Bike of the Month Feb 2011.

Jan Busch (Aka Spaakjesmax) The Netherlands,

First, let me introduce myself; Jan Busch (Aka Spaakjesmax) living in Alkmaar, The Netherlands,

built in 1968. Since i was at primary school I just loved motorcycles and in particular Kawasaki.

Why Kawasaki?

That is hard to put into words. I think because Kawasaki always comes across as an

independent and non compromising motorcycle with a brand identity of its own and of course,

that lovely green paint!

I had been reading for hours and hours as a kid/ teenager, the new Choose Your

Motorcycle as the motor cycle year book came out again in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

Drooled over the Z-1, and of course the Z-1300 and last but not least the Z1000R.

So in my mid 30's-ish the quest began.

I studied and looked dreamily at Many types but soon I came to the conclusion that it should

be a Kawasaki Z1000R.

In the 1983 yearbook KNMV mentioned the details of the Z1000R Eddie Lawson replica. Eddie

Lawson, who I actually knew about only from the 500GP Cagiva and Yamaha.

So tracking the Internet and learned about the battle of Eddie Lawson in the AMA Superbike

Championship with his KZ1000J against the major brands of Freddie Spencer and Wes Cooley.

After a thorough period of collecting old motor magazines, sales brochures, posters and lots

of mail, reading, calling and talking with green experts,

I definitely lost my heart to the 1982 ELR.

But where the hell do you find an original 1982. Obviously a first ad placed on the website of the

Dutch Kawasaki Club. Lots of reactions of but none with a 1982ELR. Meanwhile, I set up an automatic

internet search for everything, on Eddie Lawson, and KZ1000R and KZ1000RS1.

After two year period in July 2005 a beautiful 100% original KZ1000R (4000 miles only!!) came up

for sale on E-Bay USA. 2 problems, 1 the bike was located in Winamac Indiana USA, 2 the EBAY

reserve was sky high. I followed the bidding for a while but then let it go again.

After my vacation, the bike was again for sale on E-Bay by the same seller. Apparently the first

round the reserve was not met and the bike did not sell.

On the last night and just before the final deadline expired I made the bid.

So it was late at night when I got the message: Congratulations! You won the item!

So I went looking for a carrier. The bike was put on the on a boat to Rotterdam Port. After

several weeks of waiting I received a message from the carrier that the motor cycle could be

retrieved in Rotterdam Port.

Because the motorcycle is imported from outside the European Union you pay VAT and import duties.

These amounts you must pay immediately in clearing the bike. After payment of import duties and VAT

I, with a crowbar in my hand, went looking for the crate.

To my surprise? There was the Lawson but completely naked. No crate to be seen. Turned out

that the carrier had transported the bike with no crate at all.

Fortunately, the ELR looked great.

Point is that the KZ1000R was never released in Europe in 1982 so there is no road approval for

that year. Luckily they were very helpful in the RDW (Dutch Authorities which give approval for

road admittance) and indicated that they are not looking at the year but to the characteristics of

the bike.

Both the frame number and block number corresponded to the approved version of 1983.

The RDW is mainly waiting and staying calm and friendly.

The inspector immediately opened by saying that the headlight was not a European Union

version. I politely explained the man that in 1982 there was no European Union!

Because USA bikes have reflectors on all sides, you have to correct this first. It also includes

rear reflectors. I blacked them with temporary paint. After having the frame and block numbers had

checked it was time for the DB (sound) test. On the edge but it was approved.

Small confession, I changed the Kerker for a European 4-2 version of the 1985 ELR.

Following this approval, I went to Customs. Fortunately, there are all located in the same

building. After all this you get your papers after 10 working days which are sent to your home.

At last the permanent license plate could be made.

Meanwhile I have the bike many years and I treat her with the respect she deserves.

Given her age and the fact that everything is still 100% original,

I ride her only on nice summer days and evenings.

Jan Busch.
Kawasaki KZ1000R1
VIN JKAKZCR12CA000361.
Date of first road admittance 28/2/1982

We will be featuring a different bike each month on kz1000r.com
that we feel is deserving of the title "Bike of The Month."

Check back often to see what our pick is.

To nominate or submit your own bike for "Bike of The Month."
Send some info on yourself your bike and loads of pic's bigger the better.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR INFO IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN ONE OF THESE BIKES!

I really want to bring THIS Registry up to date so accurate number's left in circulation can be made available,

this will intern help us get a true market value for insurance purposes.

Please include the chassis number and the month of production printed on the headstock of your bike.

