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| The Avenger now runs great and fires on the first kick. Special thanks to Rod Ransom at Rod's Motorcycle Repair in Caldwell Idaho for all his work cleaning three decades of sludge from the fuel system, fixing burned up wiring, freshening up the motor, and spending hours sorting the bike out. And I also need to thank Jim Hobbs at Lakeland Services in Henderson North Carolina. Jim manufactures fantastic replacement CDI systems for Kawasaki's. Most his his work is for triples, but he took the time to special build one for this bike. Without Jim this would just be a nice looking show piece (all show - no go). Now with Jim's ignition it easily wheelies like it did when new. |
wonderful. I love it very much.
ReplyDeleteare those the correct grips and footpegs? they look right but I am curious. I have been looking at the pics admiring the bike. I hope the seat base and the areas under the seat are clean, rust free and waxed perfectly clean. I would do it for you if I lived next to you. I remember how and where the bike and that Kawasaki LTD came from. you are the perfect guy to take care of these precious works of vintage mechanical art treasures. and it's a blessing that you have a blog so I can witness them for my own enjoyment. do not ride the Anger hard or get it dirty. you must preserve it in it's current state of beauty. or else.
ReplyDeleteThe grips and foot pegs are original. The tires are also original which will keep me from riding it hard as 45 year old tires can loose traction pretty quickly. The only non-original parts are the battery and the new CDI unit. I will also be adding new mirrors that look like the originals. Now that the bike is cleaned up and back in running order I will be participating in a few vintage rides and taking it to some shows this summer.
DeleteHi, I am looking for a bike just like yours, do you know of any available in the states?
ReplyDeleteNo. I have never seen another 71 SS model. I seen the 71 with low pipes, and earlier model SSs. You might try the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle club and Mecum Auctions.
DeleteHey I have a 1971 A1 SS. Looks just like this, but I don't know the difference between the A7 and A1. I just pulled it out of my dad's storage shed where it has been sitting the last 20 years. Not restored yet, but the bike is complete and Mint. I haven't been able to find anything to compare it to to establish a value, but everything is for sale for a fair price right:). Even if someone does have an idea on value would be awesome ?
DeleteThe A1 SS is the 250 version. The A7 SS is the 350 version. The SS is the scrambler version (high pipes, cross-bar handlebars, and a few other minor differences). Your A1 is probably has CDI (Capacitor Discharge Ignition) which has probably failed and will be hard to source after 50 years. I was able to find a gentleman out of the Carolinas that built new plug-and-play units from scratch. The other issues you may have is dried up crank seals after sitting for 20 years. Depending on condition I would say could between $2K to $5K if running. 1970's Japanese motorcycles do appear to be on the upswing. I would not look at this as an investment. You could easily put more into it getting it on the road than you'll ever get out out of it. If you want to get it running because it was your Dad's that as good a reason as any. You won't regret it, even if the final cost is more that the motorcycle is worth. I suggest you join the VJMC (Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club). They are an excellent source of information on Japanese motorcycles and as you've stated info on these old Kawasakis is hard to find.
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