TOPIC:

Hi all. I'm new to the site and thought I would introduce myself. My first motorcycle was a 1980 KZ1300 that I bought in 1987. I still have it, but I haven't ridden it in about 20 years because the motor needs to be rebuilt and I haven't had a place to do it until recently.
That being said, my brother recently decided that he wanted to get a KZ1300 for himself and asked me to help him find one.
Well, one thing led to another and now we have 8 complete bikes ( three of which run, but need a little work) and 2 partial bikes. Needless to say, my wife is not really all that pleased....but I digress.
Anyway, we weren't able to get paperwork on 4 of the complete bikes or the two partial bikes, but we did run all of the VIN's and it looks like none have been reported stolen or as salvage. 
So, we have decided to try and get all of them titled and restored to original condition. It might prove to be too much for us to handle, but we want to try. Some might not be worth restoring as much as the others. Two are B models, so we might "customize" them. One of partial bikes is an '82 that's missing the top end of the motor and airbox. So that could be worth the effort. Well see...

Thanks,

Stu B

Welcome to the board. Lots of great info here on these great bikes.  Not only from members but also on the site in the tech section.

You clearly like the KZ1300!   What characteristics most appeal to you?

What in particular is wrong with the engine of your 1980 machine?

Welcome to the site. Looks like you're facinated with the KZ 1300 to jump in and swallow up 8 of them. Crazy !!! Never mind picking one of the heaviest bikes on the road as a first ride.

We are always here to help when you're stuck with questions. Don't be afraid to ask. We'll reply with an answer . I would like to point you to the KZ1300 FAQ tab where many of your answers can usually be answered. If you start a project, please start a new post rather than tagging onto other posts. It just keeps the site clean.

Cheers,
KB

biltonjim wrote:

You clearly like the KZ1300!   What characteristics most appeal to you?

What in particular is wrong with the engine of your 1980 machine?

The rings are shot, so I need to rebuild the motor. I'm thinking I might rebuild it with a big bore kit.
My 1980 KZ1300 was my first motorcycle. I was living in southern California and it was my only mode of transportation. So, I rode it a lot and also pretty hard.

It was running well when I moved back to Virginia in 1989, well enough so that I even took it to a track day at Summit Point Raceway. I did well enough on it that one of the pros who was leading us around the track, Randy Renfrow (3 time AMA national road racing champ). Because my KZ1300 was so big, they put me at the back of the 20 bike pack ....but riders were allowed to pass on the straight sections. I was throwing sparks as my case guards dragged on the pavement but on the straits I was easily gobbling everyone up. before long, I was the one right behind him. After we got back in the pits, he sought me out and said couldn't believe how well the KZ1300 was doing out there. He went on to encourage me to actually start road racing, which I did...on a Yamaha FZR600.

Anyway, by 1992 it was starting to smoke a little and suffer from low compression....so I parked it with the intention of rebuilding it. The got married....had kids, etc.... and now, 30+ years later I finally have the means to hopefully rebuild it.

Kawboy wrote:

Welcome to the site. Looks like you're facinated with the KZ 1300 to jump in and swallow up 8 of them. Crazy !!! Never mind picking one of the heaviest bikes on the road as a first ride.

We are always here to help when you're stuck with questions. Don't be afraid to ask. We'll reply with an answer . I would like to point you to the KZ1300 FAQ tab where many of your answers can usually be answered. If you start a project, please start a new post rather than tagging onto other posts. It just keeps the site clean.

Cheers,
KB

Thanks. How I got my first bike is interesting, at least to me. I had a co-worker/buddy that had a '79 that had been re-worked at "Zips Cycles" a performance shop in southern California. It was a badass bike....the motor was bored over and balanced/blueprinted, etc... with drag pipes and a bullet fairing. I said to him one day, "Man, if I ever get a bike, I want a KZ1300." and he laughed and said, "Well, good luck, man. They're not that easy to find." (and this was back in 1987).
About 5 months later, he was at a funeral and ran into an acquaintance of his who had a KZ1300. He asked him how the bike was doing and the guy said "Well, it's not running right now 'cause it needs a new coil and I'm thinking about selling it." My buddy said, "Well I happen to know a guy..." and the rest is history. I paid him $1300 and then spent $200 to have the coil replaced.

I would add that, the first time I rode it, I almost killed myself. I had never ridden a motorcycle (or even a mini-bike before....and I took the bus to go pick it up at the shop, after it closed. I had paid in advance so they parked it out front for me to pick up later. Nobody was around. I started it up, rolled on a little throttle and inadvertently dumped the clutch. I shot out onto a 4 lane road with my feet flailing behind me. it was all I could do to stay on the bike. I was somehow able to roll off the throttle and get my feet on the pegs without getting hit by any cars and I gingerly pulled off the road, into a parking lot. I spent about 10 minutes or so practicing how to take off and how to stop without stalling before heading home.

I would never advise anyone to do what I did....but I was definitely young and dumb back then.