Your name and location. and most importantly a picture's of your bike.

E-mail me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bike of the Month Jan 2011.

Owner: Frank Bosschieter, The Netherlands/UK.

Here's the story :

For this month's belated BOTM no fancy photo shoot

(i cant beat Chuck's botm, really nice job you've done there Chuck)
but a few quick snaps of my bike on a crispy winter afternoon.

The story is simple i've been a kawasaki fan for as long as i can remember but

probably triggered when one of my brothers bought a new black Z1R sometime in '79/'80.

i thought that was the bees knees, he didnt think so cos he got rid of it quite soon after (it didnt handle ect).

So by the time i was old enough and after i passed my test i bought my self a Z1R,

my first kawasaki and i loved it, bought a 21 litre tank for it,

which i think makes the bike look even better.

But as it goes like with girlfriends/your first love,

you move on and i fell in love with the Z1000r after i've seen the bike doing what its pedigree

expected it to do, kicking ass on the circuits!!

Once you catch the kawi virus there's no getting rid of it and i never did,

i don't want to either. In fact this bike is my 7th kawasaki and my 3rd real ELR,

i bought it in 2000 i think it was after a long spell on a zzr1100.

I had the bike shipped over to join me in the UK in august last yr with alot of help from kawacees

(pronounce kawacase forum member/oldest brother, and john and heath).

I still havnt done the work to the bike that i intended to do but that will happen this yr

i bought all the small but essential parts for it,

but due to lack of workspace and time, i'll have to wait till the weather breaks and hav it MOT'd.

The bike is fully standard except for the kerker exhaust, ohlins at the back and the white power forksprings,

and yeah the z1100r front fender which i would happilly swap for an 1000r one.

Anyway i hope you guys enjoy this months botm and like arnie said,......
i'll be back!! (with updates that is).

frank bosschieter.

Check out the gallery for more pictures.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR INFO IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN ONE OF THESE BIKES!

I really want to bring THIS Registry up to date so accurate number's left in circulation can be made available,

this will intern help us get a true market value for insurance purposes.

Please include the chassis number and the month of production printed on the headstock of your bike.

Your name and location. and most importantly a picture's of your bike.

E-mail me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bike of the Month March 2012.

1982 GPz750, Paul Baldwin, AKA (baldy), California, United States

Hi guys, I am Paul Baldwin from California, united states.

I have owned numerous Kawasaki's and just finished up a dream of mine, 1982 ELR clone.

Been working on this one for about 15 years.

Started out collecting parts back in the early 90's and finally after collecting enough parts

and crashing the red KZ650, that left me without a bike so I started to do some serious work to the ELR.

In 1982 I was 19 years old and sat on an ELR at the Kawasaki dealership.

At that moment I knew I wanted one.

Well at 19 I could not afford one and as life went on I saw the prices get higher and higher.

I knew I would never be able to afford a KZ1000R. In the early 90’s I found and bought an original Kerker KR pipe off an ELR.

I decided I would start collecting parts to build an ELR clone.

I kept buying small pieces and over time I collected a large inventory of Gpz1100 and GPz750 parts.

In 2011 I crashed and totaled my KZ650 and was without a bike so I decided I would get serious and start my ELR build.

Frame:

I had looked for years for a complete KZ1000J or GPz1100 but could not find one so I used a frame and body work from a 1982 GPz750.

I used the engine from an 82 GPz1100 that I had found with a wrecked GPz1100 under a tree in 1998.

I tore the engine apart and while it was empty I used it as a mockup.

I used the original rear engine mount of the 750 frame and fabricated up the front engine mounts.

I had to cut the lower front section of the frame to get the engine low enough to be able to take off the valve cover for maintenance.

I welded the lower front engine mounts into the frame and added a top girdle for strength.

The cut section came out very clean and strong.

I used a set of rearsets from a Yamaha FZR1000 and

fabricated up a set of aluminum adapters to get them to fit the 750 frame.

While I finished welding up the frame and painting it I sent the engine out to Pit Stop performance in Florida.

Front and rear suspension:

The only GPz750 items I used were the frame and bodywork.

Since I wanted the look of the original 82 ELR I did not want to use a modern fork set.

I installed the front end of an 81 GPz1100.

The 81 GPz1100 did not use clip on’s like the 82 did so I could use standard handlebars and the

steering stem bearings are the same as the 750’s so the swap was pretty easy.

I also noticed the fork tubes are a little bigger on the 1100 than the 750.

The front wheels and brakes from the 750 are the same as the 1100 so they fit without modification.

