Big Zed

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Nearly finished

FB_IMG_1588360388269.jpg (81.22 KiB) Viewed 3154 times

[cheb]

Lovely.

[demographic]

I do like that.
Can't quite read the Zorst but it looks like a Vance and Hines? The shape looks right anyway.
Not seen one of those for years and even then they weren't common.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It is a Vance and Hines, brand sparkly new, £240 including postage, it's not too loud, not road legal but not offensive either.

[Lutin]

I rather like that as well.

[Skub]

Very nice indeed.

[KungFooBob]

Have you thought about getting the fork stanchions TiN coated, would look proper cool :p

[demographic]

It is a Vance and Hines, brand sparkly new, £240 including postage, it's not too loud, not road legal but not offensive either.

Maybe its an age thing but I used to see them in magazines on drag racing Katanas.
Might have been Superbike magazine? I can't remember for sure.

[Bomble]

Proper nice

[demographic]

So whats the running gear off?

Wheels look a bit ZXR, swingarm looks like a Metmachex? Think they did eccentrics a bit like that.
In fact, just give us a rundown so I don't look too much of a pilock guessing for ages.

[weeksy]

So whats the running gear off?

Wheels look a bit ZXR, swingarm looks like a Metmachex? Think they did eccentrics a bit like that.
In fact, just give us a rundown so I don't look too much of a pilock guessing for ages.

Indeed, a bit lacking in detail

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Okay some detail

Engine
GPZ1100 Unitrak with Wiseco 1170cc High Compression Pistons, stripped and rebuilt over winter to fit a new endless camchain as the old one was 20mm longer than the new one, cheapest good cam chain was Kawasaki genuine part, no alternator, allows it rev a lot quicker, total loss electrics, heavy duty clutch springs, hydraulic clutch conversion using Tom Forde Racing bracket, ZXR750 slave cylinder and early ZX9R master cylinder.
Carbs - I have a choice, it runs best on Mikuni BST32 CVs that I think came from a GSX750ESD but these limit the top end power a little, I have a set of Mikuni RS34 flatslides that give good power, but the bike doesn't start easily or tick over nicely on them and the throttle action is HEAVY so I'm going to use the BST32s in the short term as top end power is a bit irrelevant on an unfaired 1170. I have a set of GSX1100EFE BST36s in the garage which should give the best of both worlds, but these need cleaning and setting up, and as I've only had them a few days I haven't got round to doing this.
Ignition Dyna 2000 system with Dyna 3 ohm coils and Dyna leads
Exhaust is a Vance and Hines originally intended for a Z900 or Z1000 LTD, fits my J frame, but no.1 downpipe is very close to the frame downtube, it doesn't touch but the gap is only a couple of mm.

Frame
Z1000J braced at headstock, swingarm pivot and the junction below the side panels
Tarozzi Rear Sets
KipKawa Exhaust Bracket (modified to fit with my rearsets)

Front End
1989 FZR1000 EXUP complete with top yoke converted to mandlebars, 43mm forks, 17" wheel, 4 pot brakes, front master cylinder 1200 Bandit

Rear End
Zephyr 750 Swingarm (it bolts straight in with a spacer round the J swingarm bolt), Zephyr shocks (which are too long and will shortly be replaced with some cheapy RFY shocks that have adjustable length so that I can work out what length springs to put on the Zephyr shocks), unknown Kawasaki rear wheel that I think is ZX6R and has been machined to bring the chain into line with the front sprocket.

Bodywork
Genuine Z1100R seat, tank and tailpiece (not Z1000J bodywork made to look like 1100R parts, you can tell the difference if you know where to look)
LPM replica sidepanels
CR250 front number plate
Koso instrumentation

I think that's it, I've spent more on it than it's worth, made a load of friends through doing it, I'm not sure whether to get it painted or not as I quite like it's slightly rough look and I've no idea what I'm going to use it for

[G.P]

I really like that.Look s like it would be a right handful on track.
What's the plan, daytime MOT and track fun?

[rodbargee]

I love the seating position, your sitting in it. Not perched on top of it. makes it much more involving remember getting the proper carb tops for my first zzzr1100 and getting 25% more power out of it for £100 best tuning parts ever.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The plan is daytime MOT and track time as well, I'm hoping it's ready for Lydden in August, I think I'll be able to go round the whole track in 3rd, I might have to use 2nd as well.
It's a big softie to ride, it's not as heavy as people think, I'd guess the dry weight is about 190kg, the engine isn't particularly heavy despite being physically large as there's a lot of space inside it. The crank is heavy compared to a modern engine though, and the gearbox whilst very strong is a bit agricultural, and very much a 1960s design.
The handling is a bit tippy into corners but that's down to the long rear shocks and short forks, the trouble with any of these old big bikes is that you have to balance ground clearance against having a too high centre of gravity, especially if you use skinny original wheels.

In some ways it's a bit of a two wheeled sculpture as how it looks is more important than how it works, so it'll also be a show pony when bike shows start up again

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Got my butt in gear and changed the rear shocks today.

[Skub]

Got my butt in gear and changed the rear shocks today.

We are hearing quite a bit about your butt recently.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It's been a source of pain this week, I need the big comfy armchair seat of my Z

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Today fitted some decent upper rear suspension bushes these are metal lined rather than plastic.
Also thought I'd see what main jets are in the carbs, answer, no main jets, so I put some 125s in which is my starting size for big air cooled engines, it's usually about right for running with pod filters, I may need to put in air corrector jets though.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Looks like I'll be taking it to Cadwell on the 10th of July, for other reasons I'm hiring a van for that trackday (MSV Classic day) so I might as well take two bikes, and I want to ride the Z, I'll probably only do one session on it, and I'll be taking a load of jets, everything from 115 to 135, not that it matters if it doesn't run well as I'll have another bike to use.