KZ400 Cafe Project

[noahnsteph]

So here's my other bike that will go back into restoration mode once I get the Nighthawk running. I figure I can get a lot more done on the cafe racer if I'm not also riding it. It's a 1977 KZ400 with just over 2K miles on it that I picked up last fall for $350.  I got a new tank since the one on it was dented all to hell from a hard storage life so I took the old tank and cut it up for a bum stop on my custom cafe seat. 

[ariwhiteboy]

Very cool, what are you going to do color scheme wise?

[noahnsteph]

It will be a burgandy wine color with a gray strip of two going up the fairing and down the tank and seat off center I think. I think it will go nicely with the clear turn signals and tail light.

[flynrider]

  Very cool!     My first bike was a '76 KZ400 D3 in Diamond Copper. Also had Kawasaki's Bell fullface helmet in the same color with matching pinstripes.   I'm sure I looked pretty cool 



  If you haven't already, visit the late Odd Ivar's KZ400 site at http://www.kz400.com/   Ivar was Mr. KZ400 and compiled a vast amount of data that may be useful in a restoration.

Good Luck!

[happycommuter]

So far, so good.  Cafe racers will make anyone appreciate the practical comfort of a Nighthawk all the more.

Supposedly a very nice engine in these bikes.  Friend got one of these and had a friend do a very similar conversion, but he ended up just not having what it takes to keep an older bike on the road.

[noahnsteph]

So far, so good.  Cafe racers will make anyone appreciate the practical comfort of a Nighthawk all the more.

Supposedly a very nice engine in these bikes.  Friend got one of these and had a friend do a very similar conversion, but he ended up just not having what it takes to keep an older bike on the road.

Boy are you speaking the truth about the comfort of the Nighthawk vs a cafe racer.  My KZ400 is a 2 hour rider or less or my back and neck are sore for days.

From what I hear the engines are darn near bulletproof and since I scored mine with just over 2K on the odometer if I take care of regular maintenance I may have this bike forever. It sure is fun to ride through the twisties on it.

[noahnsteph]

I finally got a kickstand back on the KZ400 after chopping the stock one off since it was in the way of the shifter after I installed rearsets.  The stock kickstand was a big clunky hunk of steel since it was also the front foot peg mount so I found a modern sport bike kickstand with spring included and built into the kickstand that just bolted on so all I had to do was cut a mounting plate and weld it to the frame further up on the bike.

Here's some crappy cell phone pics from last bike night.





And I really like the aggressive stance the bike has with the new stand.  8)

[ariwhiteboy]

Grey bike in the upper left, Honda???

[noahnsteph]

It's actually flat black (crappy cell phone pic) but yes it's a 1976 CB750 cafe project of one my other bike night buddies.  The bike on the platform to the right is a 1973 Suzuki GT750 water buffalo. We've also got a 1979 Yamaha XS1100 parked in there and a 1976 CB550 that is waiting in the wings for a winter cafe project.   We have a small vintage Japanese motorcycle club between just the 3 of us.   I also have a Yamaha SR250 in my garage along with an old DT100 Enduro project.  Between the 3 of us we own 12 or so vintage bikes in various states of restoration.

[ariwhiteboy]

Neat, I hear those water buffaloes are fun bikes to ride...at least more fun than their namesake! 

[noahnsteph]

Neat, I hear those water buffaloes are fun bikes to ride...at least more fun than their namesake! 

From what I hear they go like a bat out of hell in a straight line.  They don't corner or brake worth a damn but they go from point A to point B in a hurry. That's why I gave it to a buddy instead of keeping it for myself when after my neighbor gave it to me for free a few months back.  

Ironically enough I found the Nighthawk less than a week later for $300 so karma must have been working for me.

[hppants]

I like you bike stand.  Looks effective, yet inexpensive.

[SirSeanSean]

I love the KZ series. Very nice project bike.

[noahnsteph]

I like you bike stand.  Looks effective, yet inexpensive.

Yep, I think the kickstand ran me under $25 shipped off Ebay. The welds and steel for the mounting plate were free.

[Medina]

  Very cool!     My first bike was a '76 KZ400 D3 in Diamond Copper. Also had Kawasaki's Bell fullface helmet in the same color with matching pinstripes.   I'm sure I looked pretty cool 



  If you haven't already, visit the late Odd Ivar's KZ400 site at http://www.kz400.com/   Ivar was Mr. KZ400 and compiled a vast amount of data that may be useful in a restoration.

Good Luck!

HA! Same bike I had for the first one, but..3' sissy bar and 4 degree rake/fork extensions. mini chopper, so bummed no photos survived that late 70's bike, it was a blast.

[jerjohn]

I really like how you have your clear brake light tucked in what used to be the backbone area of your old tank. It looks like that light was made for it.