I then added a period correct “Telefix” fork brace.

For the rear I wanted the period look so I swapped in a 2000 ZRX swingarm and shocks.

The swingarm required some modification to the pivot section.

It was about 1” to wide so I removed the required amount off the right side.

The swingarm pivot bolt was way too big and would not fit the 750 frame so I made bushings

to allow me to use the stock 750 swingarm pivot bolt to be used with the ZRX swingarm.

I designed and made my own seals for the swingarm pivot tube sealing the bearings.

The ZRX swingarm was little too wide to get the ZRX shocks to line up with the 750 frame.

I spaced the upper shocks out on the upper mounts,

gusseted the upper mounts and made a custom nut to get the shocks lined up correctly.

Exhaust:

The original Kerker pipe would not fit due to hitting the ZRX swingarm.

I had to cut the pipe at the collector and re-bend the pipe by welding several curved pieces from

other old Kerker pipes I had.

I sent the Kerker off to get ceramic coated.

It came out really nice considering the amount of pitting and rust it had.

Final engine installation:

Joe at Pit Stop bored and honed the cylinders for the MTC 1135cc piston kit.

He also did the head work which included bronze valve guides, 3 angle valve job and a stage 1 porting.

He painted the cases, cylinder and head to the original black finish.

He sent the cases back to me and I reassembled the engine.

After installing the engine for the last time I discovered

the chain would hit the lower rear bracing tube on the frame.

This is one of many things I had not taken into account during mockup.

I used a chain roller installed on the foot peg bolt on the inside of the original

lower foot peg holes to keep the chain off the frame, came out really clean.

I also discovered I was unable to get the engine centered in the frame due to the engine

hitting the lower frame on the left side.

I spaced the engine to the right by about 1/8” to clear the frame.

The exhaust still fits in nice between the front down tubes.

The engine sits nice and low in the frame so I can remove the valve cover

and cylinders if I have to later without removing the engine.

I did the 630 to 530 chain swap and had to space out the rear sprocket to get the chain aligned correctly.

The stock 630 rear sprocket was the correct width of the spacer I needed so I cut it up,

centered the 530 sprocket onto it and welded the two together.

Ignition and electrical:

I used the original Kawasaki electronic ignition for the 1100 engine and used the

750 IC igniter box and wiring harness. Most of the electrical connections were interchangeable.

I used a Koso RX1 gauge so I did have to do some modification of the harness but it came out clean.

I had to use a tach filter to get the tach to work right, too much of a dirty signal.

I soldered in some diodes on the rear tail lamp so I could the stock two bulb tail lamp as turn signals,

tail light and brake light. I used LED bar end turn signals as front blinkers.

For horns I fabricated up brackets to mount them on each side of the Koso gauge

so they would look clean not be out in the open.

For the ignition switch I used the 750 switch and fabricated up a bracket to

place it in the middle of the upper tree.

Bodywork:

Like I mentioned earlier I used the bodywork for the GPz750 except for the front bikini fairing.

I did not like the look of the larger 750/1100 faring so I used the smaller one from an 82 GPz550.

I fabricated up the brackets using a combination of the lower bracket s off the 550 and 1100.

The petcock on the 750 gas tank would hit the top of the carbs I used so I cut up a stock petcock

making a low profile base and tapped it to install a hose to relocate a 5/16 aftermarket on/off valve.

I sent my seat off to a local upholster to reshape the seat. It didn’t come out a well as I hoped I might redo it later.

Carburetors:
I originally used a nice set of Mikuni BS34’s.

After much frustration on trying to tune these to the engine I realized I would not be able to tune

them correctly due to the porting I had done.

After much research I called Wired George carburetors and ordered up a set of his “VM30” performance carbs.

I am still waiting for these so right now the bike sits in my garage.

I was able to ride and break in the engine with the BS34 carbs.

The bike tracks nice and straight, handles fantastic, brakes really well.

It basically handles like a GPz750 but with a LOT more power.

I am really pleased on how this came out and looking forward to showing it off.

Baldy.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR INFO IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN ONE OF THESE BIKES!

I really want to bring THIS Registry up to date so accurate number's left in circulation can be made available,

this will intern help us get a true market value for insurance purposes.

Please include the chassis number and the month of production printed on the headstock of your bike.

Your name and location. and most importantly a picture's of your bike.

E-mail me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bike of the Month April 2012.

1983 Z1000R Peter, AKA (Vadurace) Vienna, Austria.

My Simple Story.

