Kawasaki Z650 Restoration Project
Like many other fans of Japanese bikes of the seventies I've always had a soft spot for the Kawasaki Z650. I reckon the middleweight Zed is one of the best designs to come from Japan, and I'd place it in the top three best Japanese classic bikes along with Suzuki's GS750 and the mighty Z1. And despite the fact that I have owned and run three Z650s and used to work at a Kawasaki dealership this isn't all down to rose tinted specs! Many Jap classic fans appreciate the timeless engineering, performance and styling of the Z650, and examples of the bike in good nick are becoming highly sought after.
It was no real surprise, therefore, when I had a call from Mark who asked me to help him track down a good example. He'd viewed several tatty Zs but had really set his heart on owning a mint example, and between us we decided his best option was to buy the best bike he could find and then spend some time and money putting it into top notch order. When Mark finally took the plunge he went for this 1980 model Z650F1 finished in Luminous Dark Blue. Though he'd really set his heart on an earlier Z650C model (which came with a rear disc brake), this F1 seemed in excellent mechanical condition and only needs some cosmetic tidying up to make it really smart. Or that's what I thought. Here's how the project went...
Part
1 - stripping down the bike
Part 3 - spark erosion and the great brake caliper chase