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.