I bought a barn find 1980s super bike and I'm going to restore it!

[@garyhorswill1761]

Just got to the end of the video and laughed when you said you're not doing it for a profit...anyone who restores bikes knows you do it for love not profit!!

[@AshRowland]

You watched it all the way to the end?? Never thought I'd do that well with a video 🤣

[@kawasakiaddiction6296]

Hi Ash. Over the last 6 years, I've restored a ZX9R C1, a ZX6R J1, and am currently sorting a ZZR600 E (2002). Your Channel popped up randomly on UTUBE and I wish you good luck with your Project. The satisfaction that comes with rescuing a survivor makes all of the brain trauma worth it.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks buddy, good luck with your current one too! I need to tidy my Thundercat up a bit too, but that can wait

[@uhtred7860]

Wow nice work, I’m 3 years into my 87 FZR 1000 restoration, some parts for these (the parts I need coincidentally 🙄) are getting hard to find, also living at the bottom of the world doesn’t help, shipping is often more than the part cost, but I’m close to finishing. Next up is my 86 GSX-R1100 but that will be much easier as it’s in pretty good condition.

[@SkyrayModels]

Had a few 900r's in the past, that rubber plate with the holes in it fits on top of the frame rails that meet up just behind the coils, the tank is meant to rest on it. The carbs are later heated items that Kawasaki had to fit due to carb icing issues. It will be much easier to remove the plugs with the cam cover off. Pitted cam lobes were common on some bikes of this age. Inlet tappets always seem to go tight, so check them. Make sure the oil filter has the plain shim washer that sits on the large spring, it can get tossed with the oil filter. There was a recall on the early bikes to replace the oil supply pipes that fed oil to the cam lobes, they should be around 6mm diameter thick instead of 4mm. I have a 86 GPZ1000RX that I am slowly restoring, not too bad condition wise and it runs well. Best of luck with the project.

[@AshRowland]

Amazing, loads of great tips there! Thank you.... The plate with holes in isn't rubber, it's metal

[@TLSnooker]

Some early bikes also suffered from excessive wear on the inlet valve heads. When you lift the cam cover you can see the available thread on the adjusters on the rocker arms

[@Lurch-Bot]

Carb icing issues on a motorcycle? Maybe this bike doesn't deserve the reputation. You make it sound like a piece of junk. I have actually never heard 'carb icing' outside an aviation context in all 42 years of my life. Just when you think you've heard it all...Makes my first year Honda V4 sound like a dream, pun intended. Bad enough to have to tune 4 carbs but then to have to worry about icing...

[@uhtred7860]

@@Lurch-BotIt’s a UK thing, and seems to have affected Kawasakis more than other brands, everyone has an opinion to why it happened, all different. Never heard of it happening here in NZ and the S Island has very similar climate to the UK.

[@MichaelGoodwin-q2j]

Best colour mate looking forward to the restoration

[@houseawesome]

Thanks

[@AshRowland]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much! This will go towards the bike restoration 😊

[@garyfallows1123]

Enjoyed the video, looking forward to following the resto, I have an 86 GPZ1000 RX in my hallway at home just for display, but then i don't have a partner to nag me 😂, good luck with everything

[@AshRowland]

My hallway isn't wide enought for the handle bars 🤣

[@garyhorswill1761]

Good luck with the restoration....make sure you get a set of JIS Screwdrivers and JIS bits for an impact driver. You'll have much more luck with not stripping the screw heads than you would if you go at them with a Philips / cross head screwdriver.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks for the top tip... I've just ordered a set having now done some research thanks to you and another subscriber... genuinely never heard of them before 🤣

[@peterkoning21]

That bike so impressed me that I had to have one in the day. I bought the 2nd one in our city. I totally loved it !! An incredible fantastic bike which I rode till it's demise. Fantastic bike !!!

[@Lurch-Bot]

My takeaway is that you destroyed a perfectly good GPZ900 and that's not something to brag about. Tom Cruise managed to ride one without wrecking and I bet that was no small feat. The only coordination actors have is roughly hitting that piece of tape their director put on the stage. Tom Cruise can't even do comedy and that's all about timing, just like riding a bike.

