Topic: This year a good reason to drain the wallet! 50 years and Z1-900 look good

[MauiK3]

The whole feet forward thing has never made sense to me. Looks uncomfortable.

[seanbarney41]

I always end up getting bummed when I see this stuff in the flesh, after being excited by the thought of a brand new vintage bike available to any who can swing the financing.  In fact, just today me and the work buddies went to a local dealer to ogle some dirt bikes.  I knew I wasn't in the market, but a couple spanking new retro Suzuki Katana's caught my eye...but how disapointingly cheap and plasticy they looked compared to my 1982 GS1100E, which is the same vintage as what this new retro Katana was styled as.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, it's probably cost me as much to build my Kawasaki Z1-B as it would have cost to buy that new bike, but I know which one I'd prefer.

Z1 Friday 28 Jan 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[PeWe]

The original has the best look. A pity that the new models design is not closer.

Is it your bike ready for a ride, Terry? 1100 badges too.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Per, I've done a little work on it today (wet weather) and hope to have it ready to ride tomorrow. More rain is forecast for the next few days, so not sure when I'll get a ride on it. Yep, 1100cc hotrod engine.

[PeWe]

You have started it?
Will be very interesting to read your ride report.
Compression, carbs with jetting to verify.
Unless this very engine setup has been running before.

Fun rides to tune it. It's safer on a dyno.
It can be way too rich - way too lean- to rich and finally OK at the same time but different throttle lifts. Don't ask me how I know.
Testing main jets not safe on the roads.

[CycleRanger]

Meh, maybe if it had two shocks.

[PeWe]

Meh, maybe if it had two shocks.

You are right, they forgot the shocks

[RAFster122s]

My garage is pretty big but is used for many tasks.
1100 square feet
Two vehicles park in the front half.
Washing machine and some cabinets in the middle
Wood working and motorcycle work in the back half.
Floor space is used by bikes, large table saw, miter saw, drill press, dust collector, various tool shelves and a bunch of other stuff.
I am about to do some space saving changes so the Z1 will fit better when it’s done.

That’s bigger than my place !!!
My living space is 24’x44’
and I unfortunately don’t have a garage, just a shed and I have a screened in porch on the backside which makes you feel like the floor is sloped but it is the simple sloped roof that is exposed 2*4s and you see the plywood sheathing…
 Motorcycles are secured in 8*14 or 8*12 shed, haven’t measured it…
Big enough for a narrow bench on left wall and bikes on the right so it might be 10 feet wide.
CB550, S90, CX500, and VStrom are in the shed along with the MC jack and lots of other stuff… it is typically too warm to work inside it and not enough headroom to be comfortable…the issues of being tall (6’4”) in a std height metal shed. I think the side walls are 5 ft high. I have to duck to enter the shed and I generally keep my head down when inside.

David

[Stev-o]

Yep, it's probably cost me as much to build my Kawasaki Z1-B as it would have cost to buy that new bike, but I know which one I'd prefer.

Z1 Friday 28 Jan 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

You didnt spring for the OEM style exhaust?  Need to...

[ekpent]

Yep, it's probably cost me as much to build my Kawasaki Z1-B as it would have cost to buy that new bike, but I know which one I'd prefer.

Z1 Friday 28 Jan 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

You didnt spring for the OEM style exhaust?  Need to...

Break out Another Thousand !   

[PeWe]

Good to have 4-4 on the shelf.
They cost less than CB750 4-4

[Stev-o]

Yep, it's probably cost me as much to build my Kawasaki Z1-B as it would have cost to buy that new bike, but I know which one I'd prefer.

Z1 Friday 28 Jan 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

You didnt spring for the OEM style exhaust?  Need to...

Break out Another Thousand !   

It's not a BOAT, Eric!  And cost more than that...

https://z1parts.net/exhaust-set-complete-z1-900-kz900-made-in-japan/

[PeWe]

That 4-4 is a relatively low cost start on a Z1-900 build.
Just find the missing parts

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, it's probably cost me as much to build my Kawasaki Z1-B as it would have cost to buy that new bike, but I know which one I'd prefer.

Z1 Friday 28 Jan 2022 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

You didnt spring for the OEM style exhaust?  Need to...

It wasn’t a case of me not “ponying up the dough” Steve, my engine is a hotrod, and the reproduction 4 pipes are too restrictive and don’t work with big horsepower engines. Good for restoring stock bikes, but no good if you want to go fast.

[MauiK3]

Interesting, restrictive even with the baffles out?
If we had a top ten list of great looking motorcycle exhaust, we’d have CB 750 Lotus root, Z1 and Norton Commando at the top.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, putting a stock pipe on my engine would be like driving your car with the handbrake on. Personally I think the Z1 4 into 4 is the best looking pipe on any bike from the 70’s Steve, but they’re heavy, they rust, and they’re not a performance enhancer, and while shoving a big drill bit up each new pipe to rip out the baffles might (might) make them flow better, the Delkevic pipe is much lighter, enhances performance, and importantly, isn’t too loud. This bike has to pass a Roadwothy inspection, which of course it won’t with a butchered 4 into 4. The replica 4 into 4’s are cheap though, so I might buy a set for if I ever take it back to stock. (Unlikely……)

[seanbarney41]

Terry, that bike is gonna be a lot faster than you need anyway.  You for sure are not gonna miss the 4 or 5 hp's at the top that a Delkevic is gonna maybe make over the stock pipes...  really thinking you get a big power gain from a $400 pipe?  Weight savings is big though.  If you like a 4 into 1 better, just say so, ain't nothing wrong with that.  As long as you are gonna ride the thing, more power to ya.  Too many guys mounting up repro 4 into 4 so they can park it in the living room and bow down and pray to the damn thing..."Oh my!  I would never allow fowl gas fumes to enter my precious pipes!  The horror!"

