Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Not for me!!!

My brother sent me a message telling me that he was thinking about having a crack at picking this bike up?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KAWASAKI-Z-1 ... 2574wt_932


Is anyone else interested? It seems a bit rich to me, what would you value it as? Does anyone know it's history?
What can you knowledgeable cluster of Kawasaki officianados tell me about this model? Obviously it's a shaft so should there be any concerns for spares to that? I think he is looking at doing something along the lines of a fix-up, perhaps into cafe-racer style so do you think this would be a good platform for that?

Absolutely any info will be appreciated and past on to my brother (long time listener, no time caller).

Thanks guys,

Dutchy

If you wanted to bring it back to its original glory it is probably worth the dollars but to alter it and turn it into a bobber or whatever go buy something else instead of ruining a good old classic that should be preserved.

its just a Z1000ST - the shaft-drive model, released in 1979/80 and then it morphed into the Z1100 in 1981/82.

Not rare, not collectable in any way shape or form. Fuck me some ebayers are so full of shit.

These bikes are solid old rigs - but many of the parts are not interchangeable with other kawasaki models of the same period (Z1000's, MkII's and Z1000MkII's.) The ST models had a different frame with larger tubing, it was much wider across the swingarm pivot area to allow for the shaft drive. Brake rotors are thicker all round. Triple clamps and forks are model-specific. Instruments are model-specific....it just goes on and on with these models. Almost *nothing* is interchangeable with chain-drive Z1000's of the era....

These bikes are a lot heavier than your standard Z1000 of 1979 - I think the dry weight was upwards of 260kg ? They were definitely designed for touring use - not really a good base to build a cafe-racer from. Too heavy and require too many specific parts. A good mate of mine in Sydney has owned one of these for years - he really struggles when looking for any spare parts in Australia at wreckers etc - just nothing out there for these models.

About the best thing I could say - is that if your bro was looking for a good solid reliable workhorse that could do trips from Melbourne to Sydney every week - one of these with a big fairing fitted would be hard to go past. The shaft drive is as solid and reliable as anything else from kawasaki's of the era - but they are a heavy old rig any way you look at it.

+1 what Gosling said

i have owned 2 1979 z1000st.....
when i bought the first bike i didnt know that the parts for a shaft drive are all different to other Z1000's
and yeah.. this is a heavy bike.
Its a shaft drive, so no chance to change swingarm, bigger rear wheel...etc, if i was going to going to buy another z1000 i would go for another J model.
The annoying thing was when i got the head off the bike i rebuilt, there where different bolts, internal threads that had been previously stripped on camshaft retainers, welds on the homemade exhaust.. etc etc
I sold the registered, top end rebuilt z1000st with new tyres for $3000, and the spare bike complete but not running for $1200.
I have some Z1000st parts left including a brand new seat, some internal shaft bits and other stuff.

and with comments like this in his ad "PLEASE NO DREAMERS OR SH1T TALKERS AND IM NOT HERE FOR ADVICE ON YOUR RESTO PROJECT"
I reakon you can do better
hope this info helps

He recently sold this one too...

Ebay Linky

This one looks better and cheaper:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1979-Z-1000- ... 1e785d5a0a

that looks tidy ! these are still a great bike for what they are, just a big old shaft-drive tourer that will get you anywhere and everywhere on the highway in pretty good comfort. They just need a decent fairing.