A new horse in the stable
There are many days—in fact too many days—where I feel like I’m the statue rather than the pigeon. I don’t know why it’s like that and frankly I don’t care. Okay, that’s not true. I definitely would like to know … Continued
Soda blasting on a budget
The motor on the ZN was crummy, although not as crummy as the wheels. I never ever saw wheels as dirty and heavily oxidized as the ZN’s. I started the cleaning at the rear because rear wheels are usually worse … Continued
Bobbing the tail
Fun stuff here! While the majority of the work up to now has been necessary or hopefully makes the ZN run better, bobbing the tail may be cosmetic for the most part but it’s probably the first thing people notice … Continued
Assembling an exhaust system (3 of 3)
Here’s the last of three posts on the exhaust system. This post deals mainly with painting something that can produce over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m painting the whole system—header pipes, collectors, cross-over and tail pipes. So, I’m getting straight to … Continued
Installing shorter shocks
Back in the day, the 1100 Kawasaki was a muscle bike. It started for Kawasaki in 1972 with the Z1, if in fact I’m remembering the day. Built to be badass on the street, the early Zs were a force … Continued
Assembling an exhaust system (1 of 3)
A good bit of basic or necessary work on the ZN is complete. There’s more to do but we’re closing in, slowly but surely, on fun stuff. For instance, the exhaust is ready to be constructed. Since this can be … Continued
Replacing gaskets and fixing oil leaks
I really don’t like to tempt fate or put a jinx on the works but…the comedy of errors involving cylinder #2 is over. Since retrieving the lost shim and fixing the broken cam cap, I’ve been busy buttoning up odds … Continued
What to do after dropping parts in the motor
We’ve all had that feeling. The feeling that something bad is about to happen, and in that split second, it does. After the mini-shock and realization of what just happened hits the brain, there’s generally a string of expletives that … Continued
How to clean CV carburetors
Buddhism teaches me that nothing is permanent; all things change. When it comes to breathing life back into old bikes that have been sitting for a length of time, there is one constant: All carburetors need to be cleaned. Alright…I’m … Continued
Adjusting valves on a Kawasaki ZN
Valve-check intervals depend on many factors like cam profile, lobe hardness, the kind of followers or buckets, valve weights, average rpm and so on. Manufacturers run tests to determine valve train wear and set inspection intervals accordingly. The first few … Continued