Barnabas 1980 KZ1300 Restoration

I am a new member to the forum and boy do I need your help! Yesterday I reacquired a treasured 1980 KZ1300 that was bought new by my Dad. I bought it from him in the 1980's and road it for about a number of years. I gave the bike to my brother in the 1990's and recovered the bike from the barn where it sat for over 5 years yesterday. I lost my Dad in 2006 and brother in 2015 and the bike means a lot to me. I would like to restore it.

I love to ride cross country on another 6 cylinder bike, a 2012 BMW K1600 GTL. I'd like to restore the KZ1300 with the saddle bags and without the faring for riding around town.

Here's my challenge; I have only average auto mechanical skills (Oil, brakes...etc) and I've never restored a bike before. Actually, truth be told, I tried to restore my old Suzuki 750 Water Buffalo around 1980 and ended up giving that one to my brother in boxes! (He was a very capable mechanic.) I do have time and will enjoy learning and working on the bike and I will really need your help to keep from failing again!.

Please check out the pictures. The KZ has 35000 miles. My brother added air shocks and 6-1 header which he said was very difficult to install. It is missing the faring lowers. The engine, header and covers, etc. are pitted from high humidity.

How do I get manuals? Where do I start and what are the parts of the project? What tools and other stuff will I need? How do I make sure I can actually reassemble the bike? What businesses might be able to do parts of the work? Where do I get parts?

Thank you in advance for your help and camaraderie during this labor of love.

Hello Barnabas from New Zealand
you certainly have a colourfull personal association with the bike its past and family, i admire your drive to hold onto that and bring the old girl back to life
im sure some one else on the site will step in here, their is a section some where with the manual all down loadable, they often also come up on Ebay.
you will find i think every issue these bikes have covered in this site ,often several times.
Bill is pretty good at sorting into the relevant categories, my suggestion is scroll through the main forum and look for parts of the bikes( ie electrics/engine etc etc)
im certain if you just cant find what your after list the specifics and some one will come to your aid
i have a basket 1980 KZ1300 and just bought a Z1300
pic your battles carefully and take your time,i made a list at the start of my project then i broke it down into the relevant categories and importance and association with other components, since i have just worked slowly methodically along its helped me keep on track and plane for the next steps and possible costs
regards Dion

first , Welcome to the site!! Lots of help here when you need it.

3 places you need to check for resources are
The KZ1300 FAQ tab at the very top of the page in the blue banner. It has a link capability so if you go to a topic and mouse near it, you can select that topic item and it will take you there.
On the Home page you will also find the downloadable shop manuals.
The third spot you can find answers is by searching the topics using the search tab.
If you fail to find your answers in any of those three places, there's always the Gurus on the site.

Hi and welcome
This site is a great resource for restoring a bike. I would go as far to say that most of the key players in the current KZ/Z1300 industry have lurked on these pages. Make good use of the search tab (actually make good use of your search function on the computer in general). The best news is that since you tried the GT Ebay has come along and helped us access a lot of the bits that otherwise would have been hidden away or chucked out. Then you have the guys in Finland remanufacturing things as well. So parts wise, yes there are things that are hard to find but I can tell you most of it will come to light. Remember that a lot of parts are cross compatible so don't get down heartened if you find something needs replacing (Try owning a Bimota......).
As for the technical challenge, yes its big and yes it looks complicated but it isn't really. Just read the manual, research on the site and ask where you don't understand what is required. There isn't a lot that hasn't been done in these pages. I'd suggest you join a club (not a bikie club...) as well to tap into the local services you can use. The VJMC may be an option if they have a chapter nearby.
The bike looks pretty good as a starting point (some of the crap I've restored has been a lot worse). Plan your resto. on the basis of doing sections and you'll progress well (and more importantly feel like you're progressing which is a key to maintaining motivation). Also before you pull it apart have a think about whether recommissioning it and having a bit of fun before you pull it apart is an option. Sometimes if you are familiar with the bike before you start makes a for a better experience (I did this with my Katana). Read resto stories in the assorted bike press too as they help with understanding what you go through in a resto. remembering that they always seem to forget the fine tuning required at the end to get the bike running properly.....
Most importantly though have fun, it can be a very rewarding and frustrating process all rolled into one!