My Route To KZ1300 Ownership

@ Biltonjim

wow, thats quite a story and to me it contains quite a lot of emotions.

How did the other get to a bike like ours (which is defintely quite a bit far from standard) ?

regardZ

Hoolger

Thanks for all the friendly comments regarding my story.
Yes, Pete F, we will have to meet up some time. I'd like to see your bike when you get it finished, but be warned - I'll have hundreds of questions to ask about 1300's!!

The carbs on XS1100's were mentioned. My XS certainly had Mikuni carbs fitted. It also had twin vacuum operated fuel taps, which were superb. The only trouble I had once was after five months of not using the bike, one of the taps had a stuck diaphragm, so no fuel flowed unless turned to the PRIME position. It was a simple task to dismantle and rectify the problem.
The XS1100 was a great machine. I just hope when I get my KZ1300 up and running, that it impresses me as much as the XS first did nearly thirty six years ago. THIRTY SIX YEARS AGO- that makes me feel old, but I can remember collecting my new Yamaha just as though it was yesterday.

Biltonjim

I also had an xs1100 special which I sold about 3 years ago. Great bike, as you said, with a bullet proof engine. In comparison to the Z1300 though.....no contest. The 1300 handles better and pulls like a train with endless, or so it seems, power. I wouldn't go back to an xs1100 now it would seem underpowered !!

Yep, Hitachi was in fact a supplier to Yamaha in the 70's and 80's. Wished Yamaha had stuck with Mikuni. It was probably hit and miss from a production standpoint. You would of thought that it would just have been one supplier like the other big 3 manufacturers.

Todd.

Enjoyable tale. Normally I get impatient with long posts and start skipping chunks out to get to the end, but you held me for every word.
I also started with a CB250, but then I had a Commando and a Bonneville (lots of resented owner participation required) before getting to the sophisticated stuff. At that point I nearly went for the big Yam, but Kawasaki got to me first. When I was offered a test drive on a Z1000ST, I had to own one. Several Kawasaki 4's later, in 1999, my ZN1300 entered my life and I still have it and love it (owner participation given freely).

Thanks Eddie.
The Voyager is one visually impressive machine. What's it like to ride?