another RZ back on the street
Moderator: rztom
another RZ back on the street
So I bought this 1985 RZ at the Barber Vintage Festival last year for the whopping sum of $1000 USD. It had just under 7000 miles on the clock and was bone stock and complete, with the exception of the belly pan and more than a little tired...
It had been crashed and rebuilt, fortunately the guy I bought it from was an RZ fanatic as well as parts guy for years at the local Yamaha shop. It's an '85 but Jason (PO) found a NOS '84 tank to replace the original. I assume the original was damaged in the crash.
Here's the bike a few days after I brought it home.
Originally the plan was just to clean it up, rattle-can resto, new decals and enjoy.
I found a set of Toomey pipes on eBay and installed them, then I discovered this forum and the ball started rolling...
Here's the bike ready to go, why I couldn't leave well enough alone, . . . well, it's an affliction. What can I say???
So now, armed with information, that tired old shock HAD to go. R6 shock fitted.
When I was a kid my dad worked for the Yamaha Corporation, he and his buds were continually raiding the warehouse to build their own bikes. Dad still has one of the bikes he built (sorry no pics of it right now), a pre-production, Yamaha test mule FJ 1100 with FZR 1000 forks, swingarms and wheels, capped with a TDM 850 top triple clamp with bars.
I kinda decided this was the direction I wanted to send my bike in...
Here's the bike with the '85 FJ 600 front end fitted. It took FJ 600 forks and wheel, lower triple clamp, XJ 650 top triple clamp and '86-on RZ 350 two-piston brakes to make this a reality.
I also got a set of the later style foot peg brackets with the later-style brakes. A set of R1/R6 foot pegs really updates the look.
The FJ 600 forks are only 1 mm bigger than the stockers, but they get me the later-style brake bosses, I assume I could also use the Triumph four-pot brakes on this front-end. Unfortunately, these forks were just big enough to make the swingarm look really spindly, so it had to go.
FZ 600 swingarm installed.
I've been on this forum several times and mentioned that I am using an FJ 600 rear wheel in the FZ swingarm. I know plenty of guys have done USD forks and 17" wheel swaps, but I wanted to maintain the overall stock appearance and keep it Yamaha. The availability of TZR parts etc isn't great here in the states so this seemed like the easiest route initially. Here's my set of FJ wheels painted, polished and ready to install.
Here's the bike as it sits today. I'd love to say it's finished, but I'd be lying.
As I write this I'm waiting on an FZ 700/750 rear wheel to stuff under the rear. The FJ 600 wheel, like the stocker, is a 2.50x18, while the FZ 750 wheel is a 3.00x18. I figure I can fit at least a 130 section tire, maybe a 140 tire without too much trouble. I'm hoping that the FZ 750 wheel pretty much falls into place. I'll have to machine the sprocket carrier but otherwise it should be a drop in. Ideally I'll be able to just ride and enjoy the bike through this riding season then next winter I'll go ahead and play with the engine some. I've got new pistons, rings, gaskets, seals, billet powervalves and bushes waiting for me. Until then hopefully I'll just be able to leave well enough alone...
Just for fun, heres some pics of the rest of the stable...
Matched pair (kinda) Rickman chassis'ed CB 750 (total hot-rod, everything has been done!!!) and KZ 1000 (mostly stock, Kerker pipe with street baffle, ugh!!!)
Both of these are in the standard Rickman CR chassis and here's a Triumph in a Rickman Metisse frame kit:
Now that I've got the hang of uploading images, watch out, I'm dangerous. I'll get some more pics of other cool stuff if anyone is interested...
It had been crashed and rebuilt, fortunately the guy I bought it from was an RZ fanatic as well as parts guy for years at the local Yamaha shop. It's an '85 but Jason (PO) found a NOS '84 tank to replace the original. I assume the original was damaged in the crash.
Here's the bike a few days after I brought it home.
Originally the plan was just to clean it up, rattle-can resto, new decals and enjoy.
I found a set of Toomey pipes on eBay and installed them, then I discovered this forum and the ball started rolling...
Here's the bike ready to go, why I couldn't leave well enough alone, . . . well, it's an affliction. What can I say???
So now, armed with information, that tired old shock HAD to go. R6 shock fitted.
When I was a kid my dad worked for the Yamaha Corporation, he and his buds were continually raiding the warehouse to build their own bikes. Dad still has one of the bikes he built (sorry no pics of it right now), a pre-production, Yamaha test mule FJ 1100 with FZR 1000 forks, swingarms and wheels, capped with a TDM 850 top triple clamp with bars.
I kinda decided this was the direction I wanted to send my bike in...
