Hi all,
New old folks here
.
This is our old stuff:
75 Z-1B. This was our fourth Z. The donor bike was found on ebay in PA needing some love. It became this with the help of some good pipes & a NOS tankset I'd had on the shelf for a few years while looking for the right bike to put them on. As close to box stock as is practical & keep it rideable.
75 Z-1B. HER Z1. This was our second Z. The personal ride of the lovely Z1BEBE. She's put 24,000 mi. on it since I bought it for her locally in 1989. Currently showing over 31,000 mi. It replaced a Honda CB 360T that was her training wheels. Customized for her with Lester mags, 16" rear, 1/2" understock shocks and custom LTD-style seat, lowering seat height by almost 2". It came to us with the dual disks. Has one of the most pronounced primary gear whines I've ever heard from a Z-1. I ride it sometimes just to listen to the music. It's a perk of being her wrench.
74 Z-1A. HIS Z1. My first Z. I bought this new in Feb. 1974. It was snowing a little when I rode it home. Original factory paint, Lester mags, Jardine 4-2 crossover pipes with very rare Bassani collectors, Koni shocks, very early Corbin seat, small Honda CB 350 turn signals on short stalks. I liked the dual disks on HER Z1 so much I spent a few years piecing together the kit to do mine. Currently showing 66,000 mi. Got it geared way tall (16/33). It's the one I reach for if I want to cover a lot of ground in a hurry.
74 Z-1A This was our third Z, bought locally, pretty much as you see it here. Basically stock. This bike is the reason I'm teaching myself how to true spoke wheels. The front and rear wheels are out of round just enough that as the high & low spots go in and out of sync with each other it's just not pleasant to ride, especially around 40 MPH.
73 Z-1. Our fifth Z. As close to box stock as is practical. Found it in a barn where it had been parked for 12 yrs. and had been in a flood. It had been put to bed right; battery removed, tank & carbs drained & the gas cap cracked open to keep condensation from forming. The flood water had stopped just short of entering the engine. It was stock, complete and unmolested. I could see the diamond through the rough but I suspect Z1BEBE secretly thought I'd lost my mind the first time she saw it. I spent 18 mo. bringing it back to what you see here. It took 1st. in it's class at the 2007 AMA Motorcycle Heritage Museum Concours. One of my favorite toys.
Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE
