Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi everyone! I have a 1983 Kawasaki KZ750-F1 that I bought last August. Now that spring will soon be here (hopefully), I'm beginning to consider what maintenance I should do on the bike at the start of the riding season. I changed the battery and oil filter shortly after I got it and I'll prolly change the oil again. It's already in excellent condition but I would like to clean up some of the minor amount of rust that is on some of the body, exhaust, etc. What would you suggest to use to clean up it's appearance? Any ideas, advice or tips regarding anything else I should do? Thanks for the help!

minor rust patches can be cleaned up with a bit of steel wool and elbow grease, then once you have it cleaned up a little shot of paint to protect the bare metal. On chrome, you can restore the shine with some Blue Magic or McGuiars(sp?) metal polish.

How much rust is there on the bike, and where is it showing?

Was the bike sitting for a long time without running before you bought it?

Have you ridden the bike since you bought it?

What condition are the tires in? Are they old and starting to show cracks?

Is the air filter clean?

How are all the rubber hoses (fuel lines, brake lines)

There is only a little rust showing on a few parts of the lower body, namely the exhaust and wheels. Are there any products that make takin rust off a little easier so I don't need to scrub it down to the bare metal?

The bike was run occasionally when I bought it. I rode it around for a few months before it got too cold to go out anymore (for a total of a few hundred miles at least). It was in excellent condition when I bought it... well kept and only ridden for a total of about 13,000 miles.

The tires seem to still be in good condition as do the hoses. I'll prolly check them again as well as the air filter once the weather begins warms up in preparation for taking it riding again. How often should the air filter be changed actually?

What would you recommend for polishing the painted portion of the body (it's a naked bike)? Would the Blue Magic or McGuiars metal polish be ok to use on the paint?

Thanks for the help!