I would never have guessed watching a mechanic doing budget rebuilds on dead motorcycles could be so entertaining.

That's a KZ1000J2, highly collectible and worth a lot of money. It was the platform for the 1000 Eddie Lawson replica. It was never used on CHiPs TV show... those were the KZ 900 and KZ 1000 C1 and C2 models, completely different bikes. Remove the fairing, sissy bar, crash bars and those goofy hand grips, and restore it to stock form. That bike absolutely deserves it! I hope you know what you have there, they only made it for 2 years.

I’ve got to say you’ve become one of my favourite channels to watch. So glad that you left bikes and beards and started your own channel, way better content. Keep up the good work both of you.

A friend of mine had one of those and it was wicked fast. You do a really good job of narrowing down issues. Very methodical. A lot of people overlook the obvious things.

Wrong, O Bearded One - it's "You MEET the nicest people on a Honda"!

I bought a brand new 1979 KZ 1000 LTD in 1980. Great bike. I put a Pacifico Shadow Classics fairing. Road it for 5 years and then got married. Anyway, my dad liked mine so much he bought a 1980 KZ100 LTD. He put the windjammer fairing on his. He sold his when I sold mine. Good times. You always bring back the best memories. Thank you.

15:46 You MEET the nicest people on a Honda. It's called a banjo bold because it goes in to a banjo fitting, that looks a little like a banjo.

I love seeing more of the restoration process! You mostly just show you getting them running (which is great) but you give great tips on everything else too!

Man I tell ya there's very few channels where I can sit a full half hour without skipping through it. Cleet cboys Steve Wallis bikes and beards rc sparks, and you especially you cause I'm not only learning. You also make me laugh, and you do that quite often. Like gootentight. I would have never known that was German for tight lmfaoooooooo. Keep it up Craig you are rocking.

Craig always shocks himself because he's so grounded.

Craig, always a pleasure watching you work. A gold mine awaits you if you’ll set up a shop in Dallas Texas. You’d be the only one here that is knowledgeable, isn’t lazy and has a good attitude towards life and people.

I like that you cleaned the bike up beforehand. 👍👍👍

Every time Im about to get work done, one of these videos pops up. Thatnks for contributing to my procrastination

I just made a video about fixing the sight glass on master cylinders. The replacements are cheap online, or if you're in a bind a US dime fits almost perfectly to get you going in the meantime!

Those air cut-off valves are a future problem waiting to happen and can be deleted with a small piece of rubber cut to block the pin hole. Only thing they do is prevent intentional off throttle pops/bangs Today's parts will always fail within a year and OEM ones are $100+ for a set of 4 carbs.

We had these KZ1000 in our motor fleet when I was a cop. Great bikes but they were known to go through cam chains often...Good Video...Thanks!

I admire the fact you owned up to making a genuine mistake when you broke the brake fluid level sight glass. 👍😉

It's nice to see a mechanic actually be a mechanic, instead of the video being turned into a rock slo-mo video.

I love the more in-depth videos like this. Sure getting the engine to run is cool and exciting, however a deeper look into other systems like the brakes helps show all the things that go into a running and safe bike.

Currently have a 83 KZ1100 in garage now. Love it

im glad Dan participates instead of just being a silent camera man, he's funny!

It's called a banjo bolt, because it goes into the fitting calleda banjo, because the fitting resembles a banjo 👍

I love that I can watch a motorcycle channel that is clean. No foul language or jokes, etc. I loved watching chips when I was a kid! Seeing this bike brought back a lot of memories! Looking forward to seeing it run!

Yay. It's Friday. My buddy was all over these back in the 80's. He finally got one and it's all he talked about, lol. I didn't get it at the time. All I cared about back then were my two-stroke road bikes. But watching this decades later and now I get it. That thing is awesome. Another good one here. 👍 Cheers!

Nice haircut Craig! Keep em coming

This starts to be motorcycle vice grip garage and i love it!

