My 79 KZ1300

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calif wingnut
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My 79 KZ1300

#1

Post by calif wingnut »

From the archives 1989.
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#2

Post by Whiskerfish »

I remember my Parents riding group had a couple of those in it. Do not remember hearing much about them.
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#3

Post by Lucien Harpress »

Very large. Very fast. Very heavy. Quite fun, though.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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240zron
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#4

Post by 240zron »

That brings back some memories, my dad still has a 79 KZ1300 in mint condition with around 30,000 miles on it. He blew a head gasket on it and has been sitting now for around 30 years. Was a fast fun bike.
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#5

Post by Lucien Harpress »

While GETTING an OEM head gasket is getting harder, actually replacing it isn't that bad. There may be other things after 30 years of sitting, but the motors tend to be pretty bulletproof.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#6

Post by calif wingnut »

With my favorite Classic Car 87.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#7

Post by calif wingnut »

Maintenance records for my brief ownership of 1.5 years. This is the 3rd stator replacement, with first 2 by oem owner.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#8

Post by calif wingnut »

Here's the oem owner, Frank Saito, a WW2 veteran from the decorated 442nd Japanese/American combat regiment.
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#9

Post by rcmatt007 »

the Army sent those guys into the toughest places.
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#10

Post by desertrefugee »

There's a neat little write-up in this month's edition of VJMC magazine on the KZ 1300. Interesting read by a former owner of a couple of them. He wasn't an enthusiastic hardcore owner, but spent some time with them.
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#11

Post by Lucien Harpress »

I THINK Motorcycle Classics magazine did a cover story about the 1300 about a... year ago, maybe? A pretty good overview about the machine and experiences in riding it.

I've said way (way, way, WAY) too much about the particulars of this bike in my build/repair/existential breakdown thread, but the short version- its a STRANGE combination of straightforward, solid engineering in some places and cluttered, ill-thought-out and/or over designed solutions to easy problems in others.

The engine really is built like 6 individual single cylinder engines, and solidly simple. The gearing for the ignition pickups is a bit wonky (and the pickups DID change location nearly every model year), but apart from that the engine is built like a tank.

But everything under the seat... is a mess. The battery holder is 4 pieces that doesn't hold the battery that well, brackets are oddly shaped and bolted to weird places, etc. The overall impression is that a bracket was made to fix some issue, but it created an issue someplace else, so another patch was made to fix that, but THAT created a problem in a DIFFERENT place, so on and so forth.

They're odd bikes and definitely not for everyone, but have a VERY unique charm because of it.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#12

Post by calif wingnut »

Nice flock of them here.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#13

Post by calif wingnut »

Another excellent picture of the flock :<)
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#14

Post by Lucien Harpress »

These always did seem to be more popular overseas, for some reason.... (that's a.... German rally? European, for sure.)
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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calif wingnut
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Re: My 79 KZ1300

#15

Post by calif wingnut »

It was a wonderful era back in the day with the yamaha venture-xs1100-kz1300 etc, all looking to dethrone the Wing but it was never to be :<)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Z1300
https://www.pinterest.com/lestermutton/kawasaki-z1300/
https://www.kz1300.com/index.php/forum/ ... 019-europe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm1TiONtsfY
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