Kawasaki KZ 750 Twin - Riding Impressions, History, Specs
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- In this 7th "Blast from the Past" video, I am opening my old photo album and looking at Kawasaki's KZ/LTD 750 Twin - my first bike! The KZ/LTD 750 Twin combined an air-cooled, 745cc, parallel-twin motor, and 5-speed transmission with full-sized ergonomics and Z-1 inspired styling. It was designed as an inexpensive, every-day driver. With the LTD 750 t, Kawasaki added cruiser styling, mag wheels, and a drum rear brake (in place of the KZ750's spoked rims and disc rear brake). What was the LTD 750 Twin like to ride? Let's take a look and find out together!
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Ive got two 750 twins, one runner and one for parts. They may not be the fastest bikes, but they are sure fun to ride, lots of useable torque. The gearing is spot on for cruising back roads, commuting to work or running errands. Also has enough guts to cruise and take trips on.
Right on!
Getting a little older my circulation greatly appreciates the whole body shaking I'm not kidding just small jaunts
and a little bit of excitement while doing it
Right on!
I got a kz750ltd when i was younger, sold it to pay bills, then found a 82 Kz750csr and i’ve had it as my main rider for the past 12 years
The KZ750 CSR is a 4-cylinder, isn't it? I currently have a KZ1000 CSR.
@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 i believe the csr was both twin and 4, mine is the 750 twin
I've driven a couple of these, and a few XS650s, plus various bikes when I was a motorcycle mechanic.
Got out of biking until this spring, decided I wanted just a small bike to poke around in, got a CBR250R, put 8000 kms on it this summer.
Read lots of reviews on the 250 before I bought it, some complained of some vibration at highway speed, through the handlebars and footpegs...
Well. Obviously these people that complained haven't ridden bikes from the 70s and 80s. The 650 Yamaha I nicknamed the Grand Earth Shaker, because it shook so bad it would go backwards when you put it on the centerstand on a concrete floor and revved it to 3000 rpm. The Kawi 750 twin wasn't much better.
Today's bikes are just smoother. More refined. However, that's not stopping me from buying a 1978 KZ 1000 LTD this weekend. A fixer-upper and then sell.
My aim ultimately is a CB500X. I don't need a big bike, I don't care to go fast, I have nothing to prove to anyone...I'm past that point in my life. Poking around the back roads, dirt or paved, is what I like. Always did.
Right on! The XS650 and KZ750 Twin vibrated so badly that they quickly became unpleasant to ride. I'm working on my 1978 KZ1000 LTD project currently. It's a much smoother bike than the 750. It's a good bike to cruise through the countryside on. Cheers!
My 1st bike was an '82 KZ650 CSR, and I loved it, but I had my heart set on a Yamaha XS650. Then, I discovered the KZ750 twin. Most of my riding was shorter distances, around town, and I didn't need a touring bike, or a sport bike. I just appreciated the air cooled, vertical twin, chain drive simplicity. Torque is more important to me than insane HP, since I weigh over 300lbs. I never got one, but I can always dream, right?
Right on!
I actually like this bike, and have come close to buying one of these one-year-only LTDs, the KZ750G, since it is the best looking of the Kawa 750 twins. However, I would have fitted an 18in rear wheel off the KZ650F, a flat seat like that on the Z1, and superbike style handlebars. Here, most roads are limited to 50 mph, and together with taller gearing - that it definitely has the low end torque to pull - 60-65mph cruising would easily be within its realm.
Oh, and I'd like to add a correction to the information about the balancers: They were driven off the crank by its own sprocket and chain next to the cam chain. The system was fundamentally the same are on the KZ400 twin, just sturdier and improved.
Right on, thanks for the correction. I'm happier now with my LTD 1000.
Thanks for sharing Jon . Nice looking bike . RIDE SAFE OUT THERE!
Thanks Henry!
I very much enjoy this series of videos.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
I had the exact same bike! Bought it in '82. Only difference was mine had a padded sissy bar instead of the rack. Mine was fast and comfortable on the highway. It settled in at 85 mph. Put several thousand miles on that thing
Right on, William! I wonder if the gearing on mine was lower than stock or yours was taller? Mine was not fun on the highway. Very vibey! Cheers
Thank you Jon, I learned about this bike because I continue to see them fairly cheap now I know why , thanks again
You're welcome!
I bought one new...your impressions are right on. I stepped up quickly to a 1980 KZ1000. Lots more fun.
Thanks! I wanted the KZ1000 in the worst way! Finally picked one up last year. Cheers!
Great review! Thanks
You're welcome, Alan!
Hi Jon. Love watching your videos. I'm a die-hard fan of the Yamaha XS1100s: (1) 1979 Special (somewhat of a cafe-racer, nothing crazy) , (1) 1982 XJ1100/Maxim (tourer with Vetter fairing), (2) parts bikes. I'm more torn between passions than you with your laser focus. A couple of classic cars as well. Fortunately, now that I'm retired, I can devote more time to my passions. BTW, I live in MD, just a mile south of the Mason-Dixon Line near Shrewsbury, PA. Keep up the great videos!...Paul
Thanks Paul! Maybe I'll see you at a bike show this summer.