I really liked the joke about omelets and your exhaust.. which had me thinking... maybe you should consider making an episode about cooking.. omelets or burgers.. dont know why, but for some reason many of us seem to really like the way you tell things...and do things.. it would be interesting to find out if that screen appeal applies to everything you do.. You are a very likeable guy.. the backbone of america kind of guy... keep the videos coming.. I really like them.. thanks for all the lessons so far and the future ones as well.

you are awesome man, I love 80s 2 stroke bikes and that is what you have in plenty in your videos

There no unfixable bike, there's only cheap and expensive repair..

Please take all the cruising crap off that poor bike and return it to street screamer. Throw on a 4-1 header and some pod filters and it will be what it should be, a hot bike. Reminds me of the Kawasaki H2 750 that I picked up that was dressed up like this. It’s a crime.

Minimal repair is most practical for cost benefit ratio, going through old bikes rebuilding everything before knowing if the whole thing is worth it afterwards, or a cost without benefit, is very entertaining.

Another great video! You guys are knocking it out of the park! The back and forth between you and Dan is priceless! Go Bearded Mechanic, keep moving forward!

I know its friday when Craig drops another banger

Hello from Wales! First visit to the channel - enjoyed the video! Over my 40+ years riding, I had several big Zeds - Z1000H, Z1000ST, Z1100 - all great bikes. Removing and refitting carbs - especially the CV units - isn't the easiest task - you can't get the airbox back in if you fit the carbs with it removed. If it helps you - this is how i used to do it:. The effects of time and heat makes the rubber ducts from the airbox to the carbs harden, making them difficult to squeeze the carbs out. Ideally, consider replacing them: NOS parts are unlikely to be available now - the last time I did a Z1100 I managed to get some 3rd party Japanese made replacements which fitted well. If you can't replace them (or even with new rubbers), you'll find that warming them up to just past hand hot with a hairdryer or heat gun will make them much more pliable and easier to get over the mouths of the carbs. Push the carbs into the rubber manifolds on the head first - and when they're fully seated, tighten the clamps - it stops them trying to escape while you fight with the intake rubbers.

I worked at Vetter Fairing Company in 1977 when that fairing came down the line. There was a terrible fire in January 1977 that destroyed half the building. Luckily, a large piece of roofing fell over the Windjammer SS mold and saved it. Craig Vetter was cranking out 425 fairings a day by April when I came along. His brother, Bruce, made the soft tanneau covers and assorted bags. Both walked away millionaires in the early 80's.

The dynamic's of you and Dan are spot on. This is my favorite KZfaq channel. Love my VTX Honda and would love to see a video of you too working on one. Thanks for all the great videos.

I grew up around these bikes! I had a '79 GS750 and a GS1000 and a'84 GPZ550! Fun/fast bikes👍🔥

Sweet! Another video!

I just rewired one of those vetter fairings last year. Those things make any bike a touring bike. Id find some vetter saddlebags since it looks like the mounts are there and have yourself a quick, 40+ year old bagger.

I love this channel! I was so glad that he started this with Sean moving (bailing). lol jk. But they both are very entertaining and together are even better! Yea, I'm requesting future collaborations

I bought one in 1981 it came in boxes and milk crates. I was riding it the very next morning. It had way more get up and go than it did stop. And is zero brakes when it got wet. Thank God I live in Arizona

I absolutely love these videos.. I've been binge watching older older ones from this channels inception. Thanks for making these. I can't wait to see the bike in one piece!

you got your, side walls shaved. Looking good, Craig. More, BRAP.. brap.. braaaaaaap ! Lets GO !

Your answer to the Honda commercial slogan that put Honda on the map' was close but not quite right. You said " you FIND the nicest people on a Honda", but, the correct slogan was " You MEET the nicest people on a Honda". Sorry too be so damn picky. but, if we're doing it, let's do it right. being A BIG Honda FAN, 3-350 motorsports and 2 Goldwing's, 1 Goldwing trike, I use this slogan on all my Harley riding buddies. P.S. I love your videos as your talents remind me so much of a technician that worked at our local Yamaha, Kawasaki, Ducati dealership in Fairfield, iA. Keep up the good work. Also love to watch Sean's videos. Thank you guys

Just a few years ago the KZ and the old Z1 were largely forgotten. My dad sold his 75 Z1 for 3500 in 2009 (I still haven’t gotten over that) now the prices on these things in good shape is going crazy. I’ve seen z1’s pushing 20k and the 70s kz900s and 1000s pulling 6-8k easily

The two black plugs could indicate a faulty ignition coil, even when it works when cold.

