Kawasaki GT550

[Gottvonalles]

I am thinking about buying an 82 gt550 to be my first bike. It needs a lot of work and I have a post about it in the "Learning to Ride" thread.

My question is, will most parts in the early eighties for these similar bikes fit on one another? I mean, do the KZ, LTD, GT, and GPz bikes all have pretty much interchangeable parts? I would try to liken it to the Chevy 350 sharing parts with every other Chevy motor made in the '60s.

I'm going to start restoring and riding this bike, so I was curious where to get cheap parts for it.

[seruzawa]

Engine parts will be pretty much interchangeable. Cams are different so a GPZ cam might have too much lift for the pistons in the other engines.

The best way to tell is to compare part numbers of the different parts on an online parts source like Bike Bandit.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

Cams are different so a GPZ cam might have too much lift for the pistons in the other engines.

That's easy-enough to fix with a drillpress and an angle-grinder............

[Gottvonalles]

I was mostly curious for aesthetics. The bike I'm about to buy has a lot of small fasteners and pieces that are rusted and may need to be replaced. I was just curious if things like brake rotors, shocks, and chrome pieces were similar across the range of 550 Kawasaki models in '82. I have so many questions because this is my first bike and I know squat about specifics like this.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Gottvonalles

I was mostly curious for aesthetics. The bike I'm about to buy has a lot of small fasteners and pieces that are rusted and may need to be replaced. I was just curious if things like brake rotors, shocks, and chrome pieces were similar across the range of 550 Kawasaki models in '82. I have so many questions because this is my first bike and I know squat about specifics like this.

The best way to check is to look up the part number for your bike and then look up the part numbers for the other models. Yeah, it's time consuming but it's really the only way to be sure.

Probably most of the parts are the same. But as I recall the LTDs had different gear than the others. There's no easy solution other than rolling up the sleeves and comparing part #s.

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

The best way to check is to look up the part number for your bike and then look up the part numbers for the other models. Yeah, it's time consuming but it's really the only way to be sure.

Probably most of the parts are the same. But as I recall the LTDs had different gear than the others. There's no easy solution other than rolling up the sleeves and comparing part #s.

Basic fastners you can get anywhere but like the Dr. said, pour a cup of tea, grab a pencil and paper and start comparing part numbers. I believe most of the infrastructure like frame, engine and forks were the same, maybe the LTD had longer tubes and shorter shocks, but there's really only one way to find out.

[Gottvonalles]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'll start tearing down the unpolishable parts and get the numbers down. I know all about looking up part numbers for electronics, so this will not be much different.

[The_AirHawk]

Nevermind. I'm an Idjit.

[Gottvonalles]

I bought this bike today and am getting it after work! I will update the thread with some pictures and descriptions to show you guys what I mean about finding replacement parts.

[sachiwilson]

Good on you! Good price, too (referencing your other post).