A new bike for me.

[fireguzzi]

Looking good John.

[Johnj]

I've spent the last 5 days trying to find Carb Holders (the intakes). I kept ordering the dang things, get my order confirmed, then a cancellation of the order for "Part discontinued". In the meantime I'm trying to talk one of the guys at work to make me a set. He has a lathe and a milling machine at home.
Anyway I went over to MO to check a new parts place in Raytown, (M&M Motorsports(I found some knee armor)) and on my way home I remembered there is a Kawasaki dealer in Independance who's not far off I-70. I go by and explain what I'm looking for. The parts guy checks his computer, then deadpans "Discontinued...and I show zero in house". I tell him OK , I'm going to make my own.
I wander off looking at their inventory. I spoke to an older (my age) guy with a young (18 to 20 maybe) girl who were looking at a 09 Ninja 250. They explain they are trying to figure out how to lower the seat so she can flat-foot it. I mention raising the forks in the trees, but the 09 seem to have a plastic cover. I suggested they try posting here as somebody may have the answer their looking for.
I go out to my truck and the parts guy call out to me waving me back inside. He'd gone to the back and looked for the part and found them.

[PacificShot327]

I go out to my truck and the parts guy call out to me waving me back inside. He'd gone to the back and looked for the part and found them.

Yay!

Bike's lookin' really good!

[Johnj]

So I have the parts, but my next day off is Wednesday. I go riding on Sunday morning, as I always do. Scott and I rode out to K-5 like normal, and stopped under I-435 to discuss today's ride. This is only the second time I've ridden the KZ750 on a Sunday morning ride, and last week the rear shocks were stiff. I changed them out for a stock set, and had them set to the middle position. Scott tell me to go ahead and run with it. Uhh I was bad. Scott says he stuck to 60ish and I got a good 6 or 7 seconds on him. He also says I run right past the braking points and just turn in (without braking) and go around the curves. The biggest difference between the liter bike and the twin is corner speed. The liter bike has big power to pull it out of the corners but the twin carries speed through the corner. It isn't the same set of sensations but both are good. I hope I can straighten out the KZ this week, I might have a chance to ride it at Heartland Park next weekend.
Anyway by the time we got to Leavenworth the nut holding my exhaust pipe on had fallen offand I ended up in a Price Chopper parking lot for an hour and a half while Scott went and got my truck. I now have two broken bikes.

[Johnj]

Broken bike no more. This morning I finally got my seat pan to the upholstery guy. He can't even get to it for two weeks, but I knew that.
Next I replaced the carb holders and the exhaust donuts on the KZ. Now it idles down and I can run around in town.

[Johnj]

Fat and sassy. The seat is recovered and most carb issues have been sorted out. I have to find a friend with a buffer so I can fix the paint. This KZ750 twin is just a hoot to ride. I bought a parts bike today. I got both front and rear spoke wheels and some other stuff for $60.

[flynrider]

Wow! It's looking great, John. Your kinda making me wish I still had one of those in the garage.

[Johnj]

Here's the parts bike I picked up yesterday. All I need is the wheels.

[Flesher]

Nice work, the bike looks great.

As for the parts bike, you're gonna have your hands full cleaning those spokes

[Johnj]

Not even going to try. I'm going to respoke with stainless or powder coated spokes.