Definitely the right bike to spend time getting running again!

I like your shows and i am from south Africa

Great job on this video. Thoroughly entertaining AND informative. So easy to watch. Keep 'em coming. Your channel is definitely one of my favorites.

i have been waiting for a new video for so long

Very impressed with your work you seem to go through everything I would rather spend a little more and have it fixed right

Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and light hearted humor

My new favorite channel. Thanks for explaining as you go. Love ya’lls chemistry too. Good guys.

These early J models were famous for twisting crankshafts. I have changed my share. Kawasaki would make us put a punch mark next to the engine serial number to indicate the upgraded crank. If you raced one, you would send the crank out and have it welded. I absolutely love what you guys do. Thanks for sharing

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Finally somebody that washes a bike before they start to work on it. I can breathe now.😂

I had a similar year cop bike. I road it all over California, Nevada and Oregon. It still had the CHP fairing & paint minus the badging. Never failed to part traffic like the red sea when I got on the freeway and gassed it hard in the fast lane! Lol! Best $1k I ever spent!

I had a police model back around the 2010's. It was in ruff shape and I bought it off another Marine but I cleaned it up and turned it into a daily rider for the next two years. most comfortable smooth running bike I ever had. Wasn't expensive at all to repair. There was a company that made aftermarket Gaskets for this bike based on original specs.

Thank you Craig and Dan for another Fun Friday video! Hope y'all have a great weekend, from down here in Abita Springs Louisiana, home of Abita Beer.🍻 Cheers!

Get rid of ugly fairing ridiculous sissy bar amd put some straight bars on, its a decent bike. Definitely the best bike channel on the toob.

Watching your videos is helping me mentally prepare for waking up my old bikes for spring A 1976 puch moped and a1980 SR250 Exciter

I used to sell loads of brake discs for this era of Kawasaki for some reason they were out fast. Seeing this brings back lots of memories from back in the day . Great job 👍

I love this because I have the big brother original to the 1000, a 1973 Z1 900. I bought it back in 1976 from the local Kawasaki shop for $1500. It had been wrecked, the guy ran into the back of a car with under 2000 miles on it. Frame is fine but they had to replace the forks, wheel and tire, and the fender.

I love this series of restoring forgotten bikes so much. I look forward to it all week.

I bought one of these KZ1000Js brand new in June, 1982 for $3450.00 out the door. Unfortunately, it also cost me my girlfriend at the time. She thought that my spending that money on a bike and not her was a problem. It's possible in retrospect it wasn't so unfortunate. It was to replace my '77 KZ650, which I had run up to 80,000 miles of perfect, no-repairs riding joy. And, which made me a Kawasaki guy for life. Yet the J model never got the full-on love-it thing my other Kawasakis got. It was a bit vibey, unlike that utterly smooth KZ650, and kind of awkward at low speeds, also unlike its predecessor. Since in those days I was commuting heavily into Chicago, such things were really important. I never did have any trouble with the bike, but despite my fooling around a little with the ergos, it never fit me perfectly and was sort of put aside for a pair of wobbly, slow BMW airheads. Finally a Concours 1000 came along- I traded a Triumph Trident for it- and it was off to the races with my first 100K+ miles bike. The J-model was a big disappointment for Kawasaki, as it never built the cache the Z1000 had and it went pretty much nowhere, comparatively speaking. I racked up 48,000 miles on mine, no repairs, and sold it to a brother-in-law. A solid, dependable design, though, that Kawasaki continued for nearly forever as the KZ1000P police bike. It was really excellent in that role and served for seemingly decades. (N.B.- Can I send you a complimentary box of nitrile gloves?)

