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My second hobby

6K views 60 replies 13 participants last post by  mtdew 
#1 ·
I used to do mods to weapons and I loved it, but now I also mess with old bikes and I have several. I have a turbo charged ZRX, but found this old turbo drag bike and just had to have it. It didn't run, but it does now! Just a little more tweaking and I'm taking it for a ride.
[video=youtube;-I5ysUSDlx8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I5ysUSDlx8&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
#42 ·
Yes they are a very nice bike, but add a turbo with 15 lbs of boost like mine and it's fricking spooky.
It's really too much bike for me, but is a blast to ride. I don't have to shift down to pass anything, but I do just to hear the turbo.
 
#43 ·
Kenny, you gotta quit brother, you're killin me!!!!!! LOL. I am seriously getting the lust for another Kawi. Dangit!!!!
 
#44 ·
Lol!
I just really enjoy building things, always have. I'm just about ready to crank up this old drag bike that was over boosted.
I went through the whole top end, installed APE cylinder studs and had Mr. Turbo inspect the old RaJay turbo.





This is how it looks after being all assembled last night.
I added longer front forks for ground clearance and modified the bike for a K&N Harley air filter. I just need to shim the valves and it's ready to start. Fingers crossed. lol
It still needs to have rear shocks and a dual disk brake front wheel installed. I'll change them out the next time I go pick up parts from my parents house.
 
#45 ·
Damn, that is one bad@ss bike Kenny!!!!!!!! When it's done, what type of power do you think it'll put to the pavement? If you get to the point where there are just to many Kawis and parts in your way, remember me. I'll gladly take some off your hands!! LOL. Looking good brother.
 
#46 ·
Thanks.
To be honest, I really don't know how much power the KZ will put to the pavement with the 1075 setup? (It also has a set of 1325 cylinders and turbo pistons if it isn't fast enough)
I don't even know what the waste gate is set at? http://www.mrturbo.com/turbo-sys/kawasaki/kz/kz.html I'll have to take it for a drive and see.
My 1100 ZRX is set at 15 lbs of boost and it kicks out 250 hp at the rear wheel. http://www.mrturbo.com/turbo-sys/kawasaki/zrx/zrx.html
The previous owner only rode the KZ one time before blowing the head gasket and never rode it again. It still has the hone marks in the cylinders.
I still don't understand why he thought he could ride the bike without a waste gate??????
I have too many Kaws now! Come down in the spring and ride a few, maybe you will want to take one home with you? I have a horse stall full of Kaws I've been working on and they are all different prices, depending on what you want to spend. (I'll be fare and give you the best deal I can) I just enjoy bringing them back to life.

Plus, I also have this wrecked 1976 KZ900 with 1800 original miles. (Z1 motor) I picked it up last week.
Frame and lower engine case took a bad hit in 1980, but I have another 1976 900 frame and matching motor cases. I'm just waiting on the bonded title for the donor frame.

 
#47 ·
Great work and the cleanest work area I have seen. :)., I have fiddled a bit with a few motorcycles but wish I had your talent. Building AK's is child's play compared to those Kawi builds you have completed.
I used to go to the bike 1/4 mile drags races in Gainesville FLa, Valdosta Ga., and here in Ohio at National Trails and Norwalk (Summit Racing) The Kawi's and Suzuki's ruled for the most part. The Super Bike races at Mid- Ohio are sweet too. Carry on. with those builds. :)
 
#50 ·
My step dad used to make me clean his work area in our shop as a kid. I hated it at the time, but it taught make some good lessons to follow.
I really don't have any special talent's. I've learned a lot from watching others, listening and trial and error.
(More error than anything on this old drag bike).
Trying to recreate what guys did with these bikes 30+ years ago has been a challenge. Not a lot of info was really ever made public because a turbo KZ wasn't something everyone had.
I was under the impression that this was a fresh motor from the previous owner, that was just a over boosted.
I fixed all the problems I seen, plus the blown head gasket before doing a leak down test.
Now I have 110 lbs of compression and 30% leak down. I'm going to double check my reading with my buddies equipment, but it looks l get to tear down the motor again for a ring and hone job. Fudge!!!!!!

P.S. AK's can be quite complicated. I'd never even built a AK, when I attempted to make one in 9mm.
This is the second 9mm Vityaz clone I designed, sitting next to my 40 waste gate I'm having trouble trying to ID.
The waste gate sitting next to my 9mm AK has a spring inside that still has some color code paint on it. From the old racers I've talked too, I think it's a 7.5 lbs spring
So I backed the spring off and set it at 8 lbs of boost for now. I'm keeping the boost low so I can run pump gas.
 
#48 ·
Kenny, if I hit the lottery, I'll definitely take one or three off your hands. LOL. I may have to visit and check out the collection though. :) Thanks!!
 
#51 ·
No lottery prices here! This bike would cost about the same as that 92 Mustang you had for sale and not your first asking price either.
I'd be happy to break even on this one. It's already cost me more than I thought it would to fix.
I don't care if you buy one or not. Your still welcome to come ride. I think your about 6 hours from me? Zip 52317
 
#52 ·
Well I definitely appreciate the offer. Might be a good excuse to get outa town for a day or two.
 
#54 ·
With all this banter in this thread about all our hobbies, there's one thing I'd like to know,,,,



WHY IN HELL CAN'T WE SEEM TO FIND CHEAPER HOBBIES ???

ARE WE ALL NUTS ???? Or What?


BETWEEN,, GUNS,,,HOT RODS, FISHING STUFF, HUNTING STUFF, RELOADING,ect ,ect,,I'M GOING BROKE HERE!!!!

GEZZZZZ!!!!!
 
#55 ·
Because collecting rocks and petrified pieces of wood is for Nerds, but I also feel your pain.
I have a 40 year old turbo pop off that I need to set the spring on and no one has been able to ID it. (I may have figured it out though)
After fixing all the problems I knew of on what was said to be a fresh motor, I did a leak down test and the frickin turbo is leaking pressure past the rings!



On top of that, the weather is getting cold and I wanted a winter project. So I dug out the ZK-9 and decided to design a "K" model, based off the MASTER FLG.
http://www.gunco.net/forums/showthread.php?t=76054
 
#57 ·
Ya gwailo,,I collect artifacts too (rocks/arrow heads) and fossils and have a collection that would put many museums to shame,,so I guess I've got all the hobbies ,,,BUT bikes covered,,

Do ATV's count as bikes, if so I guess I got that covered too then,,

See what I mean,,,,these hobbies never end,,there's always something else included with each hobby that you need! I even have the "Nerd" hobbies covered at this point in my life and am a trained/professional archaeologist besides ,,I rest my case,,:lol::lol:

Those old parts are hard to find or to even find info on them,,I go through it all the time with my 71 boat tail Buick, they only made 36k of them in 71 and everything was one off for each of the only3 years they made those cars. Normal parts like starters, alternators, ect are easy,,

but the trinkets are BITCH,,just like old bikes,,,trying to find some pristine emblem or part for something 40-50 years old isn't always easy, and that one thing can make or break a restoration, on anything.

Luckily lots of bikes were made in the millions, so parts are much easy-er to find than the Buick ,,still. even though some stuff is hard to find. I've just gotten to the point that I've had every toy know to man, in many different hobby's.

Now I only go for the rare or unusual now. That has allot of challenges by itself, just by scarcity of parts if nothing else.

I see your in the same boat. Some parts for the rare stuff is a bitch to find and keep maintained and those old race bike parts are scarcer than ,,,tits on a bore hog !!

That is a a very neat shorty 9mm there BTW,,I like it ! Looks like fun.
 
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