Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Have a opportunity to purchase a 1979 z1300, the bike is in good condition except it has been painted black in previous time and will need respraying to the only color they came out with and that is that bluey / green colour. Motor was rebuilt 10 yrs ago but hasn't been started since and besides the water pump seals maybe being dried out and stuffed I cant see any reason why she wouldn't be a goer, any more suggestions on anything that could go wrong and maybe the value of this beast would be appreciated, I don't have any pics but have seen the bike and once tank and guards are resprayed she will look very respectable. Thanks Bear

water pump seals would be a start. I would also be thinking about valve-stem seals. Anything made of rubber that could perish in 10 years is a possibility of needing replacing.....you would want to have a real good look at the inlet manifold rubbers and radiator hoses. The inlet rubbers can be tested once the motor is running.

Great bikes, really smooth power but farken heavy. Has the bike ever been stored outside ? Condensation inside the cases may require an oil change before you start this old girl, I would probably replace the diff oil as well just to be on the safe side.

Value ?? could be as low as $3k and as much as $15, depending on condition. If you can get it back up and running well and with good original colour scheme - it should be up around $10k I would expect.

Pics !!!

Thanks Gos, never thought about valve seels or water hoses but at the end of the day they are only minor set backs, as for the bike it has been stored in a good dry shed and wheeled around ready for a attempt at resto work ( not that it needs much unless u want it pristine } The guy who owns it is a Yamaha man and was toiling with the idea of a café racer resto so I thought I would talk some sense into him and sell it. I will post some pics once I get a chance to getback around to his workshop

sounds good Bear - looking forward to some photos

If the bike can be started reasonably easy, you will be able to tell if the valve stem seals are stuffed after a couple of starts. First start, you are likely to get a lo of bluish/white smoke out the exhaust - this will be oil getting past the seals and into the combustion chamber. Once the seals are hot and pliable - the smoke should stop. The first start and warm-up should get the seals back to OK condition, if they are not too far gone.

Any subsequent starts - hopefully there will be no more smoke or only a whisp - at start-up.

The early 1300's used 3 x 2-barrel Mikuni carbs - not seen on any other Zed. I have always wondered how 2 of these 2-barrel carbs would go on a 4-cyl motor......