The Zephyr Zone

Hi Dave,
Lovely job on those carbs, at least i know who to send mine to if i can't get it running right!! Paintjob looks stunning too, did your side panels have the typical 1100 split in them where they go over the frame tube? I only ask as both mine did and part of the problem is that the seat pushes down on them and they flex on that weak point. I plastic welded mine and modified the seat by raising it slightly which cured it..... But leaning on the bike the other day to reach something on a shelf i split it again!! To say i was pissed off is nowhere near it.

The Z1000 wheels are 2.5 front and 4.25 rear (both 18") that's the max rear size you can go without major mods. I may have to go with a 530 chain depending on the tyre (150/160?) and worst case scenario offset sprockets, But until i get the rims back I'm not sure. I'll post some pics if i ever get them back!

Cheers eddie

Yes Eddie both side panels had cracked and the painter sorted them for me. Good info on the seat trick btw wasn’t aware that was part of the problem, I will look at raising the seat when the time comes.
Let me know if you need any spacers for your rear sprocket I’ve had some laser cut to get round the tyre also better off with a 530 chain easy man enough for a Z1000 and will give you more wriggle room if it’s tight.
Love the colour scheme on the thou is it Z1A scheme? Much prefer the earlier paint than the 900A4 and z1000 original dark green or brown.
Just finished painting my calipers in gold I’ll post some photos soon. Not sure what to do with the eccentric chain adjusters, having the swing arm powder coated in silver and think paint or powder isn’t really hard wearing enough for the adjusters so probably just polish the outer face. Would like to have them gold anodised but not aware of anyone that does it.
Cheers Dave

Hi Dave,

Yes it's a Z1a paint scheme in candy Green which like yours looks great in the sun and the stripes are painted on and lacquered so it's smooth all over. I did think about doing the gold and white stripes on the Zephyr but left it in the end.
The zephyr seat i raised by glueing some thin rubber on the blocks on the seat pan, then spacing the catches down. You can't go too high or you'll lose the location lugs and have a very wobbly seat!

Thank you for the spacer offer i will definitely take you up on that if they're needed

Cheers eddie

No problem Eddie, just give me a shout if you need any. I’ve got a mate who has a thou which has been garaged for a lot of years and would probably part with it for a reasonable fee and I have first refusal on it so it may well become my next project in the summer. (when the Zephyr is completed of course)
Left a little bit of polished detail on the rear caliper and I’m thinking of doing the same with the lettering on the front two.
I’ve zinc plated all the banjo bolts and the ends of the original brake and clutch lines in bright zinc even though the original finish was in olive drab (that dark green finish used on lots of bits) just to brighten up the overall appearance.
Juggling my time between the Zephyr restoration and a Z1B I’m doing for a pal so progress been a bit slow. More photos of my zephyr progress soon. Cheers Dave

Finished my pals Z1b bits this week, should really have taken a before photo they were in pretty bad shape before I waved my wand over them.

Brilliant job, clocks look ace. I must admit i chickened out doing my Z clock's because of the crimped rings and the speedo needle needed new damping oil plus being such a key part to the look of a Zed i thought I'd best let someone else do them!
Be nice to see a pic of that one finished,

Cheers eddie

Damping fluid is a tad tricky to get in but very necessary if the clocks have been stored incorrectly for a while. Face down allows the fluid (which has the viscosity of treacle) to eventually ooze out of the damper pot and results in the pointers bouncing around in operation. If you look at an old clock that’s been stuck in a drawer face down for a few weeks or longer there will be a tell-tale damp/greasy patch radiating from the centre of the face.

Had my swing arm powder coated and went for this glossy metallic silver gray finish. Really pleased with the result.
Also stripped my rear shocks in order to clean an re-finish them and found that one of them was completely empty of damping oil so no damping at all on one side!! Handling must have been interesting. So next question is does anyone know if these shocks are serviceable? I’m presuming there’s a seal gone allowing all of the oil to leak out so can it be replaced and fresh oil put in or should I just bin it and look for a replacement?
Any advice very much appreciated.

DaveZ1 wrote: So next question is does anyone know if these shocks are serviceable? .

Yes, the original Zephy shocks can be rebuilt, by people who truly specialist in that sort of stuff. Look for someone who just does shock rebuilds, and says they can rebuild ANY shock, even 1950's stuff etc. I had my originals rebuilt twice by a crew like that in Brisbane Australia.

Whether its the best performance/price decision is another matter. Weight up the cost of getting them rebuilt, plus the cost of replacement dual rate springs (if you ever want to get a really good performance/comfort balance ride) and weight that against a correctly sprung (which means dual rate springs) set of new top of the line dual triple clicker piggyback shocks from say Wilbers. You might find there isn't a lot of difference in price, and the performance improvement will be significant. In black I don't think they look at all out of place if trying to keep an original look is a goal. 99% of people wouldn't know.

Ok thanks for that feedback Freddy. Done a little searching and researched the process of servicing these shocks and found the new seals are available so I have decided to tackle it myself and the shocks have been stripped and sent for refinishing while all the bits and 2.5wt damping fluid is on order. I will post pictures of the whole process and the finished end result soon. Cheers watch this space.