[@peterkoning21]

@@Lurch-Bot you have no idea what happened to the bike. Go & judge someone else, P !

[@uhtred7860]

@@Lurch-Bot How did he ruin it? 😂😂

[@matmiller5256]

Nice one. GPZ is cool, but man, You got a lot of work on that one. Admire you're enthusiasm. Wish you well !

[@AshRowland]

🤣 Thank you friend

[@WrenB111]

Now subscribed, following this old girl!

[@lawerncemiller6557]

I can see lots of evening an weekends spent tinkering with that bike but nothing a lot of us hasn't done

[@madmercian]

It was the gorgeous looks of the GPZ that finally got me in to riding bikes in the 80s. I'm looking forward to seeing you bring that beauty back to life. Good luck.

[@AshRowland]

You and me both!

[@patdwyer6274]

I have a 1986 one in my garage that I stripped down two years ago! I think that watching you will encourage me to get on with it. 🙂 Best of luck with the restoration!

[@AshRowland]

Thanks! I'll get it stripped down then I'll be at the same stage as you!

[@darrenwilliams5168]

Great project. Looking forward to seeing it come together.

[@AshRowland]

You and me both!

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Ginger Protection Zone...awesome!! Just binge watching all your GPz videos now that I've found your channel! I can't wait to see that puppy back on the road Ash!!

[@AshRowland]

Thanks Ken, great to chat to you yesterday!

[@KensWorldRestorations]

@@AshRowland you too my friend!

[@blacksmithsligo]

This was my dream bike as a teenager. Good luck with it. Looking forward to watching your journey with it.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks bud!

[@WheezyAK]

Would love one of these. I love 80s bikes! I’ve recently restored a ‘86 VFR750 which had been stored for 20 years on my dad’s garage. It was a lot of fun to get back on the road. Best of luck and looking forward to seeing your progress. If you haven’t already got one, It’s worth getting a proper workshop manual to help you with the rebuild.

[@AshRowland]

Manual is on the way :)

[@Synfulz]

I bought a new GPz 550 in 1981. It was such a fun bike. Good luck on the resto.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks 👍

[@mattsta1964]

Great project. It's all there, 100% original

[@AshRowland]

Seems to be!

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Good luck with the project.I actually won a restored ' 88 GPZ 900R in red/black , as a raffle prize at a motorcycle show but when it was 10 years old.There were minor gremlins to sort but eventually turned into a phenominally powerful , impressive bike.Sold it to a mate at a knocked-down price and after several years he sold it for an immense profit !.Look forward to viewing progress on yours.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks Roger, thats a great story, lucky you!

[@chrismurphy4724]

Thoroughly enjoyed that precursor. I will be watching this series avidly as I have a couple of 900r projects to start, thankfully in better condition, good luck in your endeavors

[@AshRowland]

Thank you Chris, you've got quite a few videos to catch up on 😃

[@TopGun69]

I owned a GPZ900R for several years ! It was a beauty 😍 ❤️

[@imoldgreg13]

Excited to see this restoration.

[@AshRowland]

Excited to do it!

[@phatphil33]

Can’t wait to see you progress with this beast,I’ve just been tickling a 1990 Kawasaki ZZR1100 over the winter months

[@therealslimshady4555]

❤same as my gpz900r you are a very brave man tackling that. 😂

[@AshRowland]

Thanks mate, it's going to take me a while! 😂

[@therealslimshady4555]

I'll be watching mate 👌 👍

[@phillipparkinson7145]

Love them old bikes. Found your channel by mistake. Stay for content. Subscribed. Now for next parts/episode.

[@AshRowland]

A good mistake I hope 😃 Thanks for watching!

[@phillipparkinson7145]

@@AshRowland he did similar gpz

[@kawaking7]

Great bike , well worth showing it some love and bringing the old girl back to life again ❤. As mentioned earlier , invest in a set of JIS screwdrivers before you take anything off . Good luck, my friend.

[@AshRowland]

Already on order 😃

[@Seemecarping]

Subscribed, look forward to seeing her back to life, good luck 👌

[@AshRowland]

Much appreciated 😃

[@stuartshaw5880]

Nice one, looking for one of these myself.

[@therealslimshady4555]

I'll sell you a minter

[@stuartshaw5880]

I am looking for a restoration project.

