Final Brake assembly - looking good

     Today is a good day. I assembled the calipers, and they look good. All of the parts i purchased went in like a glove and the refurbished parts look dapper!

     The front calipers were a bitch to get together, mainly due to the rubber boots for the cross bolts. All the other seals went in a treat.

     

     As you can see - they did come out good. Of not, when disassembling , keep the steel ring washer, you can see it in the picture above. It does not come as part of the rebuild kit, and is required to hold the rubber dust cover in place on the moving piston.

     So the calipers went together, the second easier then the first (lessons learnt), now to the master cylinders.


    I restored the piston kit for the front master cylinder and it went together easily. The seals from Kurvygirl slotted into place without the need for trimming or fitting, excellent. As you can see, the plastic of the cylinder, the rhomboid, is a little aged and crazed. But rather than replace at this stage, I wanted to keep it. The lever was just rubbed down with 4000 steel wool. And the rear master was just paint.

     The brakes are now done, well apart from the rear, which i will get too soon. Next tast is the removal of the front end, service and restore the forks, trash the handle bars for some 60s style cafe racer ones and new headlight. Switch gear is going to be serviced and restored, painted same as calipers etc. Off to the next challenge of this irregular build.

Brakes, paint and assembly

     I decided to go with a gun metal / graphite finish for my braking systems, leaving only the levers as polished aluminium. Off to the auto parts store I went, and managed to find, not caliper paint - good for 900 F, but alloy wheel paint - good to 250 F. As this is on calipers open to the wind I went for the wheel paint. Added to which - brake paint comes in four or five basic colours, none of which floated my boat. So graphite alloy wheel paint it was.

 $6.99 a rattle can.

     This paint, I found covers well, you can re-coat after 10 minutes, but after 60 minutes no coating for 7 days, while the paint cures! 2 coats applied - i think they look good. I can handle the calipers after 3 hours, will decide then if they need a rub-down and a final coat of paint. Will assemble mid week, once paint has cured, or will wait until at least the week end (3 days hence).  Then I will leave for a further 3 days or so before packing and storing and onto the next part of the project.

     More to follow on assembly and final pictures.

     There is a little run line / floor on on of my calipers, intend to sand it Wednesday or so and then give it a last coat before assembly can begin. Was my own fault, too eager to coat and put a little too much pain on in a pass. 😞

Brakes vs me, almost 40 years of crud.....

     So, now everything is back to normal, I decided to get back on the cafe racer pony and recommence the restoration.

     Stripped more of the bike, this thing must have kept Home Depot profits up high. All of the ancillaries are now off the front end, just the handle bars remain for moving in and out of my garage. Space is at a premium, oh for a home workshop. 2 more years then I will have my one in Scotland back, maybe in time for my next build (a Z1 or if it's a basket case a MFP Z1, mmmm).

     With that done, found another great resource for OEM parts, Z1 Enterprises. A complete set of seals for a front caliper are $31.00, cheaper than e-Bay. I then returned to my brakes, decided to disassemble completely, all the way down - then repaint, new seals, lines and the new pads that were in the calipers. Brakes were a mess, before and after the clean below. The seals and diaphragms were all gelatinous, sticky and everywhere. A solid combination of elbow grease, acetone and WD-40 aided the clean-up before a thorough de-greasing ready for paint and re-assembly. To totally de-grease and clean the calipers, they may have a visit to the parts washer in the kitchen (don't tell the missus.).

 To get the pistons out, I was a little creative. I do not own a compressor as yet, but have acquired a lathe and milling machine. I also ride push bikes so i have a stirrup air pump for bike tyres. So a few measurements and about 20 minutes on my lathe and i came up with a bike pump to caliper part. Designed as follows - 7 mm thread for the caliper body, 3/8 inch main body (to fit the foot pump) and knurled. A 4 mm hole through the body completes the part:

     Screwed the part into my calipers, blocked the brake line hose with a 10 mm bolt and a bit of 5 mm workshop rubber glove to seal. The one slow compression of the pump eased the piston from the caliper body. I was a pleased as a gypsies dog with 2 dicks. I think the last lot of fluid was water! A there was a lot of rust coloured fluids ejected (see the dirty piston in pic).