Nothing howls like a Z.

You can find the police bikes around but prices are high,always wanted one of those.Police bikes had a factory fairing,that one is an aftermarket vetter..classic.

thats a z1000J, 3rd generation of that engine, same as the gpz1000

I love the kz1000, they made them up to the late 2000s in police form....great start for a retro period cafe racer whilst having a low mileage well looked after bike

Great video! Can’t wait too see the rest of the restoration

My wife and I watch every episode together. Doin' the learnin' and laughin'. Keep it gootentight.

Excellent content gentlemen! Thank you!

You da man Craig!!! 🔥🔥🔥 Ready to see you jump on the TURBO BUSA!!! Yammz definitely needs your expertise! Hopefully you can sort that mess out and I'm here for it

Love the way you work through everything, great methodology 👍🏻😎

That is one of the nicest KZ I've seen in a long long time. "CHiPS" was a awesome show it's what inspired me to want a motorcycle and the episodes really drove home a message every episode.

This takes me back. It wasn't identical to this one, but I learned how to ride on a 1980 KZ1000B4 (1000 LTD) back in the early 2000s. It had a Kerker 4-into-1 header on it, four pod filters on the carbs, and somebody had fooled around with the drive sprocket ratio. It was a riot to ride and I should have died lol. I had to keep your knees tucked while riding the bike above 50mph. If I didn't, my legs would scoop air and force-feed the carbs, bogging the engine down. I kinda miss that bike. It was a sloppy, worn out mess, but it started every damn time and ran great.

I had an '81 KZ1000J. It was a barn find that I restored. Great bike. Awesome content Craig and Dan!

I like these videos a lot. They are entertaining and I'm learning a lot at the same time. Thanks a lot for your work! 👍

This is just always fun content. Good job guys!

Good thing you got this after the snow! Good thing for the bike.

I rode a few of those, except they had saddle bags and a single seat with a duck bill on the back of the seat. And oh, it had red and blue flashing lights on the front.

Nice work Craig, I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the build. 😀

Omg no way, ive been watching and loving your videos and rebuilding/getting running videos. I got so excited and jumped on this within seconds as my dad had a ‘93 kz1000 police bike 😀

Love the videos bud keep up the good work and the videos coming 😊

Loving your Channel Erik Estrada I think

It's called a "banjo bolt" because the fitting that it tightens down looks like a banjo.

Two things that help a ton. A vise to prevent breaking sight glasses and restaurant serving trays to hold your stuff from rolling away into oblivion. Love these kind of videos. Been doing this kind of stuff my whole life.

Man, I missed watching you guys. I've noticed that it's been like 2 months already! I have so many videos to watch 😍

you meet the nicest people on a Honda. love these videos.

Great video, very informative good editing. THANKS

I’m in the process of restoring my 2003 Suzuki savage ls650 , mine looked like your a couple of weeks ago, mounted new tires, new front brake pads and my brake fluid looked like yours, had to rebuild the calipers and the master cylinder, rebuilt the carb , I have spark and it will putter if I use carb cleaner but still having issues trying to get it to run through the carb , I’m not going to give up yet! Like watching you guys having success with your projects gives me hope

26:51 this is one hell of an obscure reference, but I love it.

It’s gonna be a great day, there’s a new video up from Craig and Dan!!!

Great job guys, I'm a sucker for old jappas, especially inline 4s, and I'm learning a lot about quirky repairs 😅 thanks!

You guys do a great job.. Thank you

Love the work y’all are doing keep it up you will go places….. wish I could

Aww man I cursed along with ya when the master cylinder sight glass broke👍🏻🇮🇪

As always, very entertaining and informative. I wish I could get another bike to work on and enjoy.

“Like the front of the boat” you win!!! Great job!!

Great stuff. Really like the by play and video cuts. So much misery on the tubes. None here! Thank you guys.

Love my mint black 1978 KZ1000 LTD. Great bikes from Chips, Mad Max, kick and electric start on that big 1000cc engine.