[@chrismurphy4724]

I have a couple of project 900s if you are interested

[@TLSnooker]

Ash, that's a very original bike! Those original silencers are no longer available and are very desirable. It looks like you also have a set of Motad Neta stainless steel headers. The fuse box is under the left hand side panel. One tip; a lot of the cross head screws are jis not Philips, so you'll need a set of jis screwdrivers. And Tom Cruise did ride one in the second Top Gun! Good lLuck

[@AshRowland]

Thanks for the fuse box location, left as you look at the front of the bike or left when you're sitting on it? I'll check the exhaust out... I've just ordered a set of Jis screwdrivers having now done some research thanks to you and another subscriber... genuinely never heard of them before 🤣

[@TLSnooker]

@@AshRowland No, your left as you sit on the bike. Using Philips drivers on JIS screws caused so much pain in the 70s! You can use jis drivers on a Philip screw, but never, ever the other way round!

[@jbcXR]

Ash, I love it and it looks all original, looking forward to you bringing it back to it's full glory, it really needs some TLC .....👍👌

[@AshRowland]

Thanks! I'm so excited about it to be honest!

[@PeterMitchell-s5t]

Remember being at brands hatch race track, the weekend these bikes were launched, and they were on the track. They fly!!😊

[@AshRowland]

I'm a bit far off getting it round Brands Hatch, but maybe one day 😊

[@uhtred7860]

Yeah, they were/are quick, I remember them in production racing down here in the Antipodes, they were a good 10km faster than the Honda VF1000s, but they suffered from over heating in the heat in Australia, teams would be trying to cool the radiator with fire extinguishers during the pit stops, and they would chew through brake pads in the longer endurance races like the Castrol 6 hour

[@coplandjason]

Great project bike and well worth doing a proper job on it. That strange looking lock is very likely for the alarm (looks like a NixPix lock). Hope to see more of this project. I just bought a 1987 GPZ 1000RX - cousin of your bike, it's also a project bike :-)

[@AshRowland]

Yea, I think it's wired to it, I need to take the back panel off to check it out properly... next job is to sort that alarm out anyway, Its a shame they'll be a hole if I remove it, or a redundant lock if I don't 🤣

[@millarfamily2474]

Wow! Much respect - That's absolutely awesome! I'm really looking forward to this. I'm up to my eyes in plumbing & electrics at the mo., so this is going to be a great diversion! - Really pleased for you, Ash, hope it goes well and doesn't cost a fortune 😁

[@AshRowland]

Haha, oh, it's definitely going to cost a fortune 🤣 I feel for you with the plumbing, I spent the entirety of Monday unblocking a drain... I hate plumbing 🤣

[@Unglandshire]

Hi Ash, I am on my fifth Gpz900R restoration at the moment, got the bug a few years ago when I was looking for a bike project having bought a brand new 900R in 1984 when they first came out. Your bike is in better condition than any I started as yours is almost complete. Speak with Sean Jones as he supplies pretty much all my parts and if you need any help just drop me a line.....Jim KERR.

[@AshRowland]

no way, you bought one in 84? thats awesome!

[@uhtred7860]

I tried to buy one here in NZ when I was 16, we could get our licence at 15 back then and I had KR250 2 stroke as my first bike, then a VF 500 that I was knocked off. Went to the Kawasaki dealer that had sold me all my bikes with the insurance money and saw a blue/silver GPZ900R (didn’t call them “Ninjas” here) but the boss wouldn’t sell it to me, said my mum would kill him if he did😂😂 but he did let me buy a very nice, new GPz 750 unitrak . 😀

[@peterferryman4905]

My at the time favourite bike, would love to have helped out 😊👍😊

[@AshRowland]

It's coming along now, just waiting for front fork stanctions

[@Theshed12]

Hello from Texas sir, just picked up a 2001 zrx1200r to accompany my 1985 honda nighthawk 700s, love the videos

[@AshRowland]

Hi! Thanks for watching, I'm glad you're enjoying them 😃

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Drooled after one in bright red when they came out, but the horsepower wars moved things on really fast! Ended up buying an FJ1100 instead which had more grunt and for me was more the more comfortable ride but the gpz was more popular until bikes like the early slab side gsxr and fzr1000 came out. Early 90’s saw all of these bikes made redundant by the first Fireblade. Pretty awsome being a biker in the 90’s!

