Reborn: 1975 Kawasaki Z1-900

In 1984, I was reaching the one-year mark of living and getting used to a new life in Brooklyn, NY. At that point I decided to purchase a used motorcycle in order to get around. In New York cars are not needed since public transportation is very efficient. Besides, my goal was to continue saving enough money to attend Motorcycle Mechanics Institute school.

What initially began as a beat up half-dead 1975 Kawasaki Z1-900 platform, ended up as a KZ-1015cc to be exact.  And I bet you cannot tell the bike was spray-painted in my living room using spray cans paint. Those were the good old days.

My sister visited me in 1987 and took a picture with my pride and joy. 

Motorcycles and Photography Has Kept My Sanity Alive

That combination of motorcycles and photography is a powerful, science-backed recipe for mental wellness. Many find that the intense focus required for riding, combined with the creative, observational nature of photography, acts as a "reset" button for the brain, lowering stress and enhancing mental clarity. 

Part 2: Restoration of my 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 LTD

The motorcycle title finally arrived two days ago in the mail. It has been officially transferred to my name. It only took three weeks to come in the mail. This motorcycle has been sitting in storage since 2010. 

The next step is to put the bike together; find a used wooden pallet from my local dealership, and ship it to Puerto Rico. Once the bike restoration is completed, the ugly LTD look will be gone, and it should look very similar to the one shown in the picture. I am really looking forward to getting things started. 

Part 1: Restoration

Parte 1: Restauracion de la 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 LTD

Han pasado 7 años y muchas cosas han sucedido desde la ultima vez que escribi some el tema de restaurar una 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 LTD clasica que compre en el 2019.

Esta semana pasada, finalmente transferi el titulo de la moto a mi nombre. Si todo sale bien, y no hay problemas con los documentos, en un par de semanas tendre el titulo nuevo en el correo. 

Esta vez, para no interrumpir el proceso de la restauracion, voy a tratar poco a poco ir mencionando el progreso de lo que he estado haciendo con la motora. Por ahora, los planes son de preparar la moto cosa que cuando la envie a Puerto Rico, se haga mas facil de trabajar en ella. 

A la semana de comprarla, tuve la dichosa suerte de encontrar en Marketplace de Facebook un Kerker 4-1 en excelente condicion, y practicamente casi regalado en Inglaterra. 

Esta tarde empeze a desarmar los carburadores, y ya mas o menos se las piezas que voy a necesitar para ponerla en optimas condiciones. Tan pronto la motora este en Puerto Rico, pienso inspeccionar y reconstruir el motor cosa de que quede nueva otra vez. Para ser una motora que ha estado guardada en un garaje por los ultimos 15 años, la moto se ve en muy buenas condiciones. Como dice el refran, "Roma no se construyo en un dia."

Let The Restoration Begin

After several months browsing the internet looking for a bike to restore, a motorcycle that meets my three requirements : (1) a Kawasaki Z1 900 or a KZ 1000, (2) not far from my location, and (3) at a reasonable price, finally this 1978 Kawasaki KZ 1000 popped up for sale only 5 miles from my house.

Saw the ad last Friday night, finally spoke with the guy on the phone this past Saturday. We made arrangements to see the bike yesterday. Today I rented a U-Haul truck and collected the bike. It was that simple.

For a 41 year old motorcycle, the bike seems to be in excellent shape, only 26,000 miles. That means that this winter, on my free time I would be very busy restoring this classic motorcycle. It was a long time ago I owned one of these bikes, it should be fun to restore. I wouldn't make the mistake of selling it, this time I plan to keep this one.

Let the restoration begin ...