[mushmouth]

This guy in my class at school sold me his KZ400 for a hundred bucks, so can anybody show me some pics of what they got as far as rigids go? This is the first bike i have ever tried to modify and have lots of questions, I want to keep it really simple. As bare bones as possible because I'm paying for school. The kid that sold me the bike also threw in a busted up 650 motor so if I fixed it up would an engine swap be cool (or work)?

 

[lilbill]

This guy in my class at school sold me his KZ400 for a hundred bucks, so can anybody show me some pics of what they got as far as rigids go? This is the first bike i have ever tried to modify and have lots of questions, I want to keep it really simple. As bare bones as possible because I'm paying for school. The kid that sold me the bike also threw in a busted up 650 motor so if I fixed it up would an engine swap be cool (or work)?

the 650 motor won't fit in the 400 frame. nobody as far as i know makes a riged frame for a 400 but it is close enough in design to the xs650 that you can use just about all the same parts and tecniques to chop it as you would a 650. hell, bring it to me. i'll chop it for ya.

there used to be a saying "you can chop a harley for the same money as chopping a honda"
(of course that's not taking into account the base price of the vehicle) meaning that fenders,tanks,pipes,frontends etc all cost money no matter what you put them on.

 

[nardi1]

Here is a quick pic of the KZ1000 I built last winter. Its in an Amen Savior frame.

 

[mushmouth]

Here is a quick pic of the KZ1000 I built last winter. Its in an Amen Savior frame.

That frame is way cool. I seen something like that in a The Horse B.C. mag.
I'm not down for buying a new frame, so I thought that maybe I'd try and keep the middle part of the frame stock and weld on a pair of rigid swing arms in the rear. welding is no problem for me because thats what I'm going to school for.
Now that I think of it how are some ways of doing this(making rears rigid on stock frame)? What are the steps I need to take? Also please forgive me for sounding dumb about this stuff. Bikes always looked like alot of fun, but i never thought I could afford one( reason for making one). So I never really studied them to much.

 

[mushmouth]

What else we got people. lets keep the pics coming

 

[pre-unit]

so I thought that maybe I'd try and keep the middle part of the frame stock and weld on a pair of rigid swing arms in the rear. welding is no problem for me because thats what I'm going to school for.

what do you mean by a "pair of rigid swing arms"? there's really two ways to go to set up a rigid rear. cut the back half of the frame and make a rigid section or buy one built and fab it to your frame . some have made rigid stuts to take place of the rear shocks leaving the swing arm in place. done mostly for drag racing tho. i used to have a kz1000 and was a member of kzrider.com there are a few who have hardtail bikes there and a weath of info on kz's in general . probably want to do a search here too as i'm sure there are few examples of kz chops around.

 

[mushmouth]

so I thought that maybe I'd try and keep the middle part of the frame stock and weld on a pair of rigid swing arms in the rear. welding is no problem for me because thats what I'm going to school for.

what do you mean by a "pair of rigid swing arms"? there's really two ways to go to set up a rigid rear. cut the back half of the frame and make a rigid section or buy one built and fab it to your frame . some have made rigid stuts to take place of the rear shocks leaving the swing arm in place. done mostly for drag racing tho. i used to have a kz1000 and was a member of kzrider.com there are a few who have hardtail bikes there and a weath of info on kz's in general . probably want to do a search here too as i'm sure there are few examples of kz chops around.

Thanks alot for the web address. I'm still pretty new to bikes, so all the lingo and parts of bike I'm not sure of, yet.

If anybody has pics here lemme see them too.

 

[StraightPipez]

If anybody has pics here lemme see them too.

Why don't you just use pics of bikes that you like, instead of trying to find KZ spefic photos? I think you'll find this will be much easier.

 

[mushmouth]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I spose when you're building a custom antything goes.

 

[FHP]

here's my street racer I sold last year.Big bore,4 into one kerker(blown out) and a total rockabilly nightmare.Fuckin fast bitch,KZ's rock.I loved to smoke 120 inch harleys at stop light races and stop and let them know that I built this bike for 400 bux and smoked their 25,000 dollar bullshit.The bike was all black later on,but I was out with some buddies and had to scratch a phone number in it with a screwdriver(no pen,ya know).Have fun with yours man,they are great cycles.Be safe and happy motoring!

 

[aj650]

The kid that sold me the bike also threw in a busted up 650 motor so if I fixed it up would an engine swap be cool (or work)?

You should probably keep the frame/motor combo that match VIN's, it'll be a lot easier to title (if you don't already have one).

Hopefully he gave you a title, in which case you'd have to keep the engine and frame the same.

 

[tom]

I've had a couple of KZ 1000's, they are wicked...here is a shot of the last one, its a '78 LTD stripped down and setup cafe style. wish I never sold it.

 

[mushmouth]

I'm pumped to hear that my KZ's can beat some Harleys,not that I'm gonna race em. It seems like thats what you have to have to be a real "biker" were I'm from Cafe racers are sweet bikes too. The guy that sold me the bike said that people have bean making them into street fighters too. What are those?