Kz1300

[viper]

Priced at 7200 , may go to 6800

[flatfour]

If it helps as a guide, there was one for sale by a member of a classic forum that I often visit just a few months ago at £5,000. It was said to be in first - rate condition, with a very well documented history and was, I understand, sold for less than the asking price after quite some time with no other offers received.

[Robbieben]

  Its not worth much more than £5000 in my opinion based on the current market.

[Boomer]

Overpriced for an import IMHO.
Yes, the gearboxes have straight cut gear's so whine on decel.
If there are crunchy or grinding noises on decel then walk away.

Mine was the first year of the DFI and I prefer the injected models to the carb ones, but most prefer the carbs.

[viper]

Overpriced for an import IMHO.
Yes, the gearboxes have straight cut gear's so whine on decel.
If there are crunchy or grinding noises on decel then walk away.

Mine was the first year of the DFI and I prefer the injected models to the carb ones, but most prefer the carbs.

Thanks boomer for the comments on the box, that's reassuring. Re the price, everyone says z13 s are over priced but I've been looking for about 2 years now and every bike I've seen for sub 6k has issues or needs work ect. Anything that's ready to ride is s 6k 7k 8k dependending on cosmetics. I have never seen these 5 grand bikes that everyone reckons they paid for theirs !! There is only ever 1 or 2 if you are lucky for sale on eBay . One on at the mo for 6k but has issues . I've entered into negotiations on at least 6 z13's in the last 12 months and can't get the owners to budge more than 10% on their asking price. Everyone seems that know of a mint one that was sold  for next to nothing but I ain't seen them . I've walked away from 3 on the driveway with 6k in my pocket cos the owner wouldn't budge on price.

[Rynglieder]

Hi Viper,

That does not look a bad bike and I don't think the money is too far off. An "as original" bike will command a higher than average price. It is difficult to tell without being certain of the model year and if a US bike has a different specification but the exhaust system does not look original or the seat. However these are two items that would wear and be replaced on a bike of this age. The shocks do look original though or are a good replica.

The thing that most owners concern themselves with is the cam chain tensioner which allegedly is not up to the job and has been known to fail with catastrophic results. The guy who I pay to work on mine seems amazed that I am still running with an unmodified one (perhaps I don't ride it hard enough). I believe that the CCT from a GPZ1100 is the usual replacement.
It is a crab model which means it is from before 1984/5. The A5 model which I own is a 1983 and has chrome engine casings, the prior models had polished alloy which makes me think that the bike was built 1982 or before. (Incidentally, you may not be buying a Japanese bike, I believe most Z13s were built by Kawasaki in a factory in the USA).

They are really heavy machines and after riding newer bikes you will find the single pot brakes to be scarily inadequate, leave yourself twice the distance that you are used to when following traffic!

I've had mine from new and someone has suggested to me that a one-owner Z1300 is probably fairly rare and I should insure it for £10k. Of course, this is way above what I could realistically sell it for. Having now got four bikes in the garage I sometimes find myself thinking I should really sell one off and the Z1300 would be a candidate as it is in many ways the most temperamental and least "rideable" of my bunch, however I had had it longer than the kids, so it is hard to let it go. And then there are those days when it is running well, the big six sings like no other engine and it gets occasional admiring looks that a modern £15k bike would not get. If someone came along with stupid money, I may be tempted to part with it but I am not desperate.

Good luck with your search.

Pete.

(Photo; My Z1300 Pershore Abbey October 2016)

[viper]

Hi Viper,

That does not look a bad bike and I don't think the money is too far off. An "as original" bike will command a higher than average price. It is difficult to tell without being certain of the model year and if a US bike has a different specification but the exhaust system does not look original or the seat. However these are two items that would wear and be replaced on a bike of this age. The shocks do look original though or are a good replica.

The thing that most owners concern themselves with is the cam chain tensioner which allegedly is not up to the job and has been known to fail with catastrophic results. The guy who I pay to work on mine seems amazed that I am still running with an unmodified one (perhaps I don't ride it hard enough). I believe that the CCT from a GPZ1100 is the usual replacement.
It is a crab model which means it is from before 1984/5. The A5 model which I own is a 1983 and has chrome engine casings, the prior models had polished alloy which makes me think that the bike was built 1982 or before. (Incidentally, you may not be buying a Japanese bike, I believe most Z13s were built by Kawasaki in a factory in the USA).

They are really heavy machines and after riding newer bikes you will find the single pot brakes to be scarily inadequate, leave yourself twice the distance that you are used to when following traffic!

