Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

It's the duck's guts, all right. It just never ceases to amaze me that, the more you you do, the more obvious it becomes just how tough and rugged those old Z motors were. I mean, if that was a modern engine, it wouldn't be fit for scrap. Fantastic work, mate. Here's a couple of more pics taken from an email that Kent sent me last night.



This is the tacho that Kent used on the bike when it was being used as a road bike. A GPZ-item (I think).



We need a fuel tap like this one for the fibreglass tank. Any help would be gratefully accepted.

Keep up the great work, Dave, I'm more indebted to you than what I can ever say.

My tip is that tach is a Honda unit . CB900/750 the Bol Dor thingys

Just a Q.
Given that is a pressed crank is there any way of measuring bearing wear other than by feel? Just always wondered.
Oh and is that VHT Cast aluminium in a can what you sprayed on the rear brake? If it is then either stick it in the oven and bake it or use the heat gun on it to get it fully cured....then its impervious to everyfink.

the kid wrote:......My tip is that tach is a Honda unit . CB900/750 the Bol Dor thingys.....

+1 - that is exactly what it is. Those Honda tachs are unmistakeable.

Slow and wobbly wrote:...Given that is a pressed crank is there any way of measuring bearing wear other than by feel? Just always wondered......Oh and is that VHT Cast aluminium in a can what you sprayed on the rear brake? If it is then either stick it in the oven and bake it or use the heat gun on it to get it fully cured....then its impervious to everyfink.....

You can measure up the play at the little-end with a dial guage if you really want to - 3 of the 4 are well within spec, one is close. You can also use feeler guages at the big-end, but this isn't really as accurate. I don't have a set of V-blocks to check the runout, and really should invest in some good ones.

The rear brake has only been given a couple of coats of satin-black - mainly to just keep it tidy. The flash and time of day, means the photos make the paint look like silver - but it is just a clean satin black. It may even come off yet, I had another look at the photos of the original bike the other night, and the backing late was just plain unfinished alloy......

Minor update tonight - picked up the rear hub today after it has been surface-finished. Much cleaner, the brake linings are now totally rust-free and should work 100%, I gave this a couple of coats of satin-black this arvo, and this hub will shortly be fitted with new wheel bearings and then off to old mate the wheel builder, so it can be spoked to the original 3.0" x 18" rim. A rolling chassis gets closer and closer.....

Actually I was wondering about that (he says, putting on his anorak). The rear brake was just plain alloy, not painted, so maybe we need to go back to that, too, in the interest of originality. Sourcing the appropriate exhaust system is still going to be an issue, I think.

You did the front hub in a gloss black didn't you Phil ? I will do the same with the rear hub before it goes over to Greg for lacing up, and take the black off the edges that you can see - its not a great amount. The backing plate I can get back to unfinished alloy easily, it will clean up OK.

The rear wheel bearings turned up today which is good news.

here is a photo that will really appeal to Billy & Stace. It is of some manly bums. Given the need to maintain originality with the build of Shadowfax, we have been lucky enough to locate and re-build a pair of original Marzocchi AG Strada rear shocks. They used to be sold by Ian Gowanloch.............and his band of ....merry....men

Gosling1 wrote:
here is a photo that will really appeal to Billy & Stace. It is of some manly bums.

Pfft call them Manly ???

Note that the copywriter got it wrong, though. He spelt Ian's name with an "e" in the copy, but the correct "a" in the banner at the bottom....

Small hijack....Lame plug....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/120780279152 ... 1438.l2649

And I just noticed that my last post finished with the words.."at the bottom"

kawadave wrote:Small hijack....Lame plug....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/120780279152 ... 1438.l2649

nice plug mate ! Good luck with the sale.......will be watching this auction, keep your eyes peeled for some sniping from that bastard nightrider903 !!

fezzick wrote:It's the duck's guts, all right. It just never ceases to amaze me that, the more you you do, the more obvious it becomes just how tough and rugged those old Z motors were. I mean, if that was a modern engine, it wouldn't be fit for scrap. Fantastic work, mate. Here's a couple of more pics taken from an email that Kent sent me last night.



This is the tacho that Kent used on the bike when it was being used as a road bike. A GPZ-item (I think).

.

I have a working mechanical tacho from a yammy xs250 you can have for free if you want it
looks like this (photo stolen frokm ebay) but more faded.


let me know

Thanks, mate, but I think I'll go with the one that was on it, assuming it still works. If not, I'll think about that one, although it probably SHOULD be a Kawasaki one, eh? The one that was on it when it raced was also a Yamaha one, but off a TZ750!! Unfortunately, it didn't survive the accident, as you can see.

I've also put a mate onto those Marzocchis for his Ducati. Thanks for posting the link!!!

fezzick wrote:Thanks, mate, but I think I'll go with the one that was on it, assuming it still works. If not, I'll think about that one, although it probably SHOULD be a Kawasaki one, eh? The one that was on it when it raced was also a Yamaha one, but off a TZ750!! Unfortunately, it didn't survive the accident, as you can see.

I've also put a mate onto those Marzocchis for his Ducati. Thanks for posting the link!!!

That isn't off a tz750, if memory serves the 750 tacho had a max of 12krpm, with a redline at 10500 rpm

I've received a PM from a member who suggested that we publish a list of the stuff that we need so that other members can help and can feel like they're part of the project. I publish below my reply and I'm sure Gos will add more.

"I think it's a great idea. The one thing that has stunned me, who has always been used to being asked to pay for every little thing, is how generous people can be when they have something that they are really passionate about. The offers of help, parts and so forth that this project has generated has been astounding.

Gos can fill you all in on the more specific things; there are a certain set of engine parts that we will have to purchase new, of course. But one this I know we do need is an exhaust system. If you look at the pictures, I'm sure that the original was some motley 4-into-1 with a home-made muffler. (It could have been a Walker or an O'Brien or something, I really have no idea) But we do need another exhaust system that looks as closely like that one as possible. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Another thing we need is an ignition barrel and a key. Simple thing, I know, but they all add up. "