Project Kz1000 K1 Ltd

[Clarkie_10]

Hi Guys ,
whilst searching for a nice Lawson coloured ZRX1200 r , I came across a ( genuine barn Find ) Kz1000 Ltd ( 1981)
it seemed to good to ignore so decided to buy it .
Guy purchased it in 81 rode it for a while parked it up and covered in blankets , did'nt even have it's first service !
she's only done 509 Miles !
All chrome parts have rust , small brake fluid spill on front of tank and frame etc require powder coating .
Anyway fresh fuel , plugs and battery , air filter and she runs ( with slight mis as expected ).
Now this is where I require the help of you folk who know better .
should I recommission her and ride her as is or should I strip her into a thousand pieces and carry out a proper restoration like some of the beautiful examples of Zeds I have seen posted here ??
Either way I will require recommendations of where to buy spare parts ?
tyres , brake hoses , chain , rear shocks .

[FOZ1A]

Leave as is and enjoy it!

Foz

[Reecy]

Light service then ride the wheels off it

[Philippe]

Hi Clarkie_10

welcome to the club!
That's a very nice bike. Don't strip it, don't restore it. Give her a lot of TLC, change the oils and the tyres and ride her.
She's a survivor of a long gone era and she's complete and original.
Congratulations with such a barnfind!
Greetings from Belgium
Philippe

[sanderz]

Welcome to the Z1OC
Looks a tidy bike you have there, recommission and ride it would be my 2 pence worth (certainly over spring /summer) see how it rides and go from there.

Zpower are a good source for replacement parts - https://www.z-power.co.uk/z1000a1a2b1b2-ltd

Debben performance - http://www.debben.co.uk/

[Zedorset]

I would do the minimum you have to, as previously mentioned oil tyres etc.
I got 1979 triumph bonneville last year with 350 miles on the clock from new, my mates got it as a basket case and recommissioned her. To cut a long story short. The first owner got it without the permission of the one who is to be obeyed . She found out bought it off him and had it stripped and stored in sheds garage and the loft.A lot of parts had deteriorated beyond being serviceable and had to be replaced. My mates replaced more than i would have done, they did however give me the parts they took off. I have cleaned up many of the original parts and refitted them, second hand and new old stock parts are the way to go if you need to replace. Its good fun hunting the bits down as well.

Your bike looks great and welcome to the club.

[davejames]

Totally agree with the above. Change fluids and filters etc, new tyres and keep the rest as is. Just clean it all up and ride it

[kev edwards]

Service it change the tyres and ride it, it's what it was made to do.

[r3sc]

Service it, make it reliable, clean it and then ride it whenever you can! It doesn’t need restoring!

[tlc]

It looks like a genuine UK bike?

Pretty rare if so.

[Clarkie_10]

Ok , Guys Firstly Happy New Year to you all .
Secondly thanks very much for your replies , all valuable and appreciated .
However the photo's do make her look better than she actually is .
That said , I think I will re-commission to a safe rideable condition and ride her this year to see if any problems occur , then see how things are next winter as I had assumed when buying her that I should invest time and money and bring her back to her former glory as a rideable investment .
More questions :
What tyres do you recommend ? I'm thinking some Goodyear Classic style ?
Where can I get new valve stems ( for the schrader valves ? )
What Size drive chain am I looking for and Where ?
Where might I get old style rubber brake hoses ( Don't want New Braided !! )
What semi synthetic engine oil is best for Zeds ?
Thanks again

[Al]

Welcome Clarkie, if you havnt already got one then this manual covers the main areas' of youre model.
20 years in and i still refer to mine regularly.
Semi synthetic is not necessarily the best oil for these engines. If youre bike was not fully run in, and has stood for a while, semi may reduce any possibility of rings bedding in. In 1981 it would probably have had Castrol GTX / Duckhams Q or similar standard. Modern base mineral oils are far more advanced than that
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAWASAKI-Z10 ... Swl6Rf7f0Y

AL

[Clarkie_10]

Hi Al ,

I have ordered a similar manual but it's in the post , Thanks for your advice with the oil .

Best Regards