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Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 11:32 am
by RhadamYgg
JC Viper wrote:
Johnj wrote:The '82 GPz is just a KZ with a new dress. The '83 had a new frame and much refinement to the powerplant.
The one for sale is 1984, a few things have caught my eye: 18" wheels, 2 valves per cylinder (opposed to the now 4 per cyl on Kawasaki bikes) and no Positive Neutral Finder.

So the refinement to the powerplant would mean powerful yet smooth (no test rides until I have cash in hand) ? Granted, anything would be better than my Vulcan 500 but curious.

I also found a 1995 Honda VFR for sale in the $2000 range... scratch that the insurance is a bit high compared to the others....
hmmm VFR... If only I had room and money...

RhadamYgg

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:07 am
by JC Viper
Despite being an old bike, a year older than I, I decided on the Kawasaki GPz 750 non-turbo. I'll go down tomorrow to get a thorough look at it and most likely buy it seeing as how the owner still operates it so it should be running fine.

*Update: It seems it'll be easy to transfer my old policy to the new bike (err new to me) so yay!



Oh yeah, still no word on the guy for leaving the scene of the accident and having no insurance info on the spot.

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:56 pm
by RhadamYgg
Happy pre-new bike day.

I looked up that bike - looks very cool.

RhadamYgg

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:09 pm
by JC Viper
RhadamYgg wrote:Happy pre-new bike day.

I looked up that bike - looks very cool.

RhadamYgg
I hit a snag, it turns out my bank is being a POS with the check Progressive gave me and are only releasing it in $100 increments meaning I'm gonna have to hope the guy holds on to it for me or no one else is interested in the bike. Not in the mood to dip into savings or my balanced checking. Boo on HSBC.

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:27 pm
by RhadamYgg
JC Viper wrote:
RhadamYgg wrote:Happy pre-new bike day.

I looked up that bike - looks very cool.

RhadamYgg
I hit a snag, it turns out my bank is being a POS with the check Progressive gave me and are only releasing it in $100 increments meaning I'm gonna have to hope the guy holds on to it for me or no one else is interested in the bike. Not in the mood to dip into savings or my balanced checking. Boo on HSBC.
I ran in to a similar issue years ago. It was a state check! They didn't automatically indicate that so instead of clearing for next business day - it was 4 or 5 days - and I needed money for vacation! Unbelievable. It was the first time I've been extremely agitated at a person for just doing their job.

RhadamYgg

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:31 pm
by JC Viper
Well... I did it and got it. I wanted to get the GPz 750 with a center stand and engine guards but his clutch was really questionable and had really bald tires. Not to mention it was sitting there for years.

Now I find another GPz and it was in great shape save for a loose clutch cable, pipe dents, and chain could be tighter. The bike has pretty new tires and brakes (front left brake needs changing soon but the others are new). Looks like I have to buy a center stand and engine guard for it if I can find a place that sells stuff like that. Maybe 18 inch tires will be hard to find too. The bike is also a bit louder and meaner than what I'm used to but it has stock cans... still I think it's quite loud (compared to the Vulcan 500).

This bike has great clocks and on-board computer! My 2001 Vulcan 500 didn't even have a gas gauge (ahem for 2010 Kawasaki?) and the power was enough to leave streaks on the pavement but it was controllable. I don't know what it is with air cooled/ oil cooled engines but it has a strong smell of "lawn mower" like my air cooled Suzuki. God I missed that smell...

Oh and no Turbo edition for me... I don't want to wait for it to spool down and I also value my license, there's no way I would've had self control.

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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:30 am
by High_Side
Looks good. As a suggestion any automotive store should have paint called "bumper paint" that will make that faded black plastic on the inner fairing and switchgear look like new. Nice klassic Kwacker. :righton:

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:26 pm
by JC Viper
High_Side wrote:Looks good. As a suggestion any automotive store should have paint called "bumper paint" that will make that faded black plastic on the inner fairing and switchgear look like new. Nice klassic Kwacker. :righton:
Thanks High Side. Now any suggestions on where I can find parts for this klassic kawi? centerstand, engine guards (maybe I can make them myself), clutch plates and maybe kickstands are the stuff I may need in the future. 18" tires shouldn't be too difficult and there's a lot of life on these tires.

I'd never thought an old 750 would have such power that could stand up to today's bikes. 90HP in lower RPMs is awesome for drag racing... :twisted:

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:33 pm
by RhadamYgg
Nice!!!!

You know, it would be great if there were like 400 people that knew and trusted each other with 400 bikes and - you just swap for a different bike whenever you want something different.

RhadamYgg

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:32 pm
by JC Viper
RhadamYgg wrote:Nice!!!!

You know, it would be great if there were like 400 people that knew and trusted each other with 400 bikes and - you just swap for a different bike whenever you want something different.

RhadamYgg
I know people who ride different brand of sport bikes and some cruisers that we can swap for a ride in a parking lot. I'm just the oddball who has bikes that no one really wants to ride because my machines seem foreign to them but I can ride theirs. I actually stand out like a sore thumb with my boxy more up-right machine in a group of sleek sport bikes and fat cruisers.

Two other bikes I was close to getting: GPz 900 R, but insurance wanted much more.

an early Honda CB 750 (too much chrome and I don't want a cruiser(?) but would have been interesting to own).