A few questions about my bike.

I have a 1980 KZ 650 LTD. It was manufactured in July of 1979. It looks like a standard LTD, but has the headlight bucket that's not chrome, the headlight mounts and turn signals like the B and C model, and it also has the points ignition instead of electronic. We were curious about whether there was perhaps a prototype for the LTD? My serial number is xxxxx140, which leads me to believe it might have even been the first day of production.

Anyway, just was curious. It doesn't have the original paint. It came to us with this nasty blue spray bomb paint job, oh the horror!!! But they didn't paint the rear fender, which is black pearl. I decided since we had so many SR body sets that I'd put the 79 SR midnight blue (I call it purple since it's on my bike now) on it and it looks pretty nice. Next pretty day up here I'll do some polishing and post new pictures of it out in the sunshine!! I do plan to go ahead and have the blue stuff repainted. I can't decide, repaint it black pearl and make her look all original (minus pin stripes) or paint it something else. My car is laser red with gold metal flake and I had toyed with the idea of painting the bike to match. Don't know, it's all just in the infant stages still in my mind.

Anyway, the point of my very long and winding post is does anyone know if there was a prototype model of the LTD which would have had those differences?

Sounds like your bike was during a transition period.
Here's some info on that time:

Z650LTD (D1 -D2) 1979 - KZ650LTD (E1) 1980 -

First, I'm not 100% sure if this information is right, but searching my sources this is what it looks like: There where two versions of the Z650 LTD. In 1979 there was a Z650 LTD looking much like the SR. In Japanese web pages the SR where marked "export" so I believe the LTD was for the home marked. The SR and LTD was almost identical, however some small details keep the apart:

The LTD had of course the "LTD" label on the side cover. The LTD was 5 mm longer, 5 mm higher and a whole 2 kilos lighter. But the real difference was the wheels. Up front a Z650 SR had a 3.50-19 tire and at the rear a 130/90-16 tire. The LTD had 3.25-19 up front and 4.00-18 at the back wheel. So the back wheel is probably the easiest way to identify the bike. This LTD also had the same model name as the SR. It was called Z650 LTD D1 -etc.

E1: Then i 1980 in USA another LTD appeared. This was the E1. Made in USA for the US marked. The engine was de-rated to 60 hp. It had only one front disc compared to the SR's two, to compensate it was a little bigger. At the rear there was a drum brake. It was based on the first of the F models the F1 witch was quite similar. The ignition and stator covers where ribbed. The instruments are similar to the B and C models, it got a new all metal master cylinder (brake fluid). It kept the kick starter and the engine was still in silver aluminum paint. Unlike the LTD above the rear wheel 130/90-16. As I know it was only produced in 1980.

So is your bike a D or E model. Check the serial #.
As stated above, the rear wheel size will help you indentify, or not, yours.

Oh and give us some pictures.

The above info and some pictures are from here:
650 from '76~'83.

In the USA we had the SR or otherwise known as KZ650D1 and D2 in 1978-79, then in 1980 we had the KZ650E1 or LTD. The bodywork is identical on the two bikes except for the badging, both had turn signals clamped to the handlebars instead of the headlight like the B and C models. Both had 19" front wheels 3.50-19 tire, both had 16" rear 5.10-16 so at least in the USA they were the same that way. The SR had triple disc brakes where the LTD had drum rear and a single disc up front. Both had points ignition. The SR had the crossover exhaust and the LTD did not. The LTD I think was just a lower priced alternative, looking the same as the SR to get the market share of people looking for that style and not wanting to spend extra hundreds of dollars on brakes and stuff. I never heard of a prototype or anything. As far as I know all 1978-79 were called SR, all 1980 called LTD.

Abbie's bike is a 1980 650 LTD, serial is KZ650E00140. It was assembled in July of 1979. It is just like any other LTD other that it has natural aluminum cylenders and head, black headlight bucket, points ignition, and the front turn signals mount the same as a B or C model 650. The bike shows no signs of a rebuild or previous damage, so I dare say it was from the factory like this.
We just wondered if it could have been like an early, pre-production demonstrator or something of the sort. I would say with the low VIN number it could have been first day of production. I'm not looking for someone to tell me that is worth lots and lots of money, I just get a kick out of such curiosities!

I knew if I could get the answers anywhere it would be here.

The service manual only states that the VIN starts at KZ650E-000001. The picture in the manual shows it having the same wire headlight holder and bar mounted signals as the SR.

What seems likely to me is that somewhere along the line someone may have put Clubman or drag bars on it and hit upon using the B/C bucket/signal arrangement to ease the conversion.

Tazzman (Mike) over at kz650.info (which seems down at the moment) is working on a 650 book and trying to get all manner of information from Kawasaki. This may be a good question for him to research.