1982 Kawasaki KZ750-N Spectre
Summary:
Great reliable ride that would be a little bit better with a tweak or two
Faults:
Starter went out about the two year mark, replaced and never had another problem.
I had to replace the speedometer three times.
Clutch cable would break every three to four years; my fault though because I put a heavy duty Vance and Hine clutch kit in it the first few months I owned it.
General Comments:
My first bike, which was bought out of the crate at the dealer in 1984. Great looking bike and really quick once it hit into the power band around 3800RPM. Really good brakes with triple disks. You could lock the front wheel if you wanted, not recommended. Engine / transmission / shaft drive / rear axle and clutch were bullet proof the whole time I rode it.
Stock handlebars sucked so I replaced them with a flatter bars off a Yamaha triple, which greatly improved handling. After about a year of riding experience, I would drag the pegs running through the mountains in California.
Even though the speedometer only went to 85, a nice California Highway Patrol officer informed that he had me at 140mph when he pulled me over.
I rode this bike from 1984 until 2011 in California, Florida, Japan and Arkansas.
Great bike; if they made them new again, I would buy one.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th March, 2016
2nd Dec 2015, 15:32
The 750 LTD shaft drive Kawasaki weight was about 515lbs. Change the handlebars to the standard kind and get a small fairing. They are a good looking, fast and fun bike.