I’ve had many KZ 650 and 750s so how did I not know they even made a twin lol. That’s cool that you met your wife on that bike. Good memories. I’m currently riding a Yamaha MT10 2023.
Right on! The MT10 is one of the few bikes I haven't ridden yet. It seems like a real beast! How do you like it? Cheers
Oh my goodness it’s so amazing. I took it for a test ride about a year or so ago and I immediately knew I had to have it. It’s not just about the power it’s about the handling and just the entire package. This motorcycle is definitely more than the sum of its parts. I encourage you to test ride it especially 2022 and newer with the updated electronics package!!
In the early eighties I had a 1975 KZ400 standard and a 1980 KZ 440 LTD, and they didn’t have much vibration that I remember. Both of them I traveled muti state riding. One of my brothers had a Honda 360 twin that would put your hands asleep in about 20 minutes. Maybe the smaller displacement made a difference.
Right on Rickie! I'm sure displacement is a major factor in the vibration as are engine mounting points and materials, gearing, frame, handlebar and footage mounts, etc. Vibration you feel is caused by the surface you are touching reaching a harmonic frequency (the frequency at which that particular component vibrates). Lots of science goes into minimizing annoying vibration. In the days before computer models, it was much more hit or miss. For Kawasaki, it was a miss on this one!
I recently acquired a '78 KZ750. It's completely disassembled. It appears everything except the tank n chain are present. Let's see where this goes.
Salute
Enjoy the process! Cheers
I bought mine Three hundred dollars. Your depiction is very Accurate.. I constantly had points problems. And over heating in arizona desert..... Those pipes were always glow
Right on, thanks, Gregory! Mine only overheated once when I foolishly let it idle on a hot day for too long (young and dumb). I'm sure the desert heat was tough on an air-cooled bike! Cheers!
I just purchased a 84 zn 700 ltd love the low ride decent power for its age
The ZN700 was a nice bike. It was much smoother and more powerful than the 750 Twin. Cheers!
Informative look at a peculiar Kawasaki. The big twin, while seeming to have all the modern bike goodies (dohc, etc.), was very slow and greatly overweight. Kawasaki had a rightful reputation for building fast bikes, but the 750 must have had another purpose.
Thank you. I like several modern bikes with the parallel twin engines. That's something I didn't think was possible after my buzzy experience with the LTD 750.🙂
I just picked one up in exchange for a Honda 360 it will serve precisely as a quote Cafe racer to go to the close downtown out in the middle of Crystal River the vibration the torque
Make for a lively
Coffee Run
Right on!
DEFINITELY give thought & huge appreciation of Nortons 850 Commando engine design & build hurdles.. would be interesting to see the effect a 270deg crank would have on the tingley harmonics.. i still really like this bike as a nostalgic throw back & yeah.. we could never understand back then why Kawasaki & Yamaha made these twins for ALL the reasons you lay out.. to think the sv650 & the modern crop of parallel twins from the TDM forward just blows these away in eeevery way reflects purely on evolved engineering in harmonics that just wasnt unstood OR appreciated back then.. it was a much much simpler world
I agree, the modern parallel twins are so much better!
Really cool series you've got going. Contemplating one of these '80 750t LTDs right now, trying to wrap my head around how it stacks up to an XS650. Love how they look and the low end torque, the 500lb+ curb weight is a bummer.
The XS is lighter but also a punishing vibrator. I wouldn't buy a large-displacement, vintage, parallel-twin personally if I want to ride any distance. Obviously, it's your call. Good luck in your search. I would look for a good condition CB550 over that Kawasaki or Yamaha.
@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 thanks for the reply, and really cool channel btw! I've come full circle from starting out on a barn-find XS500C in highschool that I rode coast to coast and back in college back in 2008, have tried a bit of everything in motorcycling, last few years have been doing a fleet of UJMs (GS1100E, XS1100E, Bandit 1200), but have got a hankering to get back to my "roots." I do some laidback touring/camping off the back of my bike with my brother every year, we ride 250ish miles a day of twisty PA back-roads (35-55mph) with plenty of stops. The 100hp big bores just feel like massive overkill in this environment tho they are super comfortable.
@@gtemnykh Very cool! The smaller bikes often feel more adventurous. That sounds like some fun riding and good times with your brother.🙂
@@gtemnykh Try a Kawasaki W800 or a Royal Enfield 650-twin , both are very-good bikes , the cheaper RE is very easy and cheaper to modify than the W800 and possibly better-handling . I have the earlier (2003) W650 and it's a fun old-style bike , a better all-round machine than my old Yamaha tx650 . Dave NZ
I test rode the XS650cruiser and it felt much much lighter than the Kawa 750 twin. Torque felt better too and the looks as well.