This is my 4th ELR project during a 30 year period.

I actually wanted to do no more after the 3rd project, but i guess this bike was meant to be,

I bought two Japanese "Road Rider“ magazines in hand.

And oh boy, the virus broke out again and my blood turned to green.

I caught this 80‘ AMA virus at the age of 16 years when I was at my first bike show.

On a tuning exhibition location I saw the Videos "This is Daytona“ and "Fast Freedie“.

I watched them at least 100 times.

I think every ELR fan knows that feeling.

Accidentally I found a R2 in good condition now i could begin the project.

The target was as little compromise as possible for road ride in Austria.

The genesis can be seen on this homepage, the pictures speak for themselves.

It took a lot of time, money and nerves.

There have been many setbacks and disappointments but I hope the bike is impressive.

Motorcycle: Kawasaki Z1000R, R2, 83, 35000 km (21 900 miles) in good condition,

Newly painted bodywork,

Engine:

Fully serviced,

Drive:
Chain 520, 14 and 45, 6mm offset sprocket with sprocket custom made,

Carburator:

Keihin 33 CR, by Dynoman Performance Products,

Petcock:
Suzuki GS 650 G,

Throttle:

by PMC Performance Parts, later gray anodized,

Oil cooler

and conical ignition cover:

1981/82 S1, by Kipkawa, ignition cover modified,

Exhaust:

Kerker Replica with springs by PMC Performance Parts,

Baffle Kerker Large Megaphone, Medium 2“ Competition adapted,

Electrical:

Harness built and modified for KZ1000J Speedo,

Handlebar switches:

Honda XR125 modified right,

left, original new part,
Speedometer and Ttachometer:

KZ1000J new parts,

new Black Chrome Cover,

Frame:

Sand blasted and powder coated. All bearings new,

Footpegs:

and engine mounts:

1982 S1 footrest, by Kipkawa,

swingarm:

by FMP - Fabricated Motorsport Products,

Lower triple clamp:

by FMP - Fabricated Motorsport Products,

forks:

Serviced, new progresive springs, 35mm fork extensions custom made and chromed,

Shocks:

by Works Performance shocks, springs new painted,

Wheels:

by Mavic magnesium "Morris style“, front 3 x 18, rear 5 x 18, chain wheel bearings and carrier adapters are custom made,

Brakes:

Discs Front 330 mm, Rear 240 mm,

plus adapters are custom made,

later modified-adapted and gray anodized,

Saddle:

Handmade from a fellow upholsterer,

Stickers and badges:

by Reproduction decals and self-made,

Rubber:
by Reproduction Decals,

Windshield:

New by MRA, clear,

Various Nuts and Bolts.

I know this is not the hell of a story, but I hope it's OK.

Best Regards
Peter.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR INFO IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN ONE OF THESE BIKES!

I really want to bring THIS Registry up to date so accurate number's left in circulation can be made available,

this will intern help us get a true market value for insurance purposes.

Please include the chassis number and the month of production printed on the headstock of your bike.

Your name and location. and most importantly a picture's of your bike.

E-mail me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bike of the Month Feb 2012.

Henk van Heerden, AKA HENK, South Africa.

After searching for years, a colleague said that his dad had a" Kawasaki"
standing in his back yard, but the bike hadn't been started in 9 years.

I was actually after a green ELR R1.
I could however not let this bike go at the giveaway price.

My original intentions were to turn it into a R1 "look alike"
But after some research, on your site I might add,

I found out that it was actually a sort after bike and decided
to try and keep it as original as possible.

It has become my favourite bike of all the bikes in my collection,
H1, H2, Z1000, CB750 K1, GT750, 2010 z1000 and another ELR
(not bad condition for a future project)

I'm sorry that I did not take any more photos especially of the original wreck.
Bike had been standing in a shed for 9 years.

Totally stripped and rebuilt, took 6 months, by KCR (South African restoring company)
Sourced majority parts on e-bay.

New Kerker (AMA baffle, sounds awesome) from States,
windscreen and seat are local replacements.

The rest is spit and polish, took many hours.
Tried to keep as original as possible and

she runs as smooth as my 2010 z1000!
Okay nearly as smooth!

Regards,

Henk van Heerden.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR INFO IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN ONE OF THESE BIKES!

I really want to bring THIS Registry up to date so accurate number's left in circulation can be made available,

this will intern help us get a true market value for insurance purposes.

Please include the chassis number and the month of production printed on the headstock of your bike.

Your name and location. and most importantly a picture's of your bike.

E-mail me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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