I've had mine from new and someone has suggested to me that a one-owner Z1300 is probably fairly rare and I should insure it for £10k. Of course, this is way above what I could realistically sell it for. Having now got four bikes in the garage I sometimes find myself thinking I should really sell one off and the Z1300 would be a candidate as it is in many ways the most temperamental and least "rideable" of my bunch, however I had had it longer than the kids, so it is hard to let it go. And then there are those days when it is running well, the big six sings like no other engine and it gets occasional admiring looks that a modern £15k bike would not get. If someone came along with stupid money, I may be tempted to part with it but I am not desperate.

Good luck with your search.

Pete.

(Photo; My Z1300 Pershore Abbey October 2016)

The bike is a 79 a1.    Exhausts are not stock , not sure about the seat . TBH I'm not bothered about it being stock or all original, I'm happy with the way it looks . I just don't want to buy a mechanical lemon. I don't want to be six months in an having to strip down heads ect, I want to be able to use it through the summer. Maybe I should just settle on a modern retro and not have the constant worry and always listening for a problem when I'm riding the zed .

[beegee]

Oooh, that really is a big bike
Cant remember i saw one over the channel..
Nice

[flatfour]

If you want an original classic, perhaps consider an early to mid 1970's Honda CB750? Spares are plentiful from a variety of specialist suppliers, there is a lot of expertise out there both from Forums and also a number of real experts who make their living from overhauling and restoring these bikes where it is necessary. Most of all, they have benefitted from many years of evolution and, as far as classics go are considered "bulletproof". I have a couple of them and would not hesitate to ride them to their full performance potential over any distance.

My "high miler" has well over 70,000 miles of often hard use under its belt and runs as well as it did when it was far newer, with maintenance limited to oil and filter changes, together with an annual service for points, valve clearances etc. All of this is carried out by me, so no particular expertise on type necessary.

If you do ultimately buy one however, might I suggest that you avoid the very early (and more expensive) models with the four - into - one throttle cable? This is not so much through carburettor synchronisation problems, as through product improvements that came with the K2 onward. 1972 - 1976 were probably the best years for reliability, in my view.

My riding friend has a CB1100 EX (2015) and my brother had the earlier model of this bike. One is sold, the other for sale, as they are just not the same as a true classic!

[viper]

If you want an original classic, perhaps consider an early to mid 1970's Honda CB750? Spares are plentiful from a variety of specialist suppliers, there is a lot of expertise out there both from Forums and also a number of real experts who make their living from overhauling and restoring these bikes where it is necessary. Most of all, they have benefitted from many years of evolution and, as far as classics go are considered "bulletproof". I have a couple of them and would not hesitate to ride them to their full performance potential over any distance.

My "high miler" has well over 70,000 miles of often hard use under its belt and runs as well as it did when it was far newer, with maintenance limited to oil and filter changes, together with an annual service for points, valve clearances etc. All of this is carried out by me, so no particular expertise on type necessary.

If you do ultimately buy one however, might I suggest that you avoid the very early (and more expensive) models with the four - into - one throttle cable? This is not so much through carburettor synchronisation problems, as through product improvements that came with the K2 onward. 1972 - 1976 were probably the best years for reliability, in my view.

My riding friend has a CB1100 EX (2015) and my brother had the earlier model of this bike. One is sold, the other for sale, as they are just not the same as a true classic!

Thanks , useful words.
I'm also strongly considering a 2018 cb1100ex . I know they don't ride like the old ones but as I've ridden the old ones I won't know what I'm missing. A company in Japan does a kit for the CB called Whitehouse which is a full cosmetic overhaul to look like an early cb750 , check it out , it's a thing of beauty !

[coman37]

I bought a zephyr and a pinstripe kit as i cant afford/justify £10-15K for a Z1/Z900 etc, but its not a Z1, i know it, anyone who knows Z1's knows it, those that dont know Z1's dont care.

If you like Z1300's then buy it, dont look at it as an investment look on it as an indulgence, and yes you will spend more per mile maintaining its rideability than an imitation but deep down you'll know you have what your want.

Dont worry about mechanical breakdowns, these bikes were all over engineered/understressed as you couldn't go that fast.

You'll need a clutch at some stage (expected) you'll need chains and sprockets which are now better quality than the originals (oops no you wont ! Shaft) you may need a replacement regulator/rectifier (what doesn't !) you wont spend more than if you bought a Bandit/Diversion etc. be different

It may become a classic in time,(everything from the early 70s is on the rise RDs,GTs,KHs are all becoming unaffordable and incomplete bikes will take forever to be rideable)


So buy your late 70s/early 80s classic, ride it to bike meets, ride it to work on sunny days, just remember its not an R6 before you get to the corner/braking zone, enjoy it for what it is and the memories it brings

(Everyday i wish I hadn't sold my 1980 GSX 1100ET Harris pipe VGC for £1500, I didn't need the money, I didn't really need the space, every time i walked in the garage it put a smile on my face, wasn't fast(or i was too "respectful/scared" to go fast) it didn't handle but it was different to all the other bikes at the pub/bike event.

