, and everyone knows that loud pipes save lives!! I did 99% of the work in my garage.
We lived in Carson City, Nevada then. Lots of good roads, twisty mountain roads, Lake Tahoe and desert roads to cruise on. Carson City and Reno always have something gong on all year.
We moved to St. Paul in May 2002. The winters are hell! The rest of the year and has some pretty farm roads to cruise in between thunderstorms, tornadoes and killer mosquitoes.
We are planning to move to Tucson, AZ where there are 340 to 350 days of good riding weather!
We had 10 to 12 years of good cruising on the good old Z 900cc until I seized the #1 & 2 pistons about 3 years ago, no air cleaners. I installed my spare kawy 900cc engine and have been working on it and other bikes for the last 3 years on and off as time and money permit.
I spent a lot of time and money this winter on the 900cc Kawy and on my 1977 Honda Goldwing. I really spent a lot of time on the paint jobs. Its bright metallic blue with abalone sparkle in the clear and it really dances in the sunlight. I painted it like a WWII Jap “0” Fighter plane.
My friend, John the sign painter, did the pin striping and the lettering on it, John’s the best. We think the esthetics and the theme turned out real good. The Japanese writing on the side says Ichiban, and Ichiban means number one!
I did quite a few other modifications on it also, rebuilt the front brakes, pads, new stainless steel brake lines, drilled cooling holes in the two front rotors, laced up and put an aluminum rim on the front wheel. My first lace up job and what a big job is was to learn how to do that!
I polished up all the aluminum and bit the big bullet and had some chroming done. It looks really good, but expensive.
I did 99% of the work in my garage with some expert help from good friends.
My hot rod and bikes are not show stoppers or trailer queens! They are road dogs with intention to run long and hard. They are what I call 5x5 machines. They look good at 5’ and 5mph!
At age 14, I had a cut down, chopped and bobbed Wiszer bicycle. About 1952 at age 15 ½, I bought my first car, a 1946 Ford 2 door sedan and rolled it a month later.
I’ve had many, many really cool hot rods and bikes to include Triumphs, BSA’s, Royal Enfields. I bought my first new bike, a 1971 CB750 and have been grinding rice in a rice burner ever since!
I’ve built many, many cool “5x5” hot rods. The best all around car we have owned is my 1951 Studybaker 2 door sedan hot rod. I built it to race at Bonneville Salt Flats but never made it and installed a stock S.B. Chevy and drive it everywhere!
C-ya all
Studybaker Bob