Topic: Terry's new Kawasaki Z1B build, the OCD special...........

[Terry in Australia]

Hi Terry,

I was the proud owner of a new Z900 in 1976.  In pre-camera phone days I've hardly any photos of it unfortunately.  My landlord (Prof. photographer) did let me off a weeks rent for using it for a photoshoot though 

Was that the photographers wife mate? Or am I just being too picky?

[Zunspec]

Hi Terry,

I believe the amply proportioned young lady was a model.  I reckon she would have been a very compliant back rest when cruising on the Z900 

Cheers  Geoff 

[Leino]

I have a soft spot for her soft spot 

[RAFster122s]

Thanks Bill, that was a motion pro tool, what annoys me is yep they're probably made in China, but we're paying "Made in USA" prices? WTF? If Motion Pro decided to move their manufacturing to China, their prices should reflect the third world country quality.....

You misunderstood, they were priced at 25 before it went to China, they save money and maximize profit selling the cheap Chinese Crap (CCC) at old profits and they post gains and their stock is happy if publically traded or their owners are happy again lining their pockets. To lower their prices defeats the bean counter and stock dividend return they are after AND it makes it obvious they just started sell you CCC so they lose some business to that attention but gain it at lower price until the users of the CCC Motion Pro pony up to buy from the people that make the tool that lasts.
Need tool steel that's hardened...


Bike is gorgeous Mate, a real beaut!

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks David, I’m guessing that Motion Pro has had a corporate buyout in recent years and the new owners have moved the manufacturing to China, as it’d be hard to believe that normal human beings could just fire their complete workforce like that? But who knows, maybe the company was going under and the only way to save the brand was to move to China? Anyway, that tool almost cost me an engine strip down, so I won’t be buying another one, my home made one still works just fine, I went back to using it after I broke that one.

[grcamna2]

Thanks David, I’m guessing that Motion Pro has had a corporate buyout in recent years and the new owners have moved the manufacturing to China, as it’d be hard to believe that normal human beings could just fire their complete workforce like that? But who knows, maybe the company was going under and the only way to save the brand was to move to China? Anyway, that tool almost cost me an engine strip down, so I won’t be buying another one, my home made one still works just fine, I went back to using it after I broke that one.

I would like to find a vintage Suzuki OEM factory tool,possibly on Ebay?

[Alan F.]

Search eBay for this: suzuki valve tool shim -motion -pro -equiv -pit -posse -laser -jmp -whites

The results will show tools with Suzuki part # 08-0017 ~$27 free shipping

[grcamna2]

Search eBay for this: suzuki valve tool shim -motion -pro -equiv -pit -posse -laser -jmp -whites

The results will show tools with Suzuki part # 08-0017 ~$27 free shipping

I tried that search Alan.
I only found new Motion Pro and one new aftermarket.
I originally was hoping to find the factory Suzuki tool,but I know that they were only available to actual Suzuki dealership:the tools the Manufacturer provided to dealership mechanics,Made in Japan.I might happen upon a good,used one sometime.
I would actually like to purchase some 'dealer only' tool sets when a dealer closes up their business at some point.

[Alan F.]

Works for me still, try eBay item number: 154189491870 or https://www.ebay.com/itm/154189491870?hash=item23e668ee9e:g:lRkAAOSwbl9frB1o

[grcamna2]

Works for me still, try eBay item number: 154189491870 or https://www.ebay.com/itm/154189491870?hash=item23e668ee9e:g:lRkAAOSwbl9frB1o

Ok

[Terry in Australia]

Works for me still, try eBay item number: 154189491870 or https://www.ebay.com/itm/154189491870?hash=item23e668ee9e:g:lRkAAOSwbl9frB1o

Nope, the "MP" in front of the part number stands for "Motion Pro".

[Alan F.]

Ah.

I was focusing on the rest and didn't even consider that. Good eye there.

I'll search again now that I have the Suzuki p/n.

[Terry in Australia]

Okey Dokey, only reason I knew is that one is the same as the one I broke.

[Alan F.]

Okey Dokey, only reason I knew is that one is the same as the one I broke.

 

[bear]

Question Uncle Tez.
I'm putting you down as our resident Z900 expert, so in your opinion what would a complete 900 with carbs in running condition be worth?