I wish i could tell you why a Z1 is £12k but a GSX 1100 or XS 1100 wont fetch £2k

Buy it, buy it buy it cos they dont come up often and if owned by a Kawasaki mech, im guessing he would have used all his staff discount to keep it A1

Colin

[Rynglieder]

The bike is a 79 a1.    Exhausts are not stock , not sure about the seat . TBH I'm not bothered about it being stock or all original, I'm happy with the way it looks . I just don't want to buy a mechanical lemon. I don't want to be six months in an having to strip down heads ect, I want to be able to use it through the summer. Maybe I should just settle on a modern retro and not have the constant worry and always listening for a problem when I'm riding the zed .

Understood - in that case have you thought about a Suzuki GSX1400 (no, you probably haven't!) A really under-rated bike I feel. It has that 80's styling but with an unbreakable engine, super smooth, loads or torque and fast enough for what you could want unless you spend your weekends on the race track.

They have not yet achieved classic status (and maybe never will, they were not a "flagship" bike in the manufacturers range) but this means you can pick one up for not much more than the cost of a day trip to Stavanger. There are loads of after market accessories still around so you can customise it to your hearts content.

Mine has done about 36,000 miles since I bought it in 2003 and other than tyres has cost me the price of new front discs, front wheel bearing and one battery.

My Brand Loyalty has always been with Kawasaki and this is the only other manufacturers bike I have purchased in 40 years, but if my life took a sudden turn for the worse and the bailiffs said they had to take three of my four bikes away I think the GSX is the one I would keep - it is the only one that does everything the other three can do.

Here's the bragging album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rynglieder/albums/72157649641434957

But as others have said, take your wallet where your heart leads you.

Pete.

[tapps]

another one worth a look at in my eyes would be a yamaha xjr 1300,i've had 2 in the past, the 1st was a 2002 carb version,my second was a 2008 fuel injected one,out of the two i preferred the non fuel injected one.a pal of mine has a Y reg one with 60K on the clock & it still pulls like a train.i done a p/x on the 2008 one,i done a p/x on that for a thruxton 900.although i'm happy with the thruxton,i still wish i had the xjr as well.if i was in need of a 3rd bike i would be looking at another xjr 1300.

[coman37]

Hi Tapps,

I dont know how to uploads maps etc but i can trump all those trips on a variety of bikes, i once did Monte Carlo in a weekend just for the hell of it(on a Fireblade)

I did Calais to Nurburgring on the Blade, ticked off the bucket list and no desire to do again.

Did the infamous B500 on the ZZR

Calais to Poland to Czech rep for Brno GP, on to Croatia, ferry to Ancona for the Vallelunga WSB/GP ?

Did Calais to Catalunya GP to Bologna Ducati museum, Lamborghini factory tour, San Marino WSBK, home via Aspen MotoGP for Rossi's 100th all on a ZZR 1400,

Calais tp Biarritz to Portimao for WSBK then did the whole south and east coast of Spain looking for a cheap apartment and the home through France.

Having completed on the apartment in 2013 i bought a Tiger 955 to keep in Spain so another very long trip 1700 miles to deliver to the apartment where it now lives

I think im done with the long Europe tours, i now fly to Malaga and blast round the dry sunny roads 2-3 times a year

Ps the Tiger played up so i took the GTR to Malaga, i now need to decide to keep the GTR or Tiger in Spain and will ship the other one home (by the time you factor in 2 nights (nice) hotel, 1700 miles of fuel and tyres, ferry and time there is not much in it )

In answer to the other comments, i have always liked the GSX1400 (especially the FE) and the XJR but not enough to want one. I will keep my fake Z900 as my alternative bikes as there is nothing else i want or need (if i had a garage and wallet like Leno i would have everything but i have to balance my life between work, dogs and family, i cant just jump on the bike on a sunny summer evening when the boys need walking etc

Coman

[zedmeister]

There were some very nice 70/80s bikes and many float my boat 2 in particular GT750 and Jota but now you need a lottery win to afford a good one. I once had a  ZRX1100 Lawson replica the only bike i wished i had never sold, there are a few on Bike trader now and they too fetch good money. One is up for £15,000!! absolutely ridiculous, however one will turn up that ticks all the boxes and i will have it.