Winds of change!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|November 2020
Kent-based CMM reader Stuart Gilbert loved a Z1, but couldn’t afford it, nor a Zephyr back in the 1990s – but then he could, and boy would his be a breath of fresh air!
STUART GILBERT
Winds of change!

I always fancied a Kawasaki Zephyr when they first came out in the early 1990s, which in turn began when I first saw a Z1, but couldn't afford either of them at the time when the bug had bitten

Strangely, it was the 550 I thought was the best looking due to its close-pitch cylinder finning as opposed to the 750; the1100 had not been released at that point, so that was my only choice. Fast forward to 2013 and I saw by chance – an 1100 Zephyr for sale on eBay, which piqued my interest again. Also by now I was able to afford one.

So I started looking for an1100, which was now my preferred model.

Yes, it was a case of ‘ biggest is best’, and on balance it’s the better-looking model. Despite scouring every motorcycle media known to man I couldn’t find anything good enough – and not many were out there.

By the end of 2013 I got fed up with the search and forgot all about it, but come 2015 I came across the Japanese 'Sanctuary' website and that did it... Wow! Those bikes look awesome and I knew I had to build a bike along those lines. So the search began again in earnest, until I found a bike very poorly advertised on Gumtree. It just said 'Kawasaki Zephyr 1100' and a land-line number.

As bad as the advert was, this turned up a gem. It was a 1997 registered B1 with wire-spoked wheels, the vendor had owned it from new and it'd only done a genuine 5500 miles! What's more, the price was favourable, too!

The race was on to get the bike – but I had no van, no one to help and no trailer. I sorted a trailer locally, only to find it was overpriced and a deathtrap, as he’d built it himself! I’m stuck, so I pay the dosh and fix it up as best I can ready for the journey to Essex the next day.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2020 من Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2020 من Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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