TOPIC:

SmokyOwl wrote:

swest wrote: Looks like it needs to be blown out. The plugs are loaded up from not being run like it should.
I'm glad you misunderstood me. I meant all your connections.
Steve

Please explain what you mean that needs to be blown out, like fully disassembled and cleaned out?

You've never heard the phrase "blow the cobs out"?

OutsiderKZ900A4 wrote:

SmokyOwl wrote:

swest wrote: Looks like it needs to be blown out. The plugs are loaded up from not being run like it should.
I'm glad you misunderstood me. I meant all your connections.
Steve

Please explain what you mean that needs to be blown out, like fully disassembled and cleaned out?

You've never heard the phrase "blow the cobs out"?

Nope, but now that I'm reading the responses it makes sense- I was just used to it referring to big block V-8s, so the phrase didn't quite click. I might have my dad let it out for me when he visits tomorrow, he's been riding over 50 years. The last owner just used it in town doing small errands and such for about 12 years, I'm hoping to be ready for the highway next year to take to work. I'm looking at helmets tomorrow. Thinking about the Bell Rebel, not sure yet, but will likely be a half or 3/4 helmet, I can't stand the feel of full-faced helmets they feel suffocating.

swest wrote: No, these bikes are made to run. If I do too much city riding, it starts to run crappy. I have to get on the FWY and "Blow it out." The on ramp is a good place to do it. I love it when I see a few cars and semis cruising at 65/70, I grab a hand full, overtake them, pick my lane and lazily put it in 5th. Pisses some off. So what.
Steve

Meh, I try to be pretty respectful of other drivers ever since I heard a story of what happened to my dad. He cut off some guy while riding his bike (reports vary depending on who you ask), and the driver took out a .38 and put one in his neck. The slug was too dangerous to operate on, and the slug is still lodged in his neck today. I think it happened sometime in the early 70s, not sure. He still won't tell me the story.

Yup, there's a lot of nut cakes out there. That's another reason I bought the Z1 in 75. To get away from them. I had a semi on me back then. I'd grab a hand full and get away, a few miles later, here he comes again. Finally I pulled of the FWY and waited until I felt he was long gone.
Steve

Unfortunately due to my Dad's health he was unable to ride my bike.

After a long talk though I did manage to get an interesting story out of him. A story about him returning from Colorado heading back to Wisconsin, My mom and him was forced to stop after a broken cover of some sort, and the bike was broken. A friend they were riding with on a bike towed them for a bit via bungie cord, until the cord snapped and sent them into a ditch, where my mom snapped a heel off her shoe by digging her heels into the mud trying to slow their decent into the muddy ditch. After a while of walking, both of them limping, one due to the shoe heel missing and the other from a previous accident, they went to a motel and organized transportation in the morning. That transportation turned out to be a van. At this point their friend promptly abandoned them to the rest of their journey. The bike, my mom & dad were loaded in the back of the van. After a while the van blew a tire, and having no money and no spare, the driver continued on at a slow pace while my mom and dad, both hungover, sat in the back of the van with the bike while they listened to the heavy slapping of the blown tire against the fender of the van. They were dropped off somewhere in northern Illinois, where they phoned a friend in Wisconsin to take them the rest of the way home. Quite the story. I've attached a picture of the bike, a 1954 Harley panhead.

Your mom was quite a lady.
Steve

Welcome to the joint. An KZ1100 for a first bike, be careful. I had one like it with the fairing and bags and trunk. It was fast even with all of that stuff. How about some pictures?

Great story about your Mom and Dad. That's a real biker story.

Mellvis wrote: Welcome to the joint. An KZ1100 for a first bike, be careful. I had one like it with the fairing and bags and trunk. It was fast even with all of that stuff. How about some pictures?

Great story about your Mom and Dad. That's a real biker story.

Yeah I haven't had it past 4,000 rpm, that's when I start getting nervous, so I've limited myself to that point when shifting and accelerating. There's a picture of the bike on the first page, but here are some closer looks:







Keep in mind that this is before I cleaned the oil residue off the engine, polished the chrome, and washed off the gravel mud off the front and under the engine.

My parents are really tight-lipped about their adventures in the 70s & early 80s, my guess there was some illegal activities they're not too proud of and don't want me (or anyone else) to know about. It's like they took a vow of silence about it lol. From what I've gathered and overheard over the years they were real bad asses back in the day.

She's purdy.
No need for them to weigh you down with their old baggage. Just don't be surprised if they know what you're thinking or going to do.
Steve

Welcome, nice looking bike. You are in the right place for help and advice.

My goal for this weekend is to change the oil in my bike and the shaft drive oil, and in the future I'd like to install a lower seat and a windshield. I was really surprised to not find how to change the oil in the technical tips section, I figured it'd be on top of the list. What oil do guys recommend I use for the shaft drive?

A windshield like mine is $150 new from National Cycle. They have bigger ones but I live in a windy area. Even then it does slow me down some. I had a quarter faring before the wreck. Nice to tuck in behind at WOT and had a Wind Jammer, it was too heavy and scary in a cross wind. You need a manual. It will tell you what kind of oil goes in the shaft drive.
Steve