I had lusted after a KZ650B ever since I saw one -it just 'looked' right to me...you know that saying "I don't know what I like, but I know it when I see it"?? Yah - that'd be the KZ650B for me. But sure, try to find one! Yes, they're out there, but getting rarer and rarer to find.

I came across this one on Craigslist for sale up in Stanley, Virginia. They were having a liquidation sale of some guy's actual 'Garage'...I had seen it on CL for about a month previously but thought they would want too much money for it - I was wrong, but I'll get to that in a minute...here's the original Craigslist ad photo!

So I went on up and MAN! There were all kinds of bikes and cars and mechanics machines laying about! I asked about a valve cutter, but they had just sold it, unfortunately...but I wandered around and found myself in a big 'ol barn with dirt floors and more motorcycles stashed inside - I don't remember them all, but I did find a 1981 CB750 in pristine condition, all it was missing were the carbs, and even a 1981 Z-28 with a burned-out carburetor...!

I wanted them all, but being on a budget, all I had was $200. When I first arrived, I thought for sure that KZ was going to be gone, but there she was, covered in dust and had some other garage crap stored on her - some random side cover, something else that I can't remember...but she was All There!

Anyway, I sought out the guy who was selling the stuff, and knowing all I had was $200 I told myself to get ready to be disappointed. I asked him how much he wanted for the Kawasaki...

"Make me an offer," he said. 

"Two hundred bucks...?"

"Sure!" 

"Like, OMG!! - I GOT IT!!" I thought. Oh, I was psyched! Never be afraid to 'make an offer', because You Never Know...!

Here she is right after I loaded her up... (I had stashed the side covers in the truck).

We made the journey home, and I began the job of triaging her. She had some damage, but nothing monumental that couldn't be remedied - some of the turn signals were broken, she needed to be re-wired (THAT was fun - NOT!! I hate doing wiring...) but check this out: this bike had been sitting for God knows how long - I swear this was the condition of the carbs when I first opened them up!

They look NEW!! I couldn't believe it! And check out the tank...! and look at that cap...! Oh, I had won the motorcycle lottery! Usually these things look like a geode inside...

The wiring though was a little more problematic. Apparently, from what I could see and deduce, the PO had had some kind of a crash, maybe, and screwed up the wiring, because some of it was burned and 'crisped', leaving a rat's nest of bad wiring, which I stripped out and re-did, not without some effort. It was also the first time I actually had to 'deal with' a wiring diagram and a volt meter - it taught me a lot (but I still hate wiring).

Okay, so here's the money shot - after I got everything sorted (and dealt with the DMV paperwork - you know what I'm saying...), I got her finished up!