Like so many other people, I too was bitten by the cafe racer bug almost over a year ago. Since then, I had been searching and searching for a nice platform to work up to my dream. Twin Cylinder, nice flat layout. Then after around 8 months I came across this 79 Z250 and won it at an auction for next to nothing. This particular example is not in great shape. I rescued it from a farm, where the bike had sat in a shed for many many years. There must have been some chickens nearby, I found a few feathers in the spiders webs under the seat and behind carbies etc. The bike is 98% complete with just one of the side covers missing and a few other small bits and pieces. It has had a fall at some point on the right hand side with the bars bent and the back break and exhaust pushed in a little, but the frame and triple seem to be all in good nik apart from surface rust etc. Was converted to single seater at some point and an extremely poorly built luggage rack on the back of the bike.

Here are some pictures of the bike as I picked it up after a quick wipe down.




More to come as I begin to strip the bike down, and see if I can get it to run.

Haven't had much of a chance to continue working on the bike, however have managed to strip some of the gear off of it. The plan is to get it running before completing the strip down and sending off the frame and wheels to the sandblasters and coaters.

Oil change and filter change revealed no real nasties, only that the oil filter seems to have never been replaced. New plugs. New battery went in, and sorted some of the wiring. Not having a kick starter I was hoping that the starter would function, after sorting the earth to the motor the starter cranked. Checked for spark from both of the leads, check. However the leads are both perished and wont stay on the plugs. Ordered a new set from ebay and awaiting them. I pulled the carbies down as one of the first things, and cleaned them all out and checked jets etc, found a few wasps in the bowl of one carby just chilling. The plastic diaphragms in the top were very wrinkled and after further inspection noted that there was no vacuum in the carby to lift the barrels. So, Found some in Germany on ebay for 50 bucks a piece.

So as this project stands, just waiting on o/s parts from ebay then will put them in and see if I can get the bike running.

Pics of the bike semi stripped below;