Wonderings about the KZ 900

[cobra23]

AHhhhhhhHhhh...

16,000 mile Ducati service 900 Dollars WHAT!!! wait... American dollars??

Desmodronic cheaper than crack twice as addictive.

Thats 900 I could have spent on the KZ.

RC Flagger..I will be home 1st week of June...you going to WSB?

[cobra23]

Well after a weekend at Miller WSB, I got a few days at home. Got the seat finally bolted on, the petcock installed, and checked the chain to inside frame rail clearance.

Next rip home it will be blasting down the street...woo hoo!!

http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=116&func=view&catid=11&id=274097&limit=20&limitstart=340

[Team Gorgonzola]

Dang man I was there. I missed you. How's that Duc, still sound awesome?

[cobra23]

You gotta be kidding me Alberto.

Next year I will get your cell number and we will hook up. I was on momentum mountain, the evenings we drank the cocktails, the mornings the coffee.

The duck still sounds awesome, I had to take it to Bellevue for service and an ECU tune as Jay had it tuned for 4000ft elevation at Reno. Jay is one good tech.

I am planning on a track day this summer at Seattle and/or Spokane. (you Interested???) Mike Sullivan has a school there as he is the "old Timer" here in Washington; raced with Spencer and Lawson in the 80's, Formula Extreme Champion about 1999 I believe. Mike is a real nice guy.

I will probably be back in Reno working eventually, we still live in Ferntucky...Karen does not want to move. I Miss the SSA group, very good people.

More better planning next year. I'll see you at bike night soon.

[A DRAGON]

Yeah Ted. We miss you too.

[cobra23]

Woooo Hooo...

Thanks to the miracle of shipping....Mrs. Cobra23 shipped the swingarm up to the Foundry, now I can do a little work on it on my off time. After hours of course.

Swiss Cheesed the brake stay.....

Best of all I am sitting here in a Pattern (tooling) shop where there be many toys around to help, the foundry is my playground

Here is the link to the project.

http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=116&func=view&catid=11&id=274097&limit=20&limitstart=340#377823

[ZRXRICH]

Where do you live, I have a old 78 KZ1000 super bike that I started building in the 80's . I used to have a shop called Rising Sun Engineering.I would like to finish building but I need some motivation and help. I live in San Leandro CA. and would like any help. Thanks Rich

[cobra23]

I live in the reno Area.

Post up a photo of your bike, I would like to see it. The KZ forum I have linked here is the best source I have found for the old Kaws.

PM your e-mail address.

[cobra23]

Well I am starting the long laborious task of polishing the tubular aluminum swingarm. This is the second ZRX swing arm I have polished, the first one was a few years ago for a buddy of mine.

You would be surprised at how long it takes, cause you gotta blend all the welds into nice fillets, to make it look right once you get to the polishing wheel, which is actually the easier part of the deal.

Photos....
http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=116&func=view&catid=11&id=274097&limit=20&limitstart=340#383182

[cobra23]

I think ahh maybe went over board on this item. You know how the clutch lever on most cable actuated bikes just seems loose, and flops around...

Well I put the lever on the bridgeprot and bored it oversize, then went to the lathe, and made a set of steel bushings to go into the larger bore...

and presto!!! no more slop.

Oh boy is there like an AA group for this kind of behavior??

http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=116&func=view&catid=11&id=274097&limit=20&limitstart=360

[A DRAGON]

Ted that is really trick. It's funny how the little adjustments make a difference. They make it seem so easy. And it generally is. Nice pics they have on that site. 

[cobra23]

Thanks Jerome!!

Year after year I keep thinking "this spring it will be running", then I come up with some other hair brained idea.

Well maybe this spring. This long distance thing for the third time (Iraq, move to Reno, then work in Wa. from Reno) is really hampering the effort. Still pushing on after seven years.

Gonna do a track day at Spokane in September with Mike Sullivan, (on the Ducati) the KZ is still sitting on the assembly table.

Karen does not want to move to Washington......hmmmmm.

Stay safe out there!!

Ted

[cobra23]

Ok it is time to see a theropist.

I ahhh well drilled the center of the bolts out to make them lighter.

Polished the partinglines out of the lever.

Drilled lightening holes into the perch.

Powder coated the perch.

and oh yea the bushing thing.....

hit the link for pictures...
Hmmmm.

http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=116&func=view&catid=11&id=274097&limit=20&limitstart=360#385027

[cobra23]

I was home last weekend.

I put the OCCL  (obsessive compulsive clutch lever) on the bike. Of course I ran it in the brass tumbler for like 12 hours, just to make sure it was all goood.

You know maybe there is something wrong with "Everyone else"...it's not me after all...yea thats it....you should all spend a few hours machining your clutch lever just to get that 1/16th of an inch of slack out of it....

Wow..thats a releif, for a while I thought it was me that had the problem.

Then I had to inventory and store all the old parts.....more issues.... littel bins full of old bolts and stuff all organized like.....labeled.....nice little color coded bins......yea its all of you...I am the only one that is not crazy.

[cobra23]

I am about ten hours into the blending of the welds on the swing arm, and about 80% complete........

Sometimes i wonder why I just don't "call it good".