[@AshRowland]

The oldest I was in the 90s was 13 🤣

[@jamespearce8201]

I will be very interested to see how this restoration progresses.I bought a C plate in 1988 &owned it for a few years, Good luck !

[@AshRowland]

Thank you! I'll tell you now how it's going to progress... slowly 🤣

[@paulwhelan2140]

I had one back in the 80s, the exact same colour wish I still had it.

[@AshRowland]

Blue and Silver and Rusty? 🤣

[@paulwhelan2140]

🤣🤣🤣

[@therealslimshady4555]

Do you want to buy a mint one?

[@samh3145]

Best of luck Ash, if you get stuck for parts, the 900R shared a lot of components with other Kawasakis of the time, so don't just look for 900R if it's something that was common to other models, the bodywork and exhausts are your bikes best assets at the moment, make sure you drain the sump before any attempt to start the bike, just in case its been hyrdolocked previously, centre stands can be weak if they've rusted badly, make sure to split open fuse box to check the internal copper strips are sound, gonna be a lot of work and fun!!

[@AshRowland]

Some top tips there! Thanks mate

[@twowheelsoneleg5672]

Watching with interest, I'm on my third. That example looks fairly complete. They can run hot and a common mod is to fit a different thermostat and/or fan override switch. Solid original exhaust is a real find

[@AshRowland]

Yea, I'll most definitely be fitting an additional manual switch for the fan

[@nickbetts2244]

Good luck Ash. Plod away at it and it'll all be OK in the end 👍

[@AshRowland]

Thanks, there's no rush, right? 🤣

[@lyndonevans8033]

Had same colour one in the 80’s, great bike, fuse box is behind side panel if you’ve already not found it.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks for the info!

[@robertmaitland09]

Wow, I had an A2 same colours as yours back in the day, sadly written off on the M1, luckily I only broke my foot. They are amazing bikes,I'll be watching your progress avidly.

[@AshRowland]

Sad to hear about the accident, but glad you got away with just the foot!

[@therealslimshady4555]

Want to buy a mint one?

[@TheGhosty66]

Fair play to you for saving a classic bike...

[@AshRowland]

Thanks buddy... someone pointed out in the comments that it seems to have the later carbs that were fitted to prevent the icing... I'm not sure, I'll get a better look when I take them off

[@VeganGorilla555]

My first bike was a '82 GPZ550, I bought it as a basket case and rebuilt it myself. 😁

[@AshRowland]

Good to see I'm not the only one 🤣

[@Lurch-Bot]

I have an '82 VF750S I am hoping to get to this year. It can be a lot of work bringing an old bike back to life but always worth it. There's a barn find out there for everyone. You just have to get out there and find it. I paid $100 for my Honda. It is from the first year of production. They can go for $30k fully restored but I'd never let it go. I'd feel the same about this GPZ900. It would be mine for life. You might even have to bury me with it. I'm still driving a 23 year old VW GLX. It will be a sad day when I have to retire it from daily use but then the first time I race it in a rally will be pretty special and that won't happen as long as it is my daily drive. My Honda has one of the first examples of an anti-dive fork on a production bike. It also may be the first example of an equal length shaft drive, which eliminated the shaft jacking which plagued earlier shaft drive bikes. The whole thing is basically just a production version of their contemporary racing bikes. The GPZ900 used a much more simplistic version of the anti-dive concept. Honda TRAC involved some complexity in the front brake system; Kawasaki and Suzuki just arbitrarily closed a valve in the fork when you pulled the brake lever. Honda's system used a pivoting brake caliper, the motion of which closed a valve. This made the Honda system self regulating. The harder you braked, the more the damping was increased. These days, the anti-dive function is incorporated into the fork sliders (which is better than what you have on the GPZ but actually inferior to the TRAC system), though there are more complex electronic systems too which are better than anything else. Franky, I'm surprised we even still use forks and that fact is why I won't waste my money buying a modern bike. It really just means added complexity, more headaches and a less reliable machine, while the basic configuration, function and handling is still the same as it was 40 years ago. If you need ABS and traction control, you shouldn't be on a bike in the first place. I wrecked a nearly new Africa Twin a few years ago because of Honda's horrible placement of their traction control mode selector switch. I did a jump and then I looped the bike because I thought it was still set like I set it when I got on the bike but it had actually been toggled to the 'OFF' position when I landed. More of a liability than anything. You literally just have to grip the bars firmly and you hit the switch. It is like a trigger and much too sensitive. Should have been on the instrument cluster. So even the best manufacturer in the history of motorcycling doesn't know what they're doing these days.

