1979 Z1000 - Worth fixing up?

[tim]

Gos they look great!

Lobo, where's a pic!?

[paul w]

They do look good, especially the fifth one down.

Having said that, the oil cooler lines on the rest spoil it for me (and the coloured spark plug leads). Personal ascetics, of course, but I never have liked the things. They always cut across the engine, hiding the beautiful horizontal lines of the engine finning, and in this case, the lovely rounded half-moon cam covers. The oil lines seem to take the limelight off the engine. That's why I like the fifth one.

My Z1000 fantasy is one that looks like the old one (as these do) but cleaner, and using modern materials and design for the rest.

As for cleaner, I mean leave the engine alone – let’s see the air cooling fins, the rounded half-moon cam covers, the four header pipes in a row heading down the front of the engine.

And leave the tank, side covers and ducktail. And the spoke wheels. Mag wheels look shit. There, I’ve said it. Remember those ugly-us-fuck Comstar wheels on Honda’s CX500? Dear god, the bike was ‘orrible enough…

Yes, yes, I know the Comstars were quite an innovative design, light and strong, but they looked crap. And I have yet to see a mag replace the glorious, shining beauty that is a spoke wheel.

Okay, I’ll calm down, but I’ve been thinking about getting a Ducati Supersports. It has old school looks yet modern gear. I’ll just have to raise the bars a little (after a test ride, of course). Always wanted a Duke when the Darmah came out (and a BMW, but I experienced that; a 1981 R100CS. A fantastic machine). Anyway, the Duke looks so good because of the spokes…mag wheels would have ruined it.

The frame should look pretty damn close to the original, but using modern materials and design. I added a few ‘improvements’ to my frame all those years ago (t-section under the top frame tunes, bracing on the swing arm, etc). It did absolutely nothing for the thing as my style of riding was sports/touring, and easy sports/touring at that, not racing…but still, it was an improvement (in my own mind at least). So, the frame can obviously be improved from the original horror show, but it must retain the original mostly-out-of-sight look. Big, thick frame rails? Nah…

Forks…well, I reckon upside-down jobbies look pretty cool…and work…so a modern u/d front end would be the go, but I’m open to the standard set-up, as the machines pictured use. So long as it’s good quality stuff.

And a headlight that works…the standard one was a joke. From memory, it was 45 watts (?), not even halogen. Horrendous.

What else…hmm…a mono-shock rear end, or better still, a single-sided swing-arm rear end. On my Z1000, I cut down the standard American-style huge rear mudguard the moment I got it home. With a hacksaw. Yes, I know…but it looked far better, even if it was a little ragged. The original one wouldn’t have been out of place on a car. And a smaller rear brake set-up. The standard one weighed a ton, and looked like it did. And the rear brake linkage rod thingie (the one that connected the brake to the swing arm) looked like it came straight off the Harbor Bridge. As for the disc…my god, have you felt how heavy the things are? Unbelievable.

The arse-end of the Z was saved only by the ducktail. The pipes looked okay, though. Not as good as the four-pipe Z900, of course, and no way in the world did it sound as good (especially with the baffles removed), even when I drilled a few holes in the exhaust. Yes, I know…

Also, I reckon the pipes under the seat and exiting out the back look great, too. So, I have that too, thanks, but are open to other ideas on that one

[paul w]

Sorry, I am thinking of getting a Ducati SportsClassic (Biposto), not a supersport.

I was going to proof-read before I posted, but forgot...

[Ratmick]

Gentlemen, we have wood...

Those all look pretty good to me, oil coolers lines non-withstanding. The second one down gives me the thunder down under, but they are ALL pretty horn.

Will have to keep an eye out myself...

Mick

[ProblemChild]

a cool old dunger , wire wheels are the go if you have em i recon . have fun on it ya lucky bugger

[mike-s]

Both of you suck at maths. If it's a 1979 model then its 30-31 years old depending on the date of manufacture (compliancing may be up to a few months later on, depending on when it was made vs when it made it to our shores). FFS i was born in '78

[Gosling1]

.....Both of you suck at maths. If it's a 1979 model then its 30-31 years old depending on the date of manufacture (compliancing may be up to a few months later on, depending on when it was made vs when it made it to our shores). FFS i was born in '78....

Get some glasses you dill !!

It was a 1977 model quoted in paul w's post, which was the one I was replying to. Not the OP, which is a 1979 Mk2 model. Totally different.

Last time I looked, 2009 minus 1977 = 32 years old.

[mike-s]

Get some glasses you dill !!

It was a 1977 model quoted in paul w's post, which was the one I was replying to. Not the OP, which is a 1979 Mk2 model. Totally different.

Last time I looked, 2009 minus 1977 = 32 years old.

i was talkikng about the OP lobo's bike, you were talking about paul w's.
back at you.

[Gosling1]

well, I might suck at maths - but your general comprehension sucks donkey balls.



BTW you should fit wider saddle bags. Go for the 'Prime Mover' look.

[mike-s]

*reads back* ah shit, i see it now

[paul w]

Back in Adelaide for a few weeks now, so I'll get some photos.
Man, had a loooong look at it...gee, things have changed, eh?!

[damotm]

...... I'd love to see one in the same design but with modern gear.......

You may like these ones then ................ Old style Zeds with all modern running gear, but not too over-the-top. Tasty as buggery I reckon....

Theyre awesome dude

[paul w]

Just had a look at the bike.

The only thing I noted that could be trouble is a small (4mm diameter) hole in one of the (original) exhausts.

I'm presuming this metal is too thin to weld...so any repair ideas?

[mike-s]

depends on if its a tear or rusted through. if its a tear then it'll be fine, but if it's rusted out from the inside then a patch can be applied, just as long as it is big enough to span to reasonably thick metal (not the paper thin barely-held-together-by-chrome metal around rust-holes)

[paul w]

Thanks, mike-s.

I've moved this reply to another thread, as this is the wrong one for my bike!