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, I love it when you over-think things Sean. Nope, the Delkevic pipe on it's own isn't the issue, it's a combination of the 1100cc high comp pistons, bigger valves, bigger cams, bigger carbs, head porting, better ignition etc, that needs a freer flowing exhaust (regardless of whether it's a 400 dollar Delkevic, or the old Kerker that was on the drag bike that I still have sitting in my garage) to work well. Do you seriously think that bolting up a stock exhaust would work well with this engine's other components, and maybe lose just 5 BHP? Somehow I'd have to disagree.

[PeWe]

My CB750 with 836 ported head, cam VM29 carbs ran really bad with a too restrictive exhaust system.
Worse than stock.

I used a silent baffle in my then new 4-1 (Alfa, delivered with 2 baffles, silent and loud)

I did not test before the long touring going south to Jugoslavia as it was called back then. Bike could maximum reach 130kmh in silent mode. Before 200kmh + squeeze it a little further to 210kmh according to speedo.

Engine sounded bad too, as it should explode

That was not possible in Germany on Autobahn. Had to take it out and riding really ear ringing loud!! Cruise speed mostly around 160-170kmh

That very silent system should probably work better  on a stock bike.

A biker friend that had a Z1000 1977 with more power, RC pistons, headwork, RC cams, Dellorto carbs  and reinforcements had seen same thing with stock pipes. Too restrictive is working worse when engine is modified.

Drilling good looking stock pipes will probably not help much.

I drilled my Lotus Root baffles/diffusers. 5-6mm holes in a ring in the bottom of them to help the flow with the 1005cc build.
Possible to undo if needed. Tap and screws or weld.

Taking them out completely too loud in the long run when cruising around.

Same bike used Yamiya No numbers before. Ran rather OK with no baffles.
Hindle 4-2-1 work better when open the throttles. More silent in legal speeds.

For a future back to stock to harvest  $$$$$ or get money back, good to have the stock bits on the shelf.

[ekpent]

Interesting, restrictive even with the baffles out?
If we had a top ten list of great looking motorcycle exhaust, we’d have CB 750 Lotus root, Z1 and Norton Commando at the top.

Don't forget the cool pipes on the Benelli SEI. Bet another member here from Canada might agree. 

[MauiK3]

Somehow, I think 6 into 6 is over the top, that's a lot of plumbing back there!!
I get it, big HP needs different exhaust for sure.

[Stev-o]

Interesting, restrictive even with the baffles out?
If we had a top ten list of great looking motorcycle exhaust, we’d have CB 750 Lotus root, Z1 and Norton Commando at the top.

Don't forget the cool pipes on the Benelli SEI. Bet another member here from Canada might agree. 

And dont forget about the CBX!!





And the 550F, the reason I bought my first SOHC...

[MauiK3]

The CBX has to be one of the best looking engines ever on two wheels.

[Terry in Australia]

My CB750 with 836 ported head, cam VM29 carbs ran really bad with a too restrictive exhaust system.
Worse than stock.

I used a silent baffle in my then new 4-1 (Alfa, delivered with 2 baffles, silent and loud)

I did not test before the long touring going south to Jugoslavia as it was called back then. Bike could maximum reach 130kmh in silent mode. Before 200kmh + squeeze it a little further to 210kmh according to speedo.

Engine sounded bad too, as it should explode

That was not possible in Germany on Autobahn. Had to take it out and riding really ear ringing loud!! Cruise speed mostly around 160-170kmh

That very silent system should probably work better  on a stock bike.

A biker friend that had a Z1000 1977 with more power, RC pistons, headwork, RC cams, Dellorto carbs  and reinforcements had seen same thing with stock pipes. Too restrictive is working worse when engine is modified.

Drilling good looking stock pipes will probably not help much.

I drilled my Lotus Root baffles/diffusers. 5-6mm holes in a ring in the bottom of them to help the flow with the 1005cc build.
Possible to undo if needed. Tap and screws or weld.

Taking them out completely too loud in the long run when cruising around.

Same bike used Yamiya No numbers before. Ran rather OK with no baffles.
Hindle 4-2-1 work better when open the throttles. More silent in legal speeds.

For a future back to stock to harvest  $$$$$ or get money back, good to have the stock bits on the shelf.

Exactly Per, installing a stock exhaust on a hotrod engine has the same effect as shoving a spud (potato) up someone’s exhaust pipe! I’ve thought about buying a set of repro 4 into 4 pipes in case I ever rebuild the engine as a stocker, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen, I just bought a new set of Mikuni RS34 carbs and I’m thinking that some slightly hotter cams might be nice too.