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Last Update 9/8/05
NOTE: On these newer browsers I've noticed that they don't always display my large images in full size when you open an image from the thumbnails. Once you click the thumbnail and open the larger image, if you 'mouse over' the image you should see a " + " symbol or some other indicator like a box with arrows usually on the bottom right edge of the image. If you click on the indicator, then the image will expand to it's full size which displays full screen on computers that use a 800 x 600 resolution setting for the monitor. If you click the indicator again it will go back to the smaller image. Some people use a resolution setting of 1024 x 768 or higher on their monitors and for those users the images will appear smaller than full screen in size. You can change your monitor settings easily enough if you desire. Also, the indicator I've noticed is slow to appear even after the image appears to of completely loaded. The indicator in Netscape seems to be a lot faster to display than the one in Internet Explorer.
If you didn't know already, Kawasaki's KZ1300 was a low production water-cooled six cylinder motorcycle manufactured roughly between 1979 - 1989. When it came out, it was probably the heaviest and fastest bike on the road. Since I haven't seen any other Clubs here in the U.S.A. dedicated to the "Big 6," as some refer to it, I decided to start my own Club in January of 2000 after purchasing the KZ1300.com and ZN1300.com domains. Before that, I had some of these pages posted on a personal web site and it became so popular that I was forced to automate things. I had way too many emails from people looking for parts, info, and technical help that I just didn't have time to answer.
I've been riding these bikes exclusively since 1980 after riding a friends 1300 and deciding that the bike was just awesome!I still remember my first ride on one. My friend who owned it was a race bike mechanic and his bike was extensively modified though I don't know what all was done to it. All I recall is that we were riding around the 'Loop'(freeway around Houston) and a KZ1100 Kawasaki came up alongside wanting to race. I was riding the beast and he was on my KZ900 LTD. My friend motioned for me to take him on so I did. I don't think the guy I was running against knew it was a 1300. At that time they had just been out a few months and this was the only one I'd ever seen. All I remember is I left the guy in the dust real fast and when I shifted into 5th I looked down and almost wet my pants! I was already going 160mph shifting to 5th and it was still pulling strong. 160 was about 80mph faster than what I needed to be going on a road like this. It was late at night and there was no traffic, but that's good, because at that speed if I'd came over a hill and had to stop fast I'd of looked like one of those bugs spattered on the hood of your car after I hit.
I don't know what kind of mods were done on this bike, but it wasn't a turbo bike. I remember he had an aftermarket 6 into 2 exhaust that I think was made by Jardine. I know he had some hot cams in it and different rear end gearing. What else I don't know. The bike was still practically new, only about 4000 miles on it. I remember he had an oil pressure gauge on it mounted just like I did mine below. I only rode it a few times, but the difference between my 900 and his 1300 was like night and day. It made enough impression on me that about a year later I got my first 1300 and I haven't changed from riding these bikes yet.
When people find out I'm involved with a motorcycle club they usually ask why I don't ride a Harley. I tell them that I don't have any reason not to buy a Harley, but they don't just don't make a 6 cylinder bike! In fact, 20 years later, they still don't have anything that will compete with a 1300 at any level from what I can see, but I wish they did. Just the same, I could buy 5 nice 1300's and 10 parts bikes to go with them for what 1 new Harley or Goldwing would cost me. But even if we didn't take money into consideration, I can't think of even one reason I'd trade my 1300 for anything Harley makes today. I have no doubt they could produce something that I would ride, they just don't make a high performance touring bike. Besides, if a nice Harley twin would set you back $20,000 these days, how much would a 6-cylinder Harley cost? I'd definitely need more income for that one!
If you search the Internet you'll find six or seven "Z1300" sites overseas and a lot of information about the bike posted on these sites, with lots of pictures too! I have links posted to all of the 1300 pages I've found so far. The overseas models are not called KZ's, but simply Z1300's for the older models, or ZG1300's if they're the newer fuel injected model from 84' and up. They also have a few Voyager models overseas but not many it seems and there are some differences between the US and European spec bikes. There's not much that's interchangeable between the ZN models and the KZ's either except the engine itself. If you're buying parts, keep in mind that many things are interchangeable from one year to the next on each model, but some parts aren't, so beware. I've posted what links I could find on my links page to save you a little time. I've owned 1 of these bikes over the years, (5) 1979' models, (3) factory 80' Touring models, an 80' Gran Touring with the Vetter package, an 1982' with a Mr. Turbo kit which I have pictures of on this page (before the installation of the turbo kit), (6) 84' ZN1300 models, and one 86' ZN1300 which I sold in 9/00 to one of the few Houston members.
I built the 82' from the ground up and invested about $9000 in it during the rebuild. The bike had about 40,000 miles on it when I took it apart. Two and one half years and $9000 later it was sporting a Mr.Turbo Kit (Houston, Texas), a rebuilt engine, over 300 power-coated parts, Accel Coils/Wires, Pirelli NOS "Phantom" Tires, aftermarket 4:11 Ring and Pinion, Progressive Air Shocks, Stewart Warner Oil Pressure Gauge, King and Queen Seat, Backrest, etc.
With a turbo this bike is pretty scary! It will go from 60 - 160 mph faster than some bikes will do 0 - 60mph! Of course, it's not much to brag about in the corners; the best thing to do there is to slow down if you can! It's very top-heavy, it doesn't lean as far over in the corners as you wish it could, and older bikes like ours didn't have tires nearly as wide as they do now, although there are modifications to change that. With the extra power of the turbo, breaking the rear-end loose while power-shifting into 3rd was a definite possibility even with someone sitting on the back! I found out that some girls don't like the rear-end getting sideways while they're sitting on it! Ouch!
Well enough of the stories and on to the pictures. These are large jpeg images, but I haven't found the few pic's I made after the turbo installation by Mr. Turbo. I do have some pictures of other turbo bikes on the zn1300.com domain though. Check the "Members Bikes" and "1982" sections. If you want to see what I do on eBay for a living go HERE: auction-experts.com
Me of course
A recent picture of me on the Ten
Commandments Rally through Tennessee in August 2004 at the huge 28,000 member Bellevue Baptist Church
in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm joined by some other fans of Judge Roy Moore's monument that
followed us from Alabama.
Me at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
right pic is same as the first but much bigger!
right pic shows oil pressure gauge
This is me telling my son not to cut my head out of the picture. So
what does he do, he hits the button accidentally, but he gets me in it so it's a
keeper.
84' ZN1300 with 28k miles, my current ride such as it is. It was busted up pretty good
when I bought it off the site for $600 from a guy in St. Louis that had just
wrecked it. Seems his wife worked in the emergency room and gave him an
ultimatum...,
her or the bike. I guess I won that argument! He was still in the
hospital when I arrived to get the bike so his buddy took care of the deal for
him.
Original KZ1300 Club headquarters, from left to right: 80' B-2 I sold to Joe Babich in
Ca., 79' A-1 I sold for parts, 80' B-2 sold for parts, 84' ZN I sold for parts to a
guy in Canada who owned two ZN's and a 86' ZN1300 I bought, repaired and sold to a Houston member.
A few of my other toys/projects over the years:
took this in trade for the black 82' above
73' Challenger 340
99' Chevy S-10, 1300 Transporter when you take the 'Carryboy' top off that is.
74' Taylor jetboat with 455 Olds motor
CGS Hawk Ultralight I'd like to own!
74' Pantera GTS, what I'd trade all my current 1300's for in a heartbeat!
74' Kawasaki 750 two-stroke triple, my high school ride!
