1981 Kawasaki GPz550: Restoration

[srsupertrap]

Man, this thing really turned out nice. Worth a lot of coin in this condition, I would think.

You must be proud of all your efforts and your talent level and attention to detail is very admirable.

Thanks Larry, I am not sure what it's worth but I do like the modifications the PO did. Looking for a warmer day and some spare time before giving it whirl.

Won't be long now Steve! Can't wait for the video of the first start! You are taking one aren't you? Ha ha, easy for me to say. I've never done it. The first ride may require a snowmobile suit too eh?

Looking good and fingers crossed for a successful transition from project to runner!

I hope so Ed. Although I am confident the second build should start right up there is always unknowns like the crank bearing tolerances etc . . . I will try contacting Gsghost1 to help with the video . . . again

[GregT]

I've just recently had a race 550 through the shop. He'd had an inlet cam sprocket bolt come out and had broken the piece off the cam...
So went through his existing head, finding that it needed several valves which came from his spare head stocks.
Reshimmed it and handed it back with an inlet fitted from a spare head. Ok so far...
I suggested to him that it was worth him bringing the bike to me to dial the cams in once he'd refitted the head as I'd noticed a mixture of cam sprockets...
Sure enough, the actual cam figures didn't match any model in the manual.
So dialled them in to 104 inlet, 106 exhaust.
He wasn't too happy when he took it out at the major meeting he'd been getting it sorted for - it was hitting top gear about 100 yards earlier than before and could easily have used a gearing change...

Anyway the moral is that mixing cams and sprockets may not give you the timing in the book....

[Corey]

So, any new progress on this? Looks like you are getting ever so closer.

[exdirtbiker]

Did you find more of these? Looks very much like the battery plug on my Grandskids' 6V battery powered ride-on toys.

[srsupertrap]

So, any new progress on this? Looks like you are getting ever so closer.

Well like many parts of the country I need some warmer weather on a weekend. Last week was zero overnight here in Colorado and the weekend was no better. One last issue, the plastic chain guard lost its original shape. Unlike a GS chain guard which is rigid plastic the GPz/Kz chain guard is pliable and the width of this one expanded to the point where it's presently rubbing the rear wheel hub. I have had several chain guards in my possession now and the all have the same problem. Maybe I should use an LTD chain guard which is chrome metal but that would look weird.

Did you find more of these? Looks very much like the battery plug on my Grandskids' 6V battery powered ride-on toys.

Yes I did. Jeff Tuttobene sold me one from his electrical connector collection. I will have to follow up with him on the kit information but I believe he purchased one of those vintage Japanese electrical connector kits. He raced those GPz's in Box Stock back in the day but recently sold his GPz550 eye candy pictured below.

[Corey]

Any updates, or is the weather still not allowing any more progress?

[exdirtbiker]

I just noticed you said you used a Barnett clutch.
I have had 2 ( out of 2) bad experiences with those...
when the bike sits for a few weeks / months.... or maybe just 1 week (?) ... the plates swell from sitting in oil, and the clutch does not want to disengage.
Solution? #1. Point Dad's 1975 CB 750 downhill, push starter button while rolling in 2nd, get it warm, and feather clutch / drag rear brake at high revs until it un-locks. Good for a week.
My buddy's solution #2 was to beat the living shnizzle out of his FJ1100 at nearby Wawa, and blame me. ( not my friend any more, many and various reasons )

I hope you have better results. ( mine were from early 90s)

EDIT: if you race, I'm sure Barnett makes a quality product that helps you to victory

[Corey]

I just noticed you said you used a Barnett clutch.
I have had 2 ( out of 2) bad experiences with those...
when the bike sits for a few weeks / months.... or maybe just 1 week (?) ... the plates swell from sitting in oil, and the clutch does not want to disengage.
Solution? #1. Point Dad's 1975 CB 750 downhill, push starter button while rolling in 2nd, get it warm, and feather clutch / drag rear brake at high revs until it un-locks. Good for a week.
My buddy's solution #2 was to beat the living shnizzle out of his FJ1100 at nearby Wawa, and blame me. ( not my friend any more, many and various reasons )

I hope you have better results. ( mine were from early 90s)

EDIT: if you race, I'm sure Barnett makes a quality product that helps you to victory

I am not familiar with that specific bike, but aren't the fiber plates are supposed to be wet from oil? I use Barnett on my daily commuter, and have not had any of the issues you speak of. My thoughts on this would be to look at what is upstream from the clutch. The mechanism, cable(adjustment, routing, and no tight bends), and the lever perch assy. If you are using the whole clutch kit, and it is correct for that bike, the operation of the clutch should be the same whether you used Barnet, EBC, Vesrah, or Kawasaki. My experience has been from not allowing the clutch to release, is a clutch cable that never got lubricated with cable lube, and/or the barrel end at the lever binds from lack of lubrication.

Read this:

https://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle...intenance_101/

7 years working for Motion Pro, and I saw a lot of customer-supplied cables that were broken and very worn. Most failed due to lack of lubrication.
Other than Motion Pro, I have never worked for Barnett or any other Motorcycle Manufacture. Not that I am right, jut giving my experience, and thoughts here.

Looking at the weather for Steve's Area, 13*F is a little too cold for anyone to be out on a bike.

[exdirtbiker]

I believe the problem was that the special "high performance" material Barnett was using had a tendency to absorb and swell if they sat too long.
So after you dis-engage clutch... cold engine... it was still stuck. After you got 'em hot, they worked better than stock.
It appears that these issues were resolved years ago, I have not heard of anyone else complaining in a decade.
I hope srsupertrap was not using a NVOS item. ( New VERY Old Stock )

[srsupertrap]

The GPz came with a extra clutch plate kit installed so its used. I suspect the Barnett kit was installed in the 1980s? If it turns out to be a problem I still have the 83 KZ550 clutch plates and fiber plates. I can only add I have been running a Barnett extra clutch plate kit in my GS1000 since the 1980s and so far so good. Clutch springs go soft but no dragging so far.

Colorado weather is up & down in February, yesterday was 3 inches of snow, a high of 22F with a low near zero. Today the snow is melting. Going to work on reinserting images from PB.com

[srsupertrap]

Start Up Vid

Spent Friday charging & installing the MotoBatt battery, turning the crank over by hand for 15 minutes, adjusting pilot air screws and idle speed, checking the charging voltage, adding oil, tightening valve cover bolts and cutting a relief radius into the inboard side of the chain guard (bowed) to prevent it from contacting the rear wheel.

That brings me to 31-Mar-2018, here we go . . .

[Burque73]

Wow! Must be such a good feeling to hear it run. Superb job on the restoration!

[nvr2old]

Couldn't be happier for you! It sounds great and looks like it just came off the show room floor. Pat yourself on the back for your perseverance and total dedication to seeing it through to completion. Nicely done.

[Ghostgs1]

Sounds great Steve, just a bit better than the last try! Congrats on a job well done.

[steve murdoch]

Fantastic sound!
Be rightfully proud of a job well done.