Calling all motorcycle collectors! This excerpt from How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles outlines some of the most collectable classic Japanese motorcycles to consider for purchase and refurbishing. These helpful hints and information are invaluable when finding the right bike.
COLLECTABLE CLASSICS
So what are the most desirable bikes to collect? I have no doubt that your idea of collectable is different from mine. While many bikes are collectable due to their rarity, they are not necessarily desirable. So if you built a list of collectable bikes, you may end with a long list; but if you only kept the ones people actually liked on that list, you might be in for a surprise. Members of a variety of Internet newsgroups dedicated to vintage Japanese motorcycles were polled to get some legitimate input into what can be construed as a “definitive list” of “collectable and desirable” classic motorcycles from 1965 to 1985.
To supplement this list, a review of Ron Burton’s excellent book Classic Japanese Motorcycles yielded one or two more entries. In total, the poll yielded the following list of candidate motorcycles:
Kawasaki Models 1969 KH500 H1,1972 KH750 H2,1973 Z1, 1974 Z1A, 1975 Z1B, 1976 z900A4, 1976 z650 B1 (also 1977–1979 models), z1R, 1984 GPz900R-A1, GPz750 Turbo, and Eddie Lawson Replica Other models to be considered: 1980 z1000H (“G” model in USA), 1982 GPz1100 B2 (& maybe the 1981 B1 model)
Honda Models CA77, CB77, CB350, CL450, 1965 CB450, 1971– 1973 CB500, 1974 CB550, 1969 CB750 K0 Sandcast models, 1970–1978 CB750 K1–K7, 1979–1982 CBx1000, 1975–1977 CB400/4, 1981 CB1100R (RBRD models), 1982 CX500TC (Turbo Charged), 1978 CB900 Bold’or
Suzuki Models 1968 T500, 1972–1977 GT750, 1975–1976 RE5, 1978 GS1000, 1982 GS1000SZ Katana, 1981 GSX1100S Katana
Yamaha Models XS650 Single, RD350 Two-Stroke, TZ750 Two-Stroke
Summary
After Honda’s run of bikes in the 1960s, the introduction of the KH750 by Kawasaki allowed Hondas to dominate the list of classic bikes thanks to the aggressive early history of Kawasaki from 1962 to 1984, which clearly shows a company driven to dominate the top end of the street motorcycle arena at the time. By the 1980s, Suzuki was developing its GSX and GSXR range, which would be the shape of things to come. When I look around for bikes to acquire, I look at the model progression from a particular manufacturer.
Something that was manufactured for one year and had the design flare used in later models is a perfect candidate for closer review as to the long-term popularity of the model. For example, my personal alltime favorite motorcycles are those manufactured by Kawasaki between 1969 and 1984.
My first exposure to what Kawasaki could offer was the 1973 Z1, an all-time classic and a bike that to this day grabs attention and admiration of the public whenever one pulls up at the curb. The Z1 model released in 1973 captured the imagination of the public and took the limelight away from the Honda 4 (CB750K series).
The 1973 Z1, 1974 Z1A, 1975 Z1B, and 1976 z900-A4 from Kawasaki represent an excellent line of bikes to own. They are best restored to original condition. Otherwise, if they are to be modified, then radical customization into a modern-day street fighter with new components from modern street machines is a highly popular option that turns heads. Unlike the Honda 750 range, the Kawasaki z1/z900 models do not generally end up as choppers (although a number of them exist).
If you’re a Honda fan, the CB750 was massproduced for nearly a decade but basically did not change for most of its production life. Some 600,000 were manufactured for every market around the world. The most collectable is the sandcast K0 model, the first to be manufactured. Later models that were made for special use like police bikes and so forth are also collectable. While there are a few restored original CB750s turning up at bike shows, the really popular CB750s are those that end up as radical customs, be it choppers or café racers. My general belief is that you either restore a bike to original or you go all out and radically customize the machine and remove the factory look totally. Going anywhere in the middle simply does not do justice to any machine if done poorly.
If you pursue the Kawasaki lineup, then a number of late 1970s models are popular. The 1977 z1000-A1, 1978 Z1000-A2, and the 1979 z1R are slowly gaining in popularity and are considered by many to be worth owning. A z1000H is a rare machine, not popular generally but acknowledged as a candidate for a future collection. The GPz1100 series (1981–1982) was the last of the dual-shock models and the first of the brute-force high-powered models for the 1980s. These failed to sell well due to the fuel injection systems used. They are worth obtaining and then replacing the EFI computer with a modern computer to yield a reliable, high-powered machine. On a bright note, the GPz1100 series uses most of the same parts as an Eddie Lawson Replica that commands high prices in the United States.
The 1983 GPz1100 model introduced the “swish” look that in 1984 saw the release of the GPz900R.
The new 900 lasted in production for many years and morphed into the zx9 series. Later model zx9s may one day be worth owning as classic bikes as well. Just as the KH series introduced high-capacity power to the early 1970s, the z650 gave the midrange market a lift. It was designed by the same team that built the Z1 and was always considered the baby z1. The z650 changed style many times over its 14-year production cycle, but an early spoke-wheel version is an excellent bike to restore to original state, while a later version is quite acceptable for a radical custom street fighter conversion. If you are chasing limited-production-run motorcycles, then do not forget the Eddie Lawson Replica or, in the Honda lineup, a CB1100R. The CB1100s were built in limited runs of 1,050 for the 1981 season followed by 1,500 for 1982 and the same again in 1983. After that, the class of racing they were aimed at saw a capacity reduction to 1,000ccs and so bikes up to 998cc were used and the CB1100 had run its course. Suzuki was not totally out of the picture.
The GSX1100 was both hailed and reviled at the time. It was such a radical departure from the likes of the GS1000 and equivalent mainstream bikes that even Suzuki didn’t know if it was on the right course, but clearly it was the forerunner of what was to come.
How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles
Author: Sid Young
Everything you need to know to restore or customize your classic Japanese motorcycle.
Whether you want to correctly restore a classic Japanese motorcycle or create a modified, custom build, you need the right information about how to perform the mechanical and cosmetic tasks required to get an old, frequently neglected, and often long-unridden machine back in working order. How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles is your thorough, hands-on manual, covering all the mechanical subsystems that make up a motorcycle. From finding a bike to planning your project to dealing with each mechanical system, How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles includes everything you need to know to get your classic back on the road.
Japanese motorcycles have been the best-selling bikes in the world since the mid-1960s, driven by the “big four”: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. Of course certain bikes have always had a following – Honda CB750, 305 Hawk, CB400-4, Benly; Suzuki GT750, Katana, GS1000S; Yamaha XS650, RD400 Daytona, TZ; Kawaski H1, H2, Z1R – and these have now become the blue-chip Japanese bikes leading collectors to seek out more common (and now more affordable) alternatives.
This is the perfect book for anyone interested in classic Japanese motorcycles, as well as prepping a bike to build a cafe racer, street tracker, or other custom build.
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