[@AshRowland]

What a great comment, thanks for the stories and information, very interesting 😃

[@johntracy2861]

Nice find of a bike! I recently joined the Kawi Club with a 2004 GTR1000, or here in the US, ZG1000 Concours. It was also a non runner, complete bike with all luggage for $1250 USD. I have put about $600 in it so far and it is a dang fun motorcycle to ride. BTW, had it running the first weekend with a basic carb cleaning!

[@AshRowland]

Brilliant, well done sir! I love it when things like that work out

[@whitedrguy6503]

Now that takes me back, I bought one new in 86, what a beast of a bike, sold it in 1990 with 64,000 klms on the clock, wanted something lighter and bought a ZZR 600. They don’t make a lot of power down low but have a great top end, the step up in power is quite noticeable. They just cruise along at 100 mph, which was pretty impressive back in the day, considering 115 Hp was impressive back then but very pedestrian now. 👍👍👍👍

[@AshRowland]

When I was 19 I had a Ford Escort with 115 Hp and I thought that was quick 🤣 I'm not a massive fan of unexpected wheelie times so happy with less power low down 🤣

[@alanblack9540]

Hi Ash. New subscriber today. Your videos popped up in my feed and i absolutely love these iconic machines. Have watched a few bike restoration projects on youtube. Theres a guy in the states who restored one a couple of years back who had some great ideas when he came to usual dead ends that go hand in hand with these restoration orojects. Ronald Finger (not an innuendo i assure you). Well worth a look!! Will be watching with dedicated interest. Thanks for your efforts.

[@AshRowland]

Thank you, It'll be a long road for me I think lol ... I'll check him out

[@talltom1129]

BTW, if you make a mix of dexron trans fluid and acetone equal parts, you'll have made an incredible penetrating fluid way better than wd40

[@AshRowland]

Sounds sketchy but I might give it a go 🤣

[@grahamclowes2988]

The bike that rewrote the book fast stable handled and stopped brilliant bike loved mine,enjoy 👍😊

[@AshRowland]

Didn't see that on the list of fastest production bikes 😃

[@dieterich6533]

You had me rolling 😂🤣 at “My mint condition” lol guess you can crack open a beer, and call it a day. Nothing to do here 😜

[@AshRowland]

🤣

[@peterhewson4568]

Good luck with the rebuild. I'm just coming to the end of my nut and bolt restoration of my GPZ900R A1. As you said, there's nothing on these that can't be sorted. (Although, you'll be lucky to find an original UK spec rear mudguard!)

[@AshRowland]

Yea, I haven't even started sourcing parts yet

[@colinculverwell325]

Looks like a good project. Mostly all there. The tank don't look too bad either. Those tyres are Comp K. They were cutting edge stuff back then. I'd try and get a factory Kawasaki manual if you can. So much better than Haynes ones. As someone else said these bikes share a lot of parts with other models of the time. I think the later gpz1000 was very similar as well. Looking forward to following your progress. Good luck.

[@AshRowland]

Thank you very much! I've got a couple of subscribers sending me various manuals so hopefully I'll have what I need soon 😊

[@inout3513]

Love all bikes from the 80s, and early 90s.... My absolute favourite bike of all time is the z1300

[@AshRowland]

I definitely have a soft spot for older bikes!

[@mcycleshawn]

Nice find brother! Greetings! Doing the same in the USA!

[@AshRowland]

Amazing, good luck with it 😃 are you making KZbin videos out of it?

[@mcycleshawn]

@@AshRowland so many bikes, so little time. Lol I have videos on many bikes. Have to document the journey!

