revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Yes, it's the same bike...It just takes time + $$ & not being a ham-fisted muppet who should have his toolbox (or his garage) welded shut

It's a Z1000R, basically a tarted up Z1000J, you can buy a lot of the parts for it brand new, especially if you don't mind paying over the odds, Kawasaki were still making the engines into the late 90s for Z1000P police bikes, from memory the most difficult part to get is the bracket for the tail piece, and if you know someone with one they're pretty easy to copy in aluminium.

Looking at the before picture I'd have no worries about turning that into a good looking running bike if I had the budget, me and my mate built one from a rusty frame, with no labour costs I think it ended up costing about £4K, you could comfortably double that if you were paying someone to build it for you.

Disregard, it's not the same bike.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:13 pm It's a Z1000R, basically a tarted up Z1000J, you can buy a lot of the parts for it brand new, especially if you don't mind paying over the odds, Kawasaki were still making the engines into the late 90s for Z1000P police bikes, from memory the most difficult part to get is the bracket for the tail piece, and if you know someone with one they're pretty easy to copy in aluminium.

Looking at the before picture I'd have no worries about turning that into a good looking running bike if I had the budget, me and my mate built one from a rusty frame, with no labour costs I think it ended up costing about £4K, you could comfortably double that if you were paying someone to build it for you.

They were still making them in 2005, so 24 years. Last model was the KZ1000-P24

Popular resto-mod for GPz1100-B1's is the clocks from an LTD so it doesn't look like you have a wardrobe bolted to the front of the bike.

There are very few doing that type of resto now,as the days of making a few quid at the end are well over. The value of the bikes has dropped,yet the cost asked by spares hoarders remains well in silly territory.
Always nice to see a result,but the bike would need to mean something special to you personally to jump in.

Skub wrote: Wed Feb 25, 2026 11:19 am There are very few doing that type of resto now,as the days of making a few quid at the end are well over. The value of the bikes has dropped,yet the cost asked by spares hoarders remains well in silly territory.
Always nice to see a result,but the bike would need to mean something special to you personally to jump in.

There's a local bloke who was buying up old Kaw's & exporting them for years, now he's advertising them for sale on FB & is asking absolutely mental prices.

ZRX61 wrote: Wed Feb 25, 2026 2:17 pm There's a local bloke who was buying up old Kaw's & exporting them for years, now he's advertising them for sale on FB & is asking absolutely mental prices.

Rick Brett? I know he has a house that neck of the woods.

Skub wrote: Wed Feb 25, 2026 5:06 pm

ZRX61 wrote: Wed Feb 25, 2026 2:17 pm There's a local bloke who was buying up old Kaw's & exporting them for years, now he's advertising them for sale on FB & is asking absolutely mental prices.

Rick Brett? I know he has a house that neck of the woods.

nope, Rick has a place in Florida & another in Michigan (iirc). This guy is Raul.

Funny story about Raul... many years ago he tried to buy a mates '80 KZ1000 MkII. Completely stock. Offered my mate $3k for it.
He called me up & asked what I would do...
"Tell him to fuck off, it's not for sale"
FFwd 6 months..
Raul offers $3500
Me: "Tell him to fuck off, it's not for sale"
FFwd 6 months
Raul offers $4000
"Tell him to fuck off, it's not for sale"
6 months later it's $4500
"Tell him to fuck off, it's not for sale"
Another 6 months... $5000
same advice
Another 6 months, $5500, same advice
Another 6 months, $6000 (this was in 2000)
"Take the money"

So Chris (expat from Margate) bought the bike brand new in '80 for about $3000, put 60,000 miles on it over 20 years & doubled his money.
With hindsight, I should have said "Fuck that, I'll give you $3250 for it today" when Raul first tried to buy it.
Seen here with two of my '76 KZ900's (frame #'s were 27 apart, probably came over in the same container)

Raul:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 4060cd03df

Notice the price drop from 21 weeks ago:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 4060cd03df

ZRX61 wrote: Thu Feb 26, 2026 12:26 am Raul:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 4060cd03df

Notice the price drop from 21 weeks ago:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 4060cd03df

and it loses 2500 miles in 20 weeks as well LOL