Jeff Snowden is from a small country town in Missouri. He’ll turn his hand to all types of bike build, but prefers Harleys and Cafe Racers. Obviously it was his 1977 KZ750 that caught our attention with it’s white frame and vibrant green bodywork.
Jeff found the bike lying in a mudhole and in “a million pieces” so he had his work cut out after getting the bike home – which he could only do after remounting the engine back in the frame. Since then every part and component has been stripped down and rebuilt – which you can see from the pics on his Facebook pages.
The engine got a big bore kit taking capacity up to a very useful 810cc. Heads were then flowed, the clutch was rebuilt gearbox checked and resealed. The bike breathes and fuels itself through CV style carbs which were re-jetted.
The frame was stripped, chopped and a cafe racer seat loop fabricated before the whole thing was stripped and refinished in arctic white. The seat pan and under-seat storage then just needed upholstering from Jeff’s usual supplier. The bodywork is painted in vibrant lime green.
The forks were stripped and then put back together, re-fitted deeper through the yokes to lower the front and sharpen the steering. The fender is stock, but cut and lowered in the mounts.
The tank is an original 1977 item and the wheels are also stock but refinished in white, running Aisin brakes and pads. The clips-ons wear Motogrip Skull grips, there’s no speedo, just a tach. The headlamp is factory, while turn signals are mini items and the tail light is from a dirtbike. Jeff fabricated the license plate bracket himself.
It took Jeff two years of rounding up parts, assembling the bike to test and run, then stripping back for painting – all done by Jeff – and it was then reassembled at the end of last winter. Jeff showed the bike 12 times and has won nine First places, two Best Bikes, and one 2nd place. Well deserved Jeff, and now we can all enjoy the fruits of your hard labour!
We’ll leave Jeff to finish this in his own words: “I build these for the love and the art of the bikes. Plain and simple!”
from thebikeshed