[@chrisjeffries8167]

Wow now that’s a blast from the past Ash !! I had a Suzuki X7 250 when I was in my 20s that was the fastest 250 in my day mate there is or was a place in Newport who had all old bike parts I am sure there was a GPZ restored there so give them a look up

[@AshRowland]

Wicked, thanks Chirs, I'll check them out

[@billhambelton7698]

Was picking up my 'C' reg FZ750 in 1986.

[@cabbage64]

Good luck!

[@sjk8273]

I purchased a red/silver A2 in '86 from Freddie Maye's in Cambridge, trading in my GSX1100E. I still have the receipt, but the bike is long since gone. I now have a Z900RS which TBH is almost certainly a better bike in any given measurable apart from top end (I once saw an indicated 155mph on a deserted M3) and wind protection. My GPZ also suffered horribly from carb' icing in cold weather and the paintwork was very thin. Anyway, you're a braver man than I to take on that project, but look forward to following your progress. Good luck!!

[@AshRowland]

Thanks buddy... someone pointed out that I seem to have the later carbs fitted by Kawasaki to help prevent icing, I'll find out more when I remove them

[@antbailey2648]

nice mate looking forward to this did my ringtone inspire you 😂

[@AshRowland]

It helped me make the final decision to he honest mate

[@richstevens5767]

She is Beautiful. She deserves Your love & attention which I believe She will definitely get. The fact that She turned over is great. Good luck & look forward to following Your progress.

[@jonsharman6853]

Are you talking about his wife or the bike 🤔

[@chrismatheson2561]

Im subed. Looking forward to this resto.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks buddy! It genuinely always means a lot when someone enjoys my videos 😃

[@jjcale1976]

I love old Japan🏍️

[@denislemelin7653]

Nice ! Cheers

[@oracensor5607]

Ash just seen your content brilliant looking forward to the 900R restoration, and the alarm keep it if you can ??? it’s part of the bike from its time a bit history of just how treasured the bike was to it owner.

[@AshRowland]

I would actually love to keep it but I don't have a fob or key for it or anything unfortunately... I will test the siren in the next video though

[@levelflightvideo]

Fuel tank and carb slide are the biggest issue with these.

[@funguseater40]

Looking forward to this series... should be interesting! I've seen a lot worse fuel tanks. I've just got back on the road an XTZ 750 Yamaha (1992) that was laid up for 12 years, now my go-to bike. Very satisfying... Subscribed 👍

[@AshRowland]

Nice! Yea, I'm going to take a crack at the tank (hopefully not literally) next week some time

[@simonwarren7378]

Hi, wondered if this was my old bike that I sold in 1992 but wrong reg mine was D reg. Good luck, I'm going to follow this, fantastic bike. I left the country otherwise I would have kept it much longer 😢

[@AshRowland]

Thanks! I'm really hoping one of the previous owners sees it and gets in touch, I'd love to know it's history

[@bartbug1]

Your lady is definitely a keeper.

[@AshRowland]

Definitely!

[@Dozer67]

Allegedly, the GPZ900R is the only bike to be reintroduced due to popular demand? Apparently so many folk were going into bike dealerships looking for new GPZ900R's. That Kawasaki finally reintroduced them to the UK market. I purchased one in 1995 on an N plate. In gorgeous black & gold 😍

[@AshRowland]

Very interesting!

[@jonathanstyles5033]

The very best of luck with your project, another 80s icon saved. One small point of interest, in 1986, Suzuki's GSX-R1100 deposed the GPZ900 with a top speed of 160mph, allegedly.👍

[@AshRowland]

Thank you... mmm... a couple of people have suggested this... I was born in June so we need to find the exact launch date of the GSX-R1100 to see if it was released before I was 🤣

[@maltejuergensen2118]

I would put that original key aside - get 2 or 3 new keys cut and test locks with those …. Before it snaps ..

[@AshRowland]

Haha yea I thought that too! I'll get right on it

[@shaunhardie6077]

Totally agree about the key, as genuine keys with the GPZ logo are unobtanium.

[@talltom1129]

Super excited to see Kawasaki content! I have a dozen old Kawis that I want to tinker with in my upcoming retirement, so I watch all the Kawasaki videos I can find. You might want to check out Ronald Finger, he has a whole series of videos on his kz900. Seeing stuff before you touch it may boost your confidence. I'm now subscribed and hit the bell for all notifications, so am looking forward to your next upload!

