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Hello everyone my name is Don Black. I recently got bit by the 1300 bug. I currently ride a HD Road king. Years ago I road a KZ1000 and I cant stop thinking about the pleasure i got from that bike. While online looking to buya kz1000 I ran across a video of a Kz1300. And I thought to myself if the 1000 was kick ass then the 1300 must be BAD ASS! I know very little about the bike . All I know is that I want one. I joined the group to learn as much about the bike as I can.

Welcome to the party! So, the KZ1300 in 100 words or less?

Fast. Heavy. Fast. Smooth. Somewhat excessive. (Did I mention fast?) In short? AMAZING.

I just recently got mine together, and I'm still ironing out bugs. But I've got about 300 miles on it, and even at about 80% the bike is still kicka**. The weight is probably comparable to your Road King (just pulled the specs quick off Google), but the engine is a different animal. Likes to rev. Plenty of power all around, but I've heard V-twins are a bit more torquey. RPMs on the KZ1300 up to about 4K will get you around town, but all of the fun is from about 5K to the 8K redline. She just screams.

The downside is that while maintenance is pretty easy, finding replacement parts can be difficult, expensive or (most often) both. If you're still looking, find one as close to what you want as possible. Just for example, if you find one with a fairing and you want it naked, and you want it factory-correct, the conversion probably costs at least an extra $500-$600 to do. Brackets, blinkers, horn covers- all are pretty desirable items, and will cost a pretty penny.

Apart from that though, they are actually rather practical bikes- carbs don't seem overly touchy (at least compared to Goldwing carbs- don't get me started), engine is well-built (except for the cam chain tensioner- should probably replace the stock tensioner ASAP), and everything is rather straightforward. It's only complicated because you have more multiples of parts to deal with- it really is a KZ1000 with two extra cylinders (and the assorted running gear).

If you want to learn more, poking through the manuals is always fun. Doesn't hold a candle to actually owning one, though. Best of luck to you!

WELCOME !..... One of the pleasures you will gain from owning a 1300 six is....you just might be the only guy around your area with one !
Then... they can't believe how old it is ! People ask me what it is,and how do I like it ? They are actually great handling bikes blasting thru the twisties , for a bike with such a wide engine,they are quite nimble when out on the road putting her thru her paces....Tony



Rode this one 160 miles today ! Just out wasting fuel and having fun !

welcome to the forum Don, come to the right place for help and information and if they don't know how to fix it the members will work it out for you, there is some very cluey guys on here

Welcome aboard Don!

Welcome to the Forum Don. Happy shopping for your next ride. When you're looking for help, there's lots of it here.

You could look through the FAQ tab at the top of the home page to get a feel for what the bike has to offer and issues that we've come across and dealt with. Don't be afraid to "jump right in" It's a simple bike for the most part when you break it down to fundamentals.