Very informative! You just saved me from buying one. The vibration would've drove me mad...lol
Right on - it drove me crazy and limited how I could use the bike.
It’s not that bad
I did test ride it when it came out, the standard version. It felt really heavy and cumbersome but looked cool. At the time I ended up buying a new Honda CB550 four.
I think you made a wise choice!
Funny, I have a CB5504 and I'm picking up one of these in the next couple of days with a sidecar. Two owners, both in their 90s now. And an engineer.
I have a 76 KZ750B twin that i have not been able to get started. The kick start does not turn. Tried jump starting it but the back wheel would lock up. Guess theres a problem with the transmission. My 79 KZ650 is my go to bike. Would be nice to have the 750 running also. The motor has to come out again for about the 3rd time. Back to the drawing board. Not about to give up. No manual for it either. Winging it.
I'm sorry to hear that! Is the motor itself locked up? If it goes into neutral and you can roll it, I would think that you could turn it over with the kick starter or electric start. Just an initial thought. Best of luck with it! Cheers
This is a handsome bike. And that's what I call a luggage rack. Not sure about the buckhorn bars. Is that a youthful you in the photos? It sounds like my type of bike, apart from the vibration and the handling and the weight. Oh well. Wow! A GS1100 coming up!
Yep, that's me at 17!
Sehr schöne Maschine
Danke schön!
Sounds similar to my CM200T, has more torque off the line than you’d expect (on a far smaller scale of course) but by 45mph things become ah … busy let’s just say.
Mine is more stable at 60, near its max, than the dry skinny tires would suggest but the buzzy engine ensures it’ll probably never wear out from use, if you get my drift.
Right on!
Aesthetically I liked them, but the p-twin foot and handlebar buzzing is a no go for me. V-twins and i-4's just aren't as bad for me. This is a great way for me to hear about these cool bikes.
Right on!
4000 rpm seems the beginning of the unacceptable vibration which coincides with 60mph. I am going to try 2 more teeth on the output shaft sprocket which hopefully will raise the mph to approximately 72.
Unless my math is haywire. That's been known to happen. My drag racing days are over so no great loss at the lights. See what happens.
Right on, David! I'm interested to know if that helps. Cheers!
I had no idea that 750 twin was that miserable. But having ridden a 750 twin Norton I should have suspected. I’ve owned two modern parallel twins recently and they were pretty smooth. A Versys 650 and briefly a Honda cb500F (when I thought I’d like a small displacement bike in the stable).
Modern parallel twins are so much better/smoother!
@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 I think I’m done buying motorcycles (LOL) but troof be told… If Honda takes their 1100 parallel twin and puts it in a standard frame naked (not like the new Rebel 1100 cruiser), such as the cb500F… We could call it the cb1100F… I might wander on down to a showroom. Ya know.. just to look?
@@blipco5 I've heard rumors of a Nighthawk 1100...
@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 Yeah, I saw that too. We shall see.
@@blipco5 Right on!
Hey Jon, thanks for posting, seems to me they didnt get all that great fuel mileage.
I don't remember exactly what my mileage was. I didn't want to be on the LTD 750 t for long distances, and at the time, gas was cheap ($1/gal).
I had a kz 400 twin which was very similar.I went 1 tooth down on the front sprocket and that cut down vibration and increased gas milage to 70 mpg. Sounds to me you could have gone down 2 teeth and still had plenty of torque.
I'm sure that would have helped. However, the amplitude of vibration increases with engine size, and the 750 buzzed pretty obnoxiously at highway speeds. I have ridden many of the smaller displacement parallel twins and found them to be much smoother. The only other bike I've ridden that vibrated similarly was Yamaha's XS650.
Who's playing that guitar In the back ground?
An Imovie soundtrack.
I owned 3
By matter of circumstances
Good bikes
Not made for top end
But get a rear sprocket 2 teeth smaller and it would do ok at 80 mph
I'm sure that would have helped!
This was my first bike too. Highway was brutal...oof
Truly. I remember getting home from a longer ride and waiting for the feeling to return and the tingling to go away in my hands. Cheers!
This was an interesting machine that I could never figure out the purpose... Basically the same size and weight as a 750 with 4 cylinders yet much less power. 🤔
Actually, about the same size and weight as the KZ1000, which is even worse!
Thats a big twin
Yep, big and vibey! Cheers!
Id like to find one...just for kicks
Right on!
hey im doing an ebay chopper build pray for me
Yikes! You're a braver man than I am. I wish you the best with it!
It is 55 HP.
Thanks!
I have one today, never had issues with vibration?
Interesting. Mine was miserable at highway speeds, putting my hands to sleep after 1/2 hour or so. The Kawasaki 750 wasn't quite as bad as my friend's XS650, but I much preferred the 4-cilinder bikes. Cheers!