[@AshRowland]

Thank you, I'll check him out. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos 😃

[@mikelsay693]

Good luck ,the anti dive forks are a pain in the ass to sevice if bolts are seized and getting replacement parts .im from the 70s , ive restored a few bikes over the years , i restored a yzf600 thundercat , spent more than it was worth and had many problems along the way and found alot of new aftermarket replacement parts was total garbage so used yamaha main dealer for genuine parts that fit and work . I had a misfire after i finished my restore and replaced most of the electrical system and did many carb rebuilds. I gave up after a main dealer coudnt find the fault and i sold it for less than i bought it for , big learning curve for me, lots of swearing along the way . I had fun in the end when finished and seeing the end result restoring and i think thats why we all do this not to make a profit . I currently ride a fz6 s2 which i did a 3month overhaul . All the best and look forward to your next vid 🏍💨👍

[@AshRowland]

Thanks so much mate, I have a Thundercat that I rescued from someone's garden, it had been sat there for a year. I stripped the carbs down to the very last screw, then rebuilt and balanced them. I found that the eBay carb rebuild kit didn't fit at all! It's very tatty, faded paint, a tad rusty and It struggles to start sometimes but man I love riding that bike!

[@mikelsay693]

I agree it as a fab bike good power , i put bar risers and mirror exstenders on which made a huge difference , I did find that yambits and wemoto carb kits o rings to be on small side than orignal which caused leaks from the mixture screws and bowls , i ended up going to yamaha main dealer to purchase parts individualy which solved the leaking issue as realy u only need to to purchase the parts that are knackered. Looking forward to your awsome rebuild , some of the parts try the main dealer but hopfully u will be able to save and refurb the parts ,i tended not to powder coat everything , i used simoz tough satin spray black which worked fab on yzf wheels etc and my fz6 . You defently have a very patient understanding partner/wife , mine cant stand bikes 😂

[@AshRowland]

One of the bikes on the drive is her SV650 lol @@mikelsay693

[@mikelsay693]

Nice bike sv650 is it the mk1 model with box type frame. I had a cow boy mod wiring looom on my yzf600 when i bought it with crap alarm not fitted properly which i removed and had to re soilder the three stator wires as plug had melted , i think if i did it again i would buy another un modified loom just to see what plugs and colours was used and u could use part of loom to repair the existing one . As u r doing a complete strip and powder coat of the frame its the best time to do a complete check of the wiring . I bet the list is going to long for parts. I did a short video on my channel on my fz6 and yzf . All the best 🏍💨👍

[@AshRowland]

@@mikelsay693 yea, it's a MK1 2000 model, the one in my banner picture on my channel homepage 😊 my Thundercat needed coils, stator, carbs and plugs when I got it lol

[@mutevibesgaming8616]

I used to have an 93 GPX600R as a project. I still have some parts like the airbox and some proper rubbers for it. i think i also have a fuse box if you may need it. I recon the GPX and GPZ share a lot of parts since it was only the panel shapes that were slightly different

[@AshRowland]

Thanks mate, fuse box is all good as you'll see in an upcoming video 😃

[@grahamjohnson7934]

i wish you good luck ash . i wish i still had my gpz900r. i have to subscribe

[@AshRowland]

Thank you, very much appreciated 😃

[@tomBarnes-z5z]

good luck m8

[@AshRowland]

Thanks pal!

[@briankidd44]

All the best bikes where made in the 80s. Good luck with the GPZ.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks pal, I completely agree

[@peteramberley9952]

Nah 70s

[@dieterich6533]

I got an idea, hear me out. Get some harpic toilet bowl cleaner, and soak all the crusty parts with a few bottles, and let it sit overnight, then wash it off in the morning. The hydrochloric acid will dissolve the oxidation and you might have a cleaner surface to work on.

[@AshRowland]

I'll give it a go!

[@phillbullen3776]

I had an A1. Purchased brand new. The fifth one to be sold in Brum. Had a recall to fix a carb issue to stop twisting of rubbers in carb tops. Also steering head bearings failed and were replaced under warrenty. not sure if A2 was affected.

