Kawi2strokes.com Forum

I'm new here. I've been driving bikes most of my 57 year old life. My current ride is a 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650.

After a couple frame up, rotisserie, early 70's Porsche 914 restorations I decided it's time to try a bike.
Pictured below is the bike I found locally and is what I am going to restore. H1E with about 9000 miles on it.
Engine
Bike last ran 15 years ago and sat in a Ccan ever since. Cylinders oiled and engine turned over once a year. Cold compression between 175 psi and 180 psi. Planning on changing outside crankcase seals and polishing everything I can on the outside. Original exhaust seems pretty solid, no rust holes. Carbs will be torn down and cleaned.
Bodywork
Seems paint was stripped and bike painted with primer. Can't tell what the original colour was but I think I am going with Candy Lime Green?
Hoping to be able to find a matching base coat clear coat that will be close enough in colour. Do you know of one?
Gauges and Controls will be cleaned and repainted.
Frame - Going to strip bike down to the frame, clean and paint.
Shocks - Taken apart cleaned, polished and resealed.
Brakes - new pads/shoes, master cylinder needs to be rebuilt
Seat - will be recovered.
Bla bla bla I plan on cleaning and or replacing everything I can afford but want to keep the bike as original as possible.

I have a few questions to start with. Consider I never got to drive the bike before taking it apart.
What should I look for in terms of common wear items that I should look seriously at while I have it all apart?
With such good compression, should I tear down the engine or just change the end seals and try driving it?
[u]Paint - this is a big one.[/u]
In terms of resale value, how much value is lost if the paint isn't original. Candy (4 part coat system) vs (close enough)metallic green? (base coat Clear coat)???
Or worse, if it were painted (Candy original colour) with a '75 KZ Paint scheme and badging instead of an H1? I used to have a '75 KZ400 as a teen. Loved the colour and graphics.
Front fender, chrome vs paint?

Any other advise you can give me before I get too deep.

Thanks and looking forward to contributing to this Triples World.
Edit, changed from H1F to H1E after finding out the F in the H1F serial number was for frame..

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Doug
1977 Kawasaki KZ650 being restored
1968 Honda CB450 Hellcat restored
1981 KZ440C recently restored
1974 H1E Restored and sold
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650
2012 Polaris Sportsman
5 Good Months of Riding in my part of Canada

That sounds like a good project, but I'd add a crank rebuild if it's never been done. The chances of having good crank seals is just about zero. There are procedures on the resource site for checking the seals if you really think they could be OK. www.kawatriple.com

Also the compression is too high, so someone has been messing around with the combustion chambers somehow. You should get that down to save headaches in the future.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

I have no history on the bike so not sure about the crank.
What should the cold compression be? Maybe I should try my other compression tester as well.

_________________
Doug
1977 Kawasaki KZ650 being restored
1968 Honda CB450 Hellcat restored
1981 KZ440C recently restored
1974 H1E Restored and sold
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650
2012 Polaris Sportsman
5 Good Months of Riding in my part of Canada

140-145psi is what could be expected.
If paint & decals are not stock for the bike resale value will diminish.
A crank seal test will tell you about inner & outer seal condition.

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Answers are here: http://kawatriple.com/

The Kawasaki service manual is on that same resource site, and should answer a lot of questions about things like compression pressure. Also the "Triple Maintenance Manual" is there, and that's another good source of information.

Yes, a second opinion with another compression tester would be a good idea before you start machining combustion chambers.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

I just tried it again with another compression tester.
After 3 kicks about 150 psi.
After 6 kicks it creeps up to about 175psi.
Looks like I will open up the engine after all.

_________________
Doug
1977 Kawasaki KZ650 being restored
1968 Honda CB450 Hellcat restored
1981 KZ440C recently restored
1974 H1E Restored and sold
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650
2012 Polaris Sportsman
5 Good Months of Riding in my part of Canada

Even if the compression was within spec, the crank seal problem isn't something you can ignore unless you're doing a polish-and-flip "restoration". You know... the seller says "It's a little hard to start and it doesn't want to idle... it probably needs some Sea Foam in the gas."

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Outer crank seals were always going to happen. If you have seen my Porsche restorations, you'd know I'm not the polish and flip kind of guy.
I know the seller, he was straight up, he told me "I'd drive a few miles to the mine every year but then got a girlfriend who wouldn't let me drive it. It hasn't been run/started? for over 15 years."

_________________
Doug
1977 Kawasaki KZ650 being restored
1968 Honda CB450 Hellcat restored
1981 KZ440C recently restored
1974 H1E Restored and sold
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650
2012 Polaris Sportsman
5 Good Months of Riding in my part of Canada

The seals don't go bad from miles, they go bad from being nearly 50 years old.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Do yourself a favor and send the crank out for rebuilding. You will want to start with a solid foundation and the initial cost, while will be forgotten when you are finished and enjoying it.

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Jim
Atlanta, GA
1974 H1
1976 KZ400
1979 XS650 Cafe
1982 GPz750
2001 KZ1000P
1965 Mustang
1967 Triumph GT6
1976 Bronco
"If you didn't build it; it's not really yours"