TOPIC:

Looking better than new. Nice work !! Can't wait to see her with the tank on. Paintwork on the fender looks awesome. Just went back through your posts to find out what you did to the exhaust and I don't see any reference to them. They look new but are stock pipes?

Thanks Kawboy. The bike was imported from California to the UK and was in pretty good condition. The exhaust system is in good condition apart from light pitting and is too good condition to have rechromed. Ive had to rechrome the exhaust heat sheilds along with crankcase covers, rear wheel centre and a number of nuts and bolts. The main work to the exhaust system was to have the collector boxes ceramic coated.

I’ve ditched the peanut shaped tank and replaced it with the more conventional style tank. Here’s a few photos of the bike when I first bought it.

I must say, your work is producing great results. I love the views of the front wheel / fork etc., I've always thought the 1300 has a very handsome front end. Even more so when everything is nicely restored, like yours.
I remember when the 1300 was launched, it was often lamented that the view of the pipes is obscured by the radiator. Yes it is, but I would rather have the benefit of liquid cooling than the full view of the exhaust pipes! That radiator cover you've fitted looks superb too.
Looking forward to your next update. I wish you were not so far from me ( Harrogate district ) as I would love to have visited you to have a proper look, and to listen to the engine when you get it running.

Hi Jim,
It’s been almost 12 months since I bought the bike and only really get time in the evenings and the weekends to work on the bike. I do agree that the front end of the bike has a certain presence about it. Hopefully we can meet up in the summer as there is plenty of bike meets between Harrogate and Liverpool. I’m not aware of any Z1300 owners close to me and haven’t seen any at the local bike meetings although I do see Haggler in the summer (whose a Z1300 owner) but we’re on our GT750’s.

The main issues now appear to be electrical gremlins but I’ll have look later on next year as I’m off to Tenerife for a week to get some winter sun.

You'll have to do some international Z13 dos. There at least 3 next year Denmark, France and Germany and poss Finland. I hope to get to some of these

Martin, she's looking really good !
As Haggler said, it would be great to try and do a pre-Brexit Euro bash - or if not maybe a uk jaunt - somewhere equi-distant .(assuming I finally get rid of my Z13's Gremlins)
Cheers Tim