     It has to be said, that each caliper took 3 to 4 hours of leisurely work before paint. So all 3 calipers will take around a day and a half of work, yes it could have been cheaper to buy NOS and go from there, but this way I am trying to keep the cafe racer ethos alive, restoring and using as much as i can of the bike, changing what i must for safety and want to for the look. Besides that, NOS Calipers are expensive, eBay was one of the only places to find one, at $285.00! Used ones start at around the ton, and would need a strip down anyways.

     So to the costs:
1. Strip and clean -           $0.00
2. Brake caliper paint -     $9.00
3. Front seal kit x 2 -        $62.00      Total for both caliper refurb = $71.00
4. Master cylinder kit -     $20.00
5. Steel Lines -                 $35.00

     All in all, for the total front end brake referb - not a bad expenditure: lever to pad = $126.00. Am happy with that, and expect a similar result for the rear, once the wheels are out and I can remove the rear caliper.

     The finished calipers will be blogged in around 3 or 4 days (probably a week then).

Hurricane Irma vs me

I lost the fight but not the battle. We evacuated, just as well house is without power and there was some storm damage to our community. All is good, no flooding and intend to get back to it as soon as I return to the garage and Lecky is restored.

The rest of the Bodywork, Tank and exhaust off!

     Well, between work commitments and my favorite hobby of spending time with my gorgeous wife, the KZ650 has been a little neglected. Today we spent some quality time together, stripped the rest of the bodywork off, repaired it too, so if side panels need to go back on then they will be perfect. The tail unit will be sanded and primed then get a joyous union with eBay.

     The indicators are trash, and am looking to clean up the frame, cutting and grinding all unnecessary hangers off. Now - here is a quandary, do I retain the original exhaust or go for a Delvic and sell the twin pipes for putting the cash back into the build.

 

     The rear brake master is out, as it the hose, all brake hoses are being replaced. I should have all the brakes serviced and assembled like new in a couple of weeks.

     It does appear that the bike has been apart before, an age ago, the mis-match of  fasteners and i have discovered that zip ties of various sizes and manufacture were used in Kawasaki production... ;-)

     So my list of things to buy, although vast, is being prioritized, so my list topper at the moment are the brakes, once they are done then a bike lift is next up, so the wheels and suspension can come out.

     I now also have to clean and maybe shape the tank, will leave the shaping until later in the build. But it really does need a good service and re-sealing.

     To order list:

               1.     Front and Rear braided brake hoses - probably eBay .

               2.     Caliper paint - Black.

               3.     Bike lift or bike stand, probably from Harbor Freight, i already have a jack from them, and it seems pretty robust. That or i will be scanning craigslist for some workshop goodies.

     Oh, i did kick the motor over, has good compression, so that is good news indeed, the lever, true style did catch my shin too!

     Well, until my next installment, cheers.

The Seat and Rear Fender

     So, it has been a while, I have been back to the mother country to see family, and a thoroughly great time was had. I was keen to get back and start tinkering again. Space, as always is at a premium in my garage, the strip continued regardless. Again, most things are kept on by metric stainless steel home depot specials. I may need to buy more storage........

     Today, the much hated seat unit is gone, it is hideous, and weights in at around a chunky 15 lbs or more. I may have to keep the part I discard, or at least weight them to see how much before and after weight i have saved. I intend to eBay most things i do not use once off the bike, what I make goes back into the build.

     In addition to teh seat, the rear fender and battery box came off and out, as have the rear lighting cluster, and yes, having learnt from old, i have already labeled the wires appropriately, just in case i keep the loom.

 
So, the chrome is getting old, am undecided, should i re-chrome what I style and use, or powder coat? Decisions, decisions, well only a short addition today, but progress is being made!