[@AshRowland]

Not sure but I'll be replacing them anyway 😃

[@firestorm755]

Your good lady looked less than impressed when she saw it😂 it'll be a great bike at the end. Total strip right down to frame. 1985? I had a cb900 that I totally re built. I feel old now.

[@AshRowland]

🤣

[@cp00078]

Damn that girl roasted him. Said the bike wasn't beautiful and old when its the same year he is. You're not old and you (probably) look spectacular! Dont let women tell you otherwise, they're just jealous.

[@AshRowland]

Lol she's only kidding, thanks though 😊

[@inout3513]

Looks like a seat catch

[@georgeday5901]

My GPz 400r had drain holes in head to drain the water ,check your heads .

[@leegr3732]

Have you any storage for the bikes? A garage etc?

[@AshRowland]

Erm.... nope 🤣

[@leegr3732]

@@AshRowland well you are spending quality time on the bikes, missus doesn’t mind, all good, mine has been in the garage for years and not been out 😓

[@AshRowland]

@@leegr3732 I have the added advantage of Kate riding too, she uses hers more than I do!

[@ekspatriat]

You need to do a complete strip and rebuild...including the engine...with vapour blasting....powder coating.....all seals gaskets and bearings. Less than that is a waste of time. The bike is old enough to require it all unless it's a 'KZbin special'

[@AshRowland]

I completely agree

[@jeffatkinson690]

Looking forward to this, Im not here to take the pi55 mate but WD40 is not penetrating fluid, get PlusGas and use at least the day before you attempt to undo anything you suspect is frozen/corroded, heat is also your friend, good luck.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks, I'll try and get some 😃

[@teabrake2562]

Hi Ash, I’ve a genuine Kawasaki GPz900R Service Manual from when I had my first one back in 1988 if you need any scans.

[@AshRowland]

Thanks mate, @gassit sent me a service manual already but many thanks for your offer 😄

[@jeremyfisher9915]

Good luck. The lines of the bike, style still look the business today. Very proud to have owned same model 91/92. Look forward to watching your progress.

[@slewisedwards]

Following with interest! Thats one hell of a project. Is your intention to just turn it into a runner, or a full resto ?

[@AshRowland]

Full restoration, it's going to take me a while though!

[@slewisedwards]

@@AshRowland Wonderful ! I'm sure you're aware though, these lovely old ladies are money pits 😕 Really hope that tank is solid, they're like flying unicorns.

[@michaeljackson5914]

Nice

[@josemiguelgarciamercader2225]

Impresionante moto preciosa espero verla terminar.😀👍♥️♥️🇪🇦

[@AshRowland]

"Impressive beautiful bike I hope to see it finished" Don't worry, you will, it'll take a while though 🤣

[@GardeningGirl-96]

rear seat catch ?

[@AshRowland]

Maybe but that seems to clip in ok

[@gerrydunne8768]

looks like the hold down for the fuel tank

[@AshRowland]

A few people have said that but apparently that part is rubber and the part I have is metal

[@vlratcliffe1]

Just started to watch this i love this bike my love of top gun .before you start (too late now ) get another set keys cut before you start trying to open stiff locks and use stuff with silicon in it NOT wd40 as its not good .unlocks things but then clogs up again silicon lub stuff is better gt or rocket is good

[@AshRowland]

Thanks buddy, since this I've been using a special WD penetrative variant

[@vlratcliffe1]

@@AshRowland iv never used wd since I found out its not that good .don't get me wrong it's great for open stuck stuff but once it's open it get stuck even worse after . It's fish oils aaggg lol .your in cardiff me too . I'm just about to rebuild a cb750fn P reg . Iv had wheels frame swing arm so all powerd coated .so I'm starting in the next few days to build it back up .I need to carbs cleaned an painted like yours .any one you know can do that . Cheers

[@nickwelch5267]

Hi , that's part of a gate latch.

[@AshRowland]

Haha, probably!

[@unggulmardiatmo9153]

I see this bike when i watching top gun

[@AshRowland]

That's the one... different colours though

[@petermaynard4178]

that's the battery box not fuse box good idea to join GPZ 900r owners club for info etc and any parts from Sean Jones of this parish

[@AshRowland]

Great idea!