1975 Kawasaki Other on 2040-motos

This is a “No Reserve” auction for a 1975 Kawasaki KZ400.

Terms of the Auction: First off, if you are interested in the bike, READ THE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION. For the overwhelming majority of good, decent eBay buyers out there, my apologies for having to include this section. But, since eBay Motors has become little better than Craig’s List of late and eBay could care less if a “buyer” pays or not, I must add this information.

If you are high bidder when this auction ends, you have entered into a contract with me to follow through with the instructions for and completion of payment and pick-up of your bike. I will keep up my end as seller; you need to cooperate with me and keep up yours as the buyer. If you have 25 or fewer feedback scores with eBay then email me BEFORE you bid to let me know you are serious. If you do not, I will cancel your bid to keep the auction open to serious bidders.

History of Bike: This is what I know. This bike has been owned by one other person since it was new. I bought it from the father of that man and took it out of a barn on a farm up in NE Iowa. It last ran in Fall, 1981 so a little over 36 years since it’s been started, running and on the road.

Background: I buy an old bike every fall to take apart and restore over the winter. Most of what I do is cosmetic but I did include some mechanical tasks such as rebuilding the front and rear brakes, the master cylinder, the petcock, axles, etc. Everything was dirty, oily and pretty typical for a bike that had never seen TLC for a long time. The bike has all the original factory decals, original exhaust system (in very good shape), original tires and even has the 1975 Iowa Motorcycle Inspection Decal still in place. It's basically a working bike that a guy drove into a barn in the fall of 1981 and it didn't see the light of day until this summer when I bought it.

Mechanical: Currently the bike is not running but I see no reason that it won’t again with a good carburetor cleaning, oil/filter change, and complete check-over by a qualified Kawasaki mechanic (or someone gifted with those skills). (I don’t have the skills to do those tasks myself). The last time it was on the road running was Fall, 1981 and it was driven into the barn I bought it from. The engine turns over freely with either the electric starter or the kick starter and the clutch and transmission engage. 

Electrical: There is a battery that comes with the bike that has a good charge and doesn't look very old but I know nothing about the age of it. All of the lights, gauges, etc. are hooked through the original wiring and work properly. The electric starter engages and turns the engine freely. Everything electrical appears just as it should on a bike that was actually used up to the day it was last parked. There is a key.

Tires: Both front and rear tires appear to be original factory and amazingly have no weather-checking. If you plan to ride it someday I would still replace them. They look good but that's old rubber. The wheels are factory and both are straight and true.

Brakes: The front brakes were disassembled, cleaned, rebuilt but I could not get the piston to move. It may plunge properly if you charge the system with brake fluid and squeeze it. Currently, I've left the system dry in case the new owner wants to take it apart again. Pads are 90%+. The rear brakes were disassembled, cleaned and work fine. Rear shoes are 50%+. I rebuilt the master cylinder and it functions properly.

Chrome: The chrome is typical for an old bike. Overall it is in very good-to-excellent condition with some age pitting in places. There is a ton of chrome on this bike and it really makes for a sharp appearance.

Paint: The black frame paint is good-to-very good. The tank and side covers are factory paint and some of the clear coat is wearing. 

Seat: The seat is original to the bike and in good condition with a couple of small repairs to the material. It latches properly and has all fastening hardware in place.

Faults: The two biggest ones are no title and non-running. There is slight rust inside the tank but nothing that would keep you from running it as long as you had in-line filters on your gas lines. The tank has a couple of small dimple dents on each side. I took the carbs apart and all the slides and plungers work properly but they could probably use re-build kits. I mentioned the seat; it isn't perfect. One mirror has the glass broken. A piece is broken (I have the piece) from the center stand that needs to be welded and then it will work again.

Legal:  The bike is sold with no warranty and (as mentioned) does not run at this time. There is no title with the bike. I bought it on a Bill of Sale and I will have to sell it that way also. I have never heard this bike run nor have I ridden it. 

Payment: I have found this payment method works the best for all involved. I accept only two forms of payment. One would be a Money Order from the USPS (no other off-brands). The second method would be a Certified Cashier’s Check drawn on a major U.S. band (Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, etc.). If you plan to pick it up within five (5) days then I will accept cash upon pickup.

Payment must be remitted to me within five (5) days of the end of the auction. (That means you must go to the bank or post office the next day, get it in an envelope and mail it. It will get to me from anywhere in the country within the five day limit).

Pick-Up: I would like the bike gone within 10 days of the end of the auction. It will be your responsibility to either get it yourself or contract with a commercial shipper. I will help you load it or cooperate with the shipper of your choice. (Try to avoid U-Ship; you get some really strange people with that crew!)

Conclusion: Read the entire auction. Look at all the pictures and use the enlargement feature to check out the condition of the various parts. You can see from my feedback that I treat my buyers well and run honest auctions; I treat people the way I would want to be treated; it’s as simple as that.

Ask lots of questions; I will promptly, accurately and honestly answer them for you.

I’ll answer a few here that I always get with bike auctions:

1. Will you trade it for                            (fill in blank with whatever you have sitting on blocks behind your garage)? NO, thank you.

2. Can I ride it home? NO; read the description carefully.

3. Can I pay cash the day I pick it up? Yes, if within five days; read the description carefully.

4. I really like your bike but first I have to sell my old one and pay off a couple loans I have. Will you hold it for me? NO, thanks for looking.

5. Why are you so hard-core with your auction? Have you been burned on eBay before? YES.