The Front Master Cylinder

     Just a brief note today, as it turns out, that black gelatinous mess in the front brake master cylinder, is actually the diaphragm. It has degraded to the point of uselessness beyond hope.
     Now, is a replacement available from Kawasaki? Nope. Is it on eBay? Yes at some $30.00 plus shipping from Canada. I did, however find a great site - kurveygirl. And be careful how you type this - could end up somewhere where you do not want to be! Anyhow, the price from these guys was $23.95 including shipping. They take PAYPAL and have a great selection of Dzus fasteners etc.

     I will also be purchasing new stainless braided lines for the front and rear brakes.

     So, this week, as well as work I will be refurbishing the cylinder as taking down the KZ a bit more. I know I should take it all down and then refurb/ repair / replace but  can't help myself! Besides as I srtip the master cyclinder i will see if it needs a refurb kit for the piston and O rings........

     Pictures and maybe a video to follow.

     

The start of the tear-down

     July holiday weekend, so I decided to start the tear-down of the KZ650. Every bolt and screw seems to be well torqued, only issues i have is that some appear to be home depot's finest! At least they are stainless steel. I have attached a couple of videos, one of the bike and one of the mess i encountered in the front brake master cylinder. I hope there is no worse to come, but suspect the rear master cylinder and the carbs will present similar issues.
     I hope this first video give some idea of the bike and overall condition:

    And here is the inside of the front brake master cylinder:

     There will be more to follow, especially as i master the art of video editing and posting.

My Title arrived from the DMV

     Today my Florida Title arrived, all correct and legal. I am a very content man, let the tear-down begin!

Ohio title - success

     Today is a good day for project 'UKCaferacer'. I go tthe corrected title from OHIO BMV. Not only corrected but i also got a $5.00 rebate, they refunded my late fee. In the form of a nicely worn $5.00 bill stapled to the receipt!!
     Now i have all of the correct papers to title the bike in my name here in Florida.

     I am a happy man.

Deflation and elation.

     After the call to the regional BMV in OHIO, i was a little deflated, nonetheless, i sent all the required documents and my check for $20.00 to payable to the Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas. Registered post naturally. Sent on the 06 June, arrived on Thursday 08 June, the wait was to begin...
    Whey-hey. I had a missed call on my cell, on Thursday, noticed it Friday morning and returned the call to Jamie, who, as her voice message stated, worked for the Warren County BMV in Lebanon. This must be bad news, good doesn't happen that quickly. I called, expecting bad news, a form not correctly notarized, check not enough, wrong department, anything but good news right? Wrong, the call was great, Jamie informed me that the title has now been adjusted to reflect the true VIN of my bike, and further to that, so i do not have any difficulty at my local DMV, down here in Clay county, she was returning the original notarized documents to me! What a breath of air, from a much maligned agency. My dealings with the DMV/BMV in the US has, thus far - not lived up to the negative press. You just have to be prepared and have all the required documentation. It is then straightforward, add a little politeness and you are of the the caferacer.
    So, all documentation is in order, being returned to me so i can sortie to the Florida DMV, and trust that the experience there will be as pleasant and straightforward. Antique plates and a new title here I come.

The authority for the VIN change arrives.

     The authority for the VIN change arrives.

     Well, a day like any other in Florida, the mail man made his rounds as normal. In from work, i cycle through the deliveries, trash, offers, trash, OHIO DMV.........
     I think, good news is not this fast, how wrong i was. Those sterling guys up in OHIO have upheld my claim for the VIN change. All my paperwork is in order and i can now apply for the corrected Title :-)
     Grinning like the Cheshire Cat and feeling reasonable smug and content with my progress thus far i decide to complete my dealings with the state of Ohio.
     So i now call the local office in Warren County, who issued the title in the first place -

'Hello, Warren County BMV, how may i help?'

Hi, (long explanation of circumstances and process)'

'That should be no problem Sir, when did you purchase the motorcycle?'

