TOPIC:

I'm looking to pick up and restore a KZ 650 SR with the complete Vetter kit. I would like to keep this bike original, but like the pinstripe is scuffed/broken in a few spots. Should I color match paint the missing pinstripe sections? Can NOS pinstripe decals even be found (I couldn't)? Should I just remove the original pinstripe and replace it all with either pinstripe tape or painted pinstripes? 

 

So, dumb question: are you sure the pinstripes are original, or is it possible a PO added them?

I ask because if you look at the top front corner of the tail box (or the top right corner in the pic) the striping appears to be wobbly and that corner doesn't look like the others. The vertical stripe down the front of the box isn't parallel to the indentation in the molded casing like the one on the back. I am not making fun of it; I'm saying it doesn't look factory to me.

However, I think your best bet would be to find some new (recently produced) pinstriping tape. If you were able to find a set of NOS decals, they would be quite old (hence the O) and might be brittle and/or less likely to work. And the cases appear to be plastic on the outside, which might complicate painting. Tape will be a lot more forgiving.

And if you find out the stripes aren't original, you can just skip them.

 

Have you checked on here? :

www.craigvetter.com/

www.vetterowners.com/

I clicked on the restorations parts links and they are not working, they were a few years ago when I was fixing my Quicksilver up. Vetter is 80 so probably does not care about internet sales



I ended up buying some generic reflective pin striping tape off Ebay for a pretty reasonable price.
 

I really like the look of that particular model of Vetter bags, especially from the rear. I suspect that some high quality pinstripe tape is going to be the best solution. I wonder if the distortion Nerdy mentioned is in the plastic itself rather than wonky stripe application?

If you scroll down near the bottom of this page you can see what he offered to Kawasaki as a dealer accessory :

www.craigvetter.com/pages/Vetter_Fairing...er_Fairing_made.html

If you know the model of the fairing or bags/box you can check the serial numbers on that page.
I believe they were only fitted at Kawi dealers on big bikes (900/1000/1100/1300) from 1977-1983 as that chart suggests.
 

Thanks all, I think I'll go with removing the existing striping and replacing it with new vinyl. That should be good enough. 
I too noticed the wobbliness of the stripe on the tail box, I'll find out tonight if it is just the decal or if the plastic is warped. Hopefully just the decal. 

The only upgrades I am considering are replacing the radio and speakers, and upgrading the rear shocks. Just a hint of modern to make the bike a bit more of a daily ride for the new owner.

 

Injected wrote:

If you scroll down near the bottom of this page you can see what he offered to Kawasaki as a dealer accessory :

www.craigvetter.com/pages/Vetter_Fairing...er_Fairing_made.html

If you know the model of the fairing or bags/box you can check the serial numbers on that page.
I believe they were only fitted at Kawi dealers on big bikes (900/1000/1100/1300) from 1977-1983 as that chart suggests.

 

Wasn’t the touring equipment on the KZ400-A (Deluxe) made by Vetter?

I don't believe everything he did is on the web site, he probably had someone else input the information. Most likely you are correct, I believe he would do anything for a dollar. He put his logo and part numbers on everything he built.

I only ever went on there to research my own fairing otherwise it is not a frequented site.