I'm Richard Durost, from the High Desert of north-central Oregon.
My list of dream bikes Includes the Yamaha RD-400C, the first-generation naked Honda Goldwing, the Honda CBX, and (surprise) the KZ-1300. I first read about these bikes when I was in High School and college.
Since I moved out to the Outback, I've been making progress on my list. My former girlfriend flatly forbade me from buying a near-mint RD-400C (at the time I was being well-rewarded for my obedience) but when we moved to the country she lightened up because of the lack of traffic.
I got the '77 GoldWing about nine years ago, and it's made me very happy. My only problem is that, being self-employed, I never get enough time to ride (and fawn over) it. It's everything I ever imagined it would be. When I read that Honda hadn't been able to decide whether it would be a tourer or their new Superbike, I was hooked for life. Despite its weight (and my own at ~270 lbs) it's a screamer that can't get enough revs.
I read about the KZ1300 in college, when they were first introduced. The sheer wretched excess of a 6-cylinder, water-cooled, shaft-driven (I HATE chain maintenance) 120 HP bike that weighed over 700 lbs and went over 140 MPH made my jaw drop.
I first discovered my particular 1982 KZ1300-B over five years ago, out behind a client's house. His wife had forbidden him from riding it after he dumped it on gravel at zero MPH, and its last registration expired in 2007. I immediately expressed my admiration for the bike, and asked him if he was interested in selling it. At the time he wasn't ready to let go of it, but since then his health has declined, and the bike went into a yard sale. A good friend of mine saw it, and knew it was too good a deal to pass up, even though he personally had no interest in dealing with it. By sheer luck, I found out about it after the fact and was able to get it for an insanely low price.
I'm not interested in any of the "Tupperware" as us naked-bike aficionados call the fairing/bags/trunk, but rest assured, they will go into the hands of somebody who will appreciate and make good use of them.
The bike is remarkable in that it only has 5,800 miles on the clock, and apart from a couple of minor dents in the tank, is in amazingly good condition, especially given that it was outside, uncovered, for significant parts of that 12+ years it sat. Danger signs include (1) the tool tray/airbox cover is unaccountably missing, so it's possible that it was operated essentially without an air cleaner for a period, and (2) of the six+ quarts of oil that this year 1300 holds, there was maybe 1.5 quarts in it. There is no sign of leakage or scary metal dust/particles in the oil or on the filter. The filter assembly was missing its spring. for what it's worth, although I have a new spring and filter to go with the 10W-40 Valvoline semi-synthetic oil I plan to use in it. This oil is what I'm using in the GW, which also has a wet clutch, and it's been working flawlessly.
I have a lot to learn, but I already have a factory service manual, and I'm excited to be plugged in to this network of my fellow fanatics (er, I mean "passionate supporters") for this piece of motorcycling history!
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