'It was on the 5th of May this year.' I says

'Oh, you will have to pay the $15.00 for a new title and a $5.00 late fee.......as it is over 30 days since you acquired the motorcycle.' she states

'But, (long explanation of process again) so can't the late fee be waived?' I question / plead politely.

'No, i don't think so, would be safer to pay now rather than draw the process out.' She replied

'OK, i will send today.' Was my reply, with a smidgen of defeat in the air.

     I am a little frustrated after my great news, but hey - it's only another $5.00 and most importantly of all, the VIN will be corrected on the title and the bike will be finally up for transfer to me in Florida. I just hope they are as helpful as those very nice people in Ohio.

     And of course none of this, to date, would be achievable without the help of the previous owner, thank you Scott.

   

     So, where are the wrenches and that manual.....

      I googled KZ650 Manual, and there are a few around, think i will start with the factory production one, they are available to buy on eBay or from other places, i manages to source mine from here, and it was at the best price - FREE !

My research and the way to the correct title

     After some research done using several helpful sites : Z650 info and i joined KZRider. As it turns out, this is not an isolated issue or indeed insurmountable. Also the KZ community is very helpful and has a plethora of information. It appears that the VIN on bike is genuine, and at some stage in the 80's on a transfer - to make it fit an unhelpful and rigid computer system, someone added a date to the end of the VIN to make it fit the now legal 17 characters.
     To the task in hand. After chatting with Ohio BMV, turns out all is not lost. I need to get a few things together and send the required documents over to them. Again, at this stage, it would seem the the Ohio BMV are being very helpful and understanding.
     So i need to do the following:

1.  Verify the bike VIN and mileage - done with the help of a very nice policeman from my county using a form from my DMV.
2. Get power of attorney over the title from its previous owner, Ohio POA  - done with a simple text and request, as i said the previous owner is a gentleman.
3. Have a notarized statement of authenticity for the Ohio DMV, done using a free notary at work.
4. Original title, have that.
5. Some pictures of the bike to send:

  

     Attached all to an e-mail with a copy of my FL DL and a redacted copy of another ID. I am now pensively awaiting the decision of the, up to now very helpful Ohio BMV. All I no have to do is wait for up to 15 working days for a decision, although i am assured it will take less than that.

    Now, to the task, as with all builds, the first thing is a plan and most important tool of all - a workshop manual. Clymer or if i can source one, the factory manual. All are available as a download, or as hard copy. I like both, especially as i tend to write helpful hints in margins of the manual to help me.

The saga begins......KZ650 in need of love

     So, it was a normal weekday, opened up Craigslist and, whilst looking for nothing in particular, there it was. A Kawasaki KZ650, of a particularly good vintage, well 1978. As you can see it was a little unloved, hopefully an ugly duckling, and definitely had to be mine.

     But, without seeing it - what should i do? Calling the owner, chatting and finding a little more about the bike, I did a little research and finally offered him a cheeky $200 plus delivery. It was a non-runner with good compression and most importantly, it had the title with it. At this point, I must say - the guy I bought the bike from, as i later found out, is a total gentleman.

     The evening of delivery came, monies and title were exchanged and the tired KZ was offloaded from the trailer - it's home for the past few years, and deposited on my driveway. All was as expected, apart from the VIN was only 12 numbers, not the now customary 17. To add to the conundrum, the title was from OHIO, and indeed had 17 characters! Hmmmm, and against conventional 'walk away' thinking I bought it.

     Off to the FL DMV........

     The nice lady at the DMV pointed out, that because the bike was registered out of state I either need to bring the bike down or get the VIN verified by a Policeman or similar (differs state to state). I did mention the anomaly regarding the VIN. At which point, with a little head shaking, she stated that any VIN change must be done through the State issuing the title, in this case the nice people of Ohio.

     Thus, this owner of a promising ugly duckling registered out of state decided to call the Ohio BMV after the week-end.