Topic: 1974 z1 900

[Mcwilliams570]

Picked this up a few weeks ago was working on the guy for about 9 months to get it he finally called should be fun to restore.

[ekpent]

 Nice find. The first year Z 900 came with a black engine,was that one painted ? Might be a 1973 which would make it even better.

[seanbarney41]

See that left handed 4-1 Ekpent?   Is that the same as yours?

[Stev-o]

Wait a minute! Thought you were selling it to me!?

Has optional dual front discs, you have the calipers?

[754]

Are forks changed ? thought they had the reflector.. check seeial number on engine, see what year it really is.

[ekpent]

Are forks changed ? thought they had the reflector.. check seeial number on engine, see what year it really is.

They do. Maybe the fork lowers were changed out with the dual disc conversion.

[Motorman]

Sweet ! My first "heavy bike" was a Z1 900 1975 that i bought 1985 when i was 18 years old . I had it for 15 years or so and then sold it to a friend . Lot´s of fun to drive and we were some friends that also drove Z1 so we were driving around in a small gang like something from the movie "Stoned" ... Like in the good old days ! Anyhow congrats to a nice "pick-up" and i´m looking forward to see more pics of that Z1 !

[ekpent]

 Back in the 1980's-90's or so there was a black motorcycle gang in Kalamazoo. They decked out well in patched leathers etc. and rode around very aggressively. Their bikes of choice then were Kawasaki 900's and 1000's and a couple of SOHC 750's.  Very impressive when they would launch off hard in unison at a stoplight with all their bikes and very loud exhaust.
  Wonder if Sean remembers seeing them around, think they had a clubhouse on Lake street at one time ?

[seanbarney41]

Back in the 1980's-90's or so there was a black motorcycle gang in Kalamazoo. They decked out well in patched leathers etc. and rode around very aggressively. Their bikes of choice then were Kawasaki 900's and 1000's and a couple of SOHC 750's.  Very impressive when they would launch off hard in unison at a stoplight with all their bikes and very loud exhaust.
  Wonder if Sean remembers seeing them around, think they had a clubhouse on Lake street at one time ?

Hell yeah, I remember those guys.  I did not ride at that time.  I actually owned my first bike, a cb350k, but it did not run.  They rented a house on Burr Oak St. right next door to a good friend of mine and were always friendly.  I enjoyed going to my friends place in the evening as there would usually be 20 or so members hangin' out, drinkin', tuneing their bikes (and the testing was even funner to watch!) and blastin' music (predominantly Parliament).  I always left them a wide berth though, figuring the much more numerous white patch clubs in the area were known rascists and jap bike haters, so these guys had to be tough as nails to survive in such an environment.  I vividly remember seeing them leave on a run 50 or so strong...the leader pulled out from Burr Oak into the middle of Park St. and stopped, blocking midday traffic, so the rest of the club could pull out in perfect formation.  Then it was a cacophony of unbaffled Kerkers and Vance and Hines as front wheels popped up and tach needles headed for the red.

[Mcwilliams570]

Are forks changed ? thought they had the reflector.. check seeial number on engine, see what year it really is.

Yeah the forks have been changed looking for a set now.

Wait a minute! Thought you were selling it to me!?

Has optional dual front discs, you have the calipers?

Stev-o cant sell them all to you it has the calipers look closely they are on top of the gauges had to take them off to move were locked up

[Stev-o]

Are forks changed ? thought they had the reflector.. check seeial number on engine, see what year it really is.

Yeah the forks have been changed looking for a set now.

Wait a minute! Thought you were selling it to me!?

Has optional dual front discs, you have the calipers?

Stev-o cant sell them all to you it has the calipers look closely they are on top of the gauges had to take them off to move were locked up

Yes, I see em now.

So what is the plan, Matt?

[goldarrow]

That's really awesome find.  Congrats! 

[Mcwilliams570]

Been awhile here is a update its coming along.

