Free GPZ550

[Fladdem]

My uncle has offered me an old Kwak GPZ550, inline 4, he says the couple of hundred he'd get for it isn't worth it and says he'd rather me have it.

It's free and it rumbles like anything, seems to be from the bottom end. My dads GS850 rumbles too from the bottom end, is it just a thing that the old Universal Japanese Motorcycles do?I should point out he's had it for twelve years and the rumbling has never changed.

Shall I just insure it and run it into the ground, obviously with some oil changes and stuff when needed?

Also it will be the most powerful bike I have ridden, will I be OK on it?

Thanks, Adam.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[P.]

Yes you'll be fine. It isn't that powerful.

Run it into the ground if you want, could try and find out what the noise is though...

[Blau Zedong]

Just restore it using only brand new parts in the original bags / boxes.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Fladdem]

I can't recall exactly where the noise was coming from as I last it heard it in June, it's just sat under a cover in his garden since then. I definitely recall it coming from the bottom end though, could be crank shaft bearings. I don't know.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[MarJay]

Is it a single shock or twin shock model?
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Fladdem]

I think it's Unitrack, is that the single shock?
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[MarJay]

[Fladdem]

I'll just ride it and see what happens

I like the bike, and it should save me money in knobbly tyres on the 250.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[Frost]

[27cows]

Ultimate bargain - free bike Hang on to it. Decent middleweight, in a mid-80s kind of way
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[bikersupermot...]

its a great bike especially as its free! i liked them anyways very cool retro.
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bike camping / touring

[stevo as b4]

It's ideal for building a classic race bike out of by the sounds of it!

An OEM style resto will cost a fortune and it will never be worth one, but it is well worth preserving and using in some way.

You could do the basics and maintain it as best as you can to use for a winter bike etc. Air cooled fours are tough if you keep the oil clean and fresh!

Or if you want to go racing, it would be a cheap way to build a fun race bike.

[Alpha-9]

y no pics tho
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Fzr-600 1999

[69chris]

primary chains stretch on those and will make all sorts of grumbly/rattly/clonky noises unless under load,
a mate had a gpz750 that did it and it sounded horrific at idle, never got any worse in the 3-4 years he had it

[c_dug]

In fairness I would assume if the rumble has been the same for 12 years it's unlikely to be anything too bad.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[BravoCharlie]

both my kwaks cam chain rumbled, apparently notorious for it (not an expert myself)

maybe that could be it?


either way, it's free, what harm will it do?
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[bezzabsa]

get it running and pull the clutch in..ALL Kwaks have noisy clutch's..


plus engines are cheap..500-750 and possibly 900 will slot in without too much fuss

[STONEY!]

My guess is its clutch noise, common on these will last forever lol

[Kickstart]

Hi

At that price I wouldn't worry. Plenty of chains to make a noise, and the clutch is a good chance and easy to check.

However think the GS850 had a roller bearing crank which would rumble while think the GPZ has a plane bearing crank which should be quiet.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Fladdem]

I was thinking, tidy it up, it's looking a bit battered, and I won't restore it, Like someone said it'll take too much and still won't be worth it. I was thinking maybe a ratty cafe racer style or something.

I'll get some pics up of it when I get it, He says he'll even get it MOT'd for me. Although I think it will be a bit of a dodgy MOT.

It's cheap to insure, I got a quote of £95, my TTR is £350, my Varadero 125 is £400 and my old moped would cost me £150, I ran all quotes toady with exactly the same stuff just changing bike, I think that's cool.

I've been doing research and I have heard a noisy clutch could be to blame as well, I hope it's that, I was watching youtube videos too and one guy even restored one and it still had the same rumble, so I may not worry.

I'm mega-excited! It still hasn't been ran though since june, he has been mentioning it to me since then, I agreed cos the ttr is down at the moment, and my 33bhp restriction is nearly up, so gives me a while to work on it a bit until the licence lets me ride it legally.

Thanks[/quote]
____________________
Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[stinkwheel]

Getting them well balanced will often quieten them down.

Be aware it requires a slightly higher degree of mechanical sympathy than a modern, liquid-cooled UJM. If you absolutely wring it's neck for protracted periods, it will eventually reward you with a blown head gasket or a heat seizure.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Robby]

If you have a bit of time to get it ready before putting it on the road, spend a bit of time going over it prior to use.

Pull the carbs, clean them well, and carefully rebuild to factory settings - pay particular attention to the float heights and mixture screw settings.

Go over the electrical system and clean up any corrosion.

Go over the chassis bearings and regrease them all.

Check the valve clearances on the engine and change the oil and filter.

[pepperami]

[evoboy]

[Furrybiker]

Tough as old boots. I have had one since buying it new in 1985. I have had it miss a gear and go off the far end of the rev counter redline, just clonked it back in and away it went.

On the motorway going up to the TT in 1997 one of the oil cooler pipes turned and met the exhaust downpipe, not surprisingly it melted. I got another pipe while there and used the bike for the week before getting it recovered home. It was noisy and very down on power.

A mate rebuilt the engine and it was fine, it had eaten a couple of big end shells but after the build felt ok. Took it to a mechanic to get something done on it and he told me that we were lousy mechanics as both cams were out one to another and to the crank. He couldnt work out why it ran at all, let alone as well as it did!

Then it flew as it always had. Well, as well as 65bhp could fly!!