Kawasaki KZ650 First Start Attempt & Electrical Rebuild

The 1977 Kawasaki KZ650 Cafe Racer reaches its first startup attempt after the rebuild, but electrical problems quickly send the project in a different direction.

We work through the starter circuit, fitting a 30-amp trip fuse, replacing the battery and changing the starter solenoid before checking the starter motor itself. The wiring then becomes the main problem, with the original factory loom proving increasingly difficult to work with.

Rather than continuing to repair and modify the existing wiring, we explore the idea of removing the factory loom completely and building a much simpler electrical system using only the circuits needed for the finished cafe racer.

This leads to the possibility of fitting a modern electrical control module, such as a Motogadget m.unit or an alternative B-Unit. What begins as an attempt to start the rebuilt KZ650 becomes the starting point for a complete rethink of the motorcycle's electrical system.