Cheers,
Brian

[Terry in Australia]

G’day Brian, is it a Z1, Z1-A, Z1-B, or 1976 Z900? (KZ900 in the US) A running Z1 is worth upwards of $20K here (50K for a mint Jaffa) a Z900 upwards of $10K, a mate mine just sold his 1976 Z900 in mint condition for $23K. I could have bought a rough unrestored but running Z1-B for $12K in 2019 at the Mad Max shindig in Maryborough, but prices have jumped up since then.

Z1000’s are going for arthe same as Z900’s here, except the LTD “Chopper” versions which aren’t as sought after. Obviously price depends largely on condition, my Z1-B is insured for $20K with Shannons but now it’s almost finished I’ll up it to $30K.

[scunny]

Heres one for you, from the great man himself. https://www.graemecrosby.co.nz/shop/Bikes+For+Sale/Kawasaki/Crosby+Moriwaki+Replica+-+TTF1+197879+Kawasaki/x_sku/MCR003.html

[Terry in Australia]

Heres one for you, from the great man himself. https://www.graemecrosby.co.nz/shop/Bikes+For+Sale/Kawasaki/Crosby+Moriwaki+Replica+-+TTF1+197879+Kawasaki/x_sku/MCR003.html

Beautiful! Croz was my hero when he was racing, an absolute wildman. I bought his book and had him autograph it, but I’ve never read it.

[grcamna2]

Terry,how is the project doing?
stalled waiting for parts?

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Bill, well I was still waiting for some bits, plus I had an electrical issue that I've never come across before, but over the last few days, I've sorted it, and am getting very close to riding it over to Jeff's shop and asking him to do a Roadworthy inspection, so I can do battle with those turkeys at VICROADS (DMV) and get my "Historic" red plate.

Yesterday I installed the new (to me) Kenny Harmon .385 cams, I thought the ones in it were Norris .410's, the biggest cams I can run with standard "Shim over bucket" valve adjustment, but when I took the cam cover off a couple of weeks ago I discovered that they were .425's. Bugger. I tried to buy some new cams from the US, but the seller wouldn't ship to Oz, and as my CC is linked to my home address and not my US freight shipper, I couldn't pay for them. I found a used set of KH .385's in Britain for less than half what I would have paid for the US cams, and I had them within a week.

I fired the bike up with the Mikuni 33mm smoothbore carbs and was disappointed with the result, so decided that today I'll install the new Mikuni RS34's. This wasn't without problems though, and part of the reason I've been so slow to button this one up. Apart from buying the new carbs, I had to buy new intake manifolds specific to a Z1/KZ1000 head. The stock Z inlet port is 28mm, and so the manifold is tapered from 34mm to 28mm, where the manifold is matched to the head.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Because the head was off a drag bike, the ports were taken out as far as they could, 31mm.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

If I installed the tapered inlet manifolds as they came out of the box it wouldn't be good thing, so I chucked them in my lathe and bored them out to 31mm.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The next thing I needed to do was "bore out" the paper gaskets, so I sandwiched all four between two of the manifolds, bolted them together and using a sanding drum attachment on my Dremel, ground them out to the ID of the manifolds.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

It was worth the effort, I was a tad surprised to see an almost perfect match between manifold and intake.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I used some Permatex sealant on both sides of the gasket and tightened everything down.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 8 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I actually read the installation manual which recommended spraying WD-40 on the rubber insulators to install the carbs, and they went on easy, along with the special filters Mikuni Oz sell to allow the OEM sidecovers to fit.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 9 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

OK, so it looked good, but would it go? Yep, it fired right up, and ran better than it has since I started this all those weeks ago. Sweet!

Now I'm not sure if I'm gonna have it registered and on the road for the Dubbo ride on the 17th of March, and I'm not even sure if I want to ride it without at least some shake out rides, but regardless, I'm happy that it's running well, and my quick lap around the block made me realise what a beast this thing is, it reminds me a lot of my Triumph Rocket III, tons of torque and a quick action throttle makes for the front wheel getting very light under acceleration. I love it.

Z1 Sunday 27 Feb 2022 9a by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr





 

[Trevor from Warragul]

Sounds nice and "lumpy"!

[Alan F.]

That's great news. Thanks for updating, I've missed the daily progress updates that you'd put out under lockdown.

[PeWe]

Nice work with the carbs and the spigots, Terry!
The typical sounding flat slide carb idle.
A fine tune carb sync might be needed.

You will ride that to the Kawasaki meet, right?

[Kelly E]

Nice job, it looks better than new.

[grcamna2]

Sounds very good Terry  I hope you get it plated and start the shake-down rides ! 
Terry,you need to build a dyno in your back yard for the fine tuning