Stuart Copeland is no stranger to the Kawasaki bike marque.
He owned another “pretty much standard z1000a1” already, but, two years ago, he started a journey to find another one. This time he was looking for a “special”.
“I wanted a bike that looked like a 38-year-old bike but had some of the more modern upgrades, like the suspension and brakes,” he said.
“The idea was to build a bike that had all the parts designed to be bolted on and, if necessary, be put back to standard by unbolting.”
Eventually, he found the bike he was after and bought it from a fellow z1 owners club member from Perth who was selling the bike as a project as he didn’t have time to start it, let alone complete it.
The bike in question was a 1977 Kawasaki z1000a1 and was, in Stuart’s words, in a “very poor” condition and was missing a good few parts.
He said: “Basically, I had a frame, half of an engine, a petrol tank and two side panels. I had a good few spare parts in my garage, but I did have to source a number of parts, mainly from US and UK-based suppliers.”
The 49-year-old from Dyce worked on the bike for 16 months and, now it’s completed, he uses it on a weekly basis. It has been on display at the Scottish Bike Show in Edinburgh and at the Haynes Motor Museum in September last year. Stuart also took it to the Carole Nash Stafford Show. Those closer to home also got the chance to check out Stuart’s work at the Alford Bike Show last September.
Asked how it feels to drive, Stuart said it is powerful enough for a 38-year-old bike and added it gets a lot of attention when he is out and about on it.
Stuart has been into bikes for more than 30 years and now son Finlay has taken on his dad’s interest, even helping out with the bikes, and he has his own bike and off-road buggy. But not all the family share their love of all things two-wheeled.
“My daughters and wife have no interest at all and would sell them in a second to fund a sunshine holiday,” he joked.
Lucky for Stuart he can hang on to his Kawasaki for a little longer and plans to simply “ride it and enjoy it”. But only for a year or so, he told me.
“Then maybe I’ll sell it on to start another project,” he said.
My first bike…
Suzuki AP50 bought and paid for by myself in 1981
My dream bike…
Kawasaki ZRX 1200r