My personal experiences and impressions regarding the Z1 and Z1000.

One thing I liked about these bikes back in the early 80's, is that parts were easily available. I bought this 1975 Z1-900 for a couple of hundred dollars with many missing parts. Took the cylinders to Orient Express in Long Island for a 1015cc bore job, installed a set of 29mm smoothbores and a used Kerker exhaust. 

I don't know anything about auto body repairs but I tried to make the bike look similar to the original 1974 colors using spray cans and car pinstripes from auto parts. I began preparing the tank, sidecovers and tail during winter time. I didn't know any better, so the bike was painted in my basement. That spray can paint job lasted at least 5 years. 

That bike took me on a cross country trip from Brooklyn to Phoenix, AZ and back. I was fortunate that the only minor issue during the entire trip was having a flat tire in Meridian, MS.






 

My good friend Dougie Kendall who passed away age 83 a few years ago (I've mentioned him on this forum before) he was an army mechanic in the 50s and a gifted engineer. 
his lifelong love of Kawasaki started in I think 71 with a brand new H1 500, after riding 50s Nortons he was converted, before long he was working at a big Kawasaki dealership through most of the 70s up to 84 when he went self employed as a Kawasaki specialist. 
he told me often that 1980 was the year he had his best ever car and bike, the bike was a 1975 Z1-b ,
he had actually previously talked to some of the kawasaki race mechanics that set records in Daytona in 1973, he tuned his Z1-b like those bikes! He spent a good time gas flowing the engine, then dialling in the cams, I'm sure he must of rejetted the carbs but I cant say for certain and he ran open bell mouths, as far as I know the exhaust was stock,  then he moved the coils and welded up extra plates to the frame etc.
I dont know how fast he went on that bike but no one could touch it in 1980, he always maintained that doing those mods on the 900 gave you a 160mph machine I'm not sure how true that is but It doesn't seem too far fetched...
and the car in question at the same time was a 1970 Cuda 440 six pack and nothing could touch that car either! This was Britain in 1980 after all!
I'm sad that he's gone, people like that are kind of irreplaceable, he could do anything to a zed and he never needed to reach for a manual, he knew all the torque settings and if he needed a part he picked up the phone and knew the part number to ask for and I was amazed that he knew all the tiny changes they made to the zed motor each year from the first 900 to the 1015cc z1000st. He didn't mind the J series motors but he told me they are very different to the older 900s and 1000s.

wrote:

Thanks Joe.
I've been thinking about having it repainted the original 1974 brown with white and orange. Back in the 80's the first thing we all wanted to do with any bike was change to a custom paint job, haha.
Go figure, huh?
 

   My one-owner '74 Z1-A survived me and my 1980's self, thankfully unmolested then and decades since to this day.

   There were a few drug-induced years mid-80's wherein I thought I wanted to paint over the green/yellow/white factory colors with a black & white checkered flag pattern.  I don't remember why I thought it would be appealing, just glad now that it was going to cost far too much for a professionally-done checkered paint job that it discouraged me.  I always kept the bike garaged, the OEM paint clean & waxed before & since.  It's still in excellent condition.

Good Ridin'
slmjim