[PetesPonies]

I had a '74 Z1 . for about 11-12 years. I drive teh heck out of it. Won af ew races, toured the east coast. I had lester mags and custom paint . . .loved it.

[Stev-o]

Looking good Matt.   You've motivated me to clean mine up!

[ken65]

They are a sweet looking bike .
What colour will it be?
Right at this moment I'm detailing a mates. I wish it was mine. Here's a couple of pics.

[Terry in Australia]

Sweet ! My first "heavy bike" was a Z1 900 1975 that i bought 1985 when i was 18 years old . I had it for 15 years or so and then sold it to a friend . Lot´s of fun to drive and we were some friends that also drove Z1 so we were driving around in a small gang like something from the movie "Stoned" ... Like in the good old days ! Anyhow congrats to a nice "pick-up" and i´m looking forward to see more pics of that Z1 !

Did someone say "Stone"? This was the movie that gave the Z1 it's legendary status in Oz, the "cuts" that the riders are wearing are now the official colours of the Veterans Motorcycle Club, (nee Vietnam Veterans, we've been in a few more wars since Vietnam) and if you look closely at the Z1 riders hands, his character was an Aboriginal who's club name was "Midnight". (probably not very PC these days......)

This movie was made on a really low budget in 1974, but is a pretty good representation of what "Real" Z1 riders were like back in the day, not those golf-shirt wearing tossers in vintage Playboy magazines. I was posted to Sydney (where the film was made) in 1980/81 and I used to chase my mate Tom with my trusty(ish) CB750K1, his Z1 would crap on me in a straight line, but we were about as bad as each other in the corners.

A Stuntman called Grant Page did the majority of the stunts for this movie, (and Mad Max afterwards) including riding one bike off a cliff, and I suspect (but don't know for sure) that he was the actual rider in this scene, and they might have just painted his hands black, but I could be wrong.......... Great memories!

[ekpent]

 Looks like the twin cylinder wheelie machine was a Norton as it slid on by    Looks like a fun movie.
  Watching that movie reminds me of what it is like riding around with member Sean 

[Terry in Australia]

Looks like the twin cylinder wheelie machine was a Norton as it slid on by    Looks like a fun movie.
  Watching that movie reminds me of what it is like riding around with member Sean 

Yeah Eric, the synopses of the movie was that the GraveDiggers, a group of Z1 900 riding Vietnam Veterans with PTSD, witness the assassination of a politician, and "Stone", a Norton riding undercover detective, is riding with them (much to their disgust) while they try to determine who's behind the shooting, and the subsequent murders of the club members/witnesses. It's a bit corny by today's standards, but like most 1970's movies, (Easy Rider is an excellent example of 1970's crap) was pretty good at the time.

The fight scene was filmed using real Hells Angels as "Extra's" who were paid with beer, but their "stage violence" wasn't really up to par, so some of the real actors got the sh1t punched out of them.......

 

[ekpent]

 Hmm - you got me looking Terry with your teasers. Hopefully this might be the whole movie.  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3bngr3

[750K]

Looks like the twin cylinder wheelie machine was a Norton as it slid on by    Looks like a fun movie.
  Watching that movie reminds me of what it is like riding around with member Sean 

Yeah Eric, the synopses of the movie was that the GraveDiggers, a group of Z1 900 riding Vietnam Veterans with PTSD, witness the assassination of a politician, and "Stone", a Norton riding undercover detective, is riding with them (much to their disgust) while they try to determine who's behind the shooting, and the subsequent murders of the club members/witnesses. It's a bit corny by today's standards, but like most 1970's movies, (Easy Rider is an excellent example of 1970's crap) was pretty good at the time.

The fight scene was filmed using real Hells Angels as "Extra's" who were paid with beer, but their "stage violence" wasn't really up to par, so some of the real actors got the sh1t punched out of them.......

 

Keep you're spanners off our moles man!

I love that movie, I bought a copy a few yrs ago. It's a must see if you like the old Kawasaki's.

[Stev-o]

Hey Matt.....any updates?

Maybe you should ship it to me to finish it's?   Haha....