Here's the bike with the '85 FJ 600 front end fitted. It took FJ 600 forks and wheel, lower triple clamp, XJ 650 top triple clamp and '86-on RZ 350 two-piston brakes to make this a reality.
I also got a set of the later style foot peg brackets with the later-style brakes. A set of R1/R6 foot pegs really updates the look.
The FJ 600 forks are only 1 mm bigger than the stockers, but they get me the later-style brake bosses, I assume I could also use the Triumph four-pot brakes on this front-end. Unfortunately, these forks were just big enough to make the swingarm look really spindly, so it had to go.
FZ 600 swingarm installed.
I've been on this forum several times and mentioned that I am using an FJ 600 rear wheel in the FZ swingarm. I know plenty of guys have done USD forks and 17" wheel swaps, but I wanted to maintain the overall stock appearance and keep it Yamaha. The availability of TZR parts etc isn't great here in the states so this seemed like the easiest route initially. Here's my set of FJ wheels painted, polished and ready to install.
Here's the bike as it sits today. I'd love to say it's finished, but I'd be lying.
As I write this I'm waiting on an FZ 700/750 rear wheel to stuff under the rear. The FJ 600 wheel, like the stocker, is a 2.50x18, while the FZ 750 wheel is a 3.00x18. I figure I can fit at least a 130 section tire, maybe a 140 tire without too much trouble. I'm hoping that the FZ 750 wheel pretty much falls into place. I'll have to machine the sprocket carrier but otherwise it should be a drop in. Ideally I'll be able to just ride and enjoy the bike through this riding season then next winter I'll go ahead and play with the engine some. I've got new pistons, rings, gaskets, seals, billet powervalves and bushes waiting for me. Until then hopefully I'll just be able to leave well enough alone...
Just for fun, heres some pics of the rest of the stable...
Matched pair (kinda) Rickman chassis'ed CB 750 (total hot-rod, everything has been done!!!) and KZ 1000 (mostly stock, Kerker pipe with street baffle, ugh!!!)
Both of these are in the standard Rickman CR chassis and here's a Triumph in a Rickman Metisse frame kit:
Now that I've got the hang of uploading images, watch out, I'm dangerous. I'll get some more pics of other cool stuff if anyone is interested...
'85 RZ 350, Toomey pipes, Boyeson reeds, FZ 600 swingarm with FJ 600 Forks and wheels.
Excellent work! not just on the RZ either... wow!
Love the fact the RZ looks stock but has the upgrades, very well done. :)
Love the fact the RZ looks stock but has the upgrades, very well done. :)
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid
Like Watches? www.PloProf.com & www.DeskDivers.com
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid
Like Watches? www.PloProf.com & www.DeskDivers.com
- aaronmvrider
- -----
- Posts: 6607
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:44 am
- Location: Central Coast N.S.W Australia
i love gold wheels.... doing a set right now in gold.... what paint did you use... ???
please explain your process... i was going to have them blasted... polished then powdercoat... although my other (black) wheels are painted and have lasted really well so i am thinking i may just polish then paint....
ripper thread... great looking stable...
please explain your process... i was going to have them blasted... polished then powdercoat... although my other (black) wheels are painted and have lasted really well so i am thinking i may just polish then paint....
ripper thread... great looking stable...
1 x 4mm stroker rz 375cc 1983
1 x 7mm stroker rz 443cc 1984 (under construction)
1 x rz 500
1 x mv agusta 1000
1 x 7mm stroker rz 443cc 1984 (under construction)
1 x rz 500
1 x mv agusta 1000
If you're going to have your wheels blasted I would try and mask off the polished parts before hand. Otherwise I think you'll be going backwards trying to re-polish the shiny parts. I just degreased the wheels totally, grab the toothbrush, make sure none of your cleaners contain silicon. I just used cheapo rustoleum paint, I believe its actually brass, not gold, that gave me the best match, then I covered that with a wheel specific clear coat. So far its holding up well, but time remains to see how the longevity will be. Powdercoat is probably the best option for durability, unfortunately, finding a powdercoater that could.be trusted to do a complex job ike these wheels would be the hard part.
'85 RZ 350, Toomey pipes, Boyeson reeds, FZ 600 swingarm with FJ 600 Forks and wheels.
That's just the standard FZ swinger conversion. Not sure whether the arm is from an '86 or '87 FZ. There's a wealth of information, on this forum and on the internet of performing this modification. In my experience, you need to upgrade the shock before doing the arm, to keep the proper ride height...
'85 RZ 350, Toomey pipes, Boyeson reeds, FZ 600 swingarm with FJ 600 Forks and wheels.