Used Kawasaki MFP

This is the MFP model variant of the Kawasaki range, available to buy at Steel City Classics.

MAD MAX: THE “GOOSE” BIKE GOSLING 1
Way back in 1979 there were no computers, no social media, no mobiles, no nothing really so how we got to hear about this new motorbike film coming out in the cinema was anybody’s guess.
Must have been word of mouth or maybe an ad in Motorcycle News or Motorcycle Weekly but in any case we got the message and we turned up to our local flea pit to watch it. It was not a “biker” film as such, it was more of futuristic end of the world movie but it did have lots of bikes in it, especially some 900 and 1000 Kawasaki Z bikes….
I am sure you have all seen it at some time in your life and it was to be fair, a little crap, filmed on a budget with a lot of unknown actors who had cut their teeth on a previous “biker” movie, STONE in 1974 which also starred a lot of old 1973/1974 Kawasaki Z1-900`s. Again not a particular good movie but well worth watching for the Z1`s and the main mans Norton pulling massive wheelies.
Only one actor really went on to greater things, Mel Gibson of course while the others cropped up in other Aussie classics like “prisoner cell block H”, although the actor who played Jim goose, Steve Bisley went on to his own crime drama show on the BBC and various hit shows in his native Australia.
These days they speak of Mad Max as a classic film of the 70`s which is pushing it a bit too far, the real stars were the bikes and the creator of the film, George Miller, went on to do 3 more movies without much to do with bikes and to me much less appealing.
Any way the production team managed to “loan” a handful of new Z1000`s from Kawasaki Australia and with a small budget of just a few thousand dollars they managed to produce some futuristic looking bikes. When I say futuristic I mean a bit of bodywork and loud exhaust, although I guess in 1979 we were all doing that sort of thing to our own bikes anyway?
The two main bikes were the “toecutters” bike, a Z1000 with a fairing and seat cowling finished in ugly black and has given what we call these days a “madmax” bike but the other bike was the “Jim Goose” police bike. No police badges on it as such, just the MFP stickers, which stood for MAIN FORCE PATROL. It was basically a toecutter bike but had all the bells and whistles that you would expect on this type of bike and was painted in a flash silver paintjob with hints of blue. It was an instant iconic bike that I always vowed to replicate one day.
Well that day came way back in 2010 when a Japanese company called White house produced a full replica kit, not for the Z1000 but for the Zephyr 1100 which was a very desirable bike in Japan at that time.
I had a contact in Japan so I got him to buy me the kit and send it over to me. The kit was expensive at the time, around £4500 but it came with all the bits and fully painted. To be honest it did not take too much effort to make it fit my Z1000 donor bike which I had already built.
I had seen a few garage built “goose” replicas on that new fangled “you tube” thing on my computer but none had all the bits like this kit, it was superb.
I reckon it stood me at £12000 fully finished and I was confident I would make money on it.
So we took it to a few shows and events, riding around with the blue lights flashing, the sirens wailing, shouting insults to others with the built in microphone but we could not sell it.
, it`s the challenge and the joy of doing it, well that’s what I told my accountant many times!Then 10 years later some magazine did an article on it and suddenly everybody was ringing me to see if I still had it and would I take £20,000 for it?. It`s not nice to see a grown man cry but I shed a fair few tears for many a month!
I tried to build another, but White House in Japan had moved on to other projects, mainly to do with Honda`s and were not producing any of the bits any longer.
I was obviously well ahead of my time, 10 years ahead in this case, but then I was building Eddie Lawson Replicas before Kawasaki did and I remember building a “café” racer many years before they became the new thing and least we forget, my first restoration of a 1973 Z1 was in 1978, that was only 5 years after they stopped making the dam things…..
Anyway, back to the story,
So, here I am now many years later building another, will I ever learn?
So the week before Christmas 2024 a big box arrived with the fairings and tailpiece in it. Probably the best Xmas present I have ever had. The supplier is AIR-TECH in California, Nice bit of kit but it comes unpainted, undrilled and with no screen and no brackets, and of course none of the MFP badges or any of the "police" equipment, so the job gets even harder. I see a few weeks of trawling the internet in store for me.......
I already had a supplier for the rear sets, exhaust and some other replica parts, so all I needed was a donor bike. Should be easy right? NO!, it would seem because the cost of a 900 model is now through the roof, then many Zed Heads have had to lower their sights and start looking for a Z1000 or even a Z650. So you know what happens then, the price of these bikes then start to rise. Supply and Demand has a lot to answer to.
So now, a scruffy 1977/1978 Z1000 is no longer £3-4k, oh no, its now £7-8k and a really good 1000 is £12k and a 650 is not far behind…
So now I have to spend a small fortune on an imported KZ1000 with all the good bits missing like most of the electrics and a rusted through tank and because it’s a KZ it only has a single disc up front and the rear disc is thinner than an after eight mint.
Anyway, I stripped the bike down to its bare bones and got on with the repairs to the frame.
I remember not so long ago, pulling a donor bike to pieces and just sending the frame to the powder coaters , they were that good but now they all seem to have damage to various brackets, stripped threads and lumps out of them.
This one was no exception so once again the welding gear was dusted off. Obviously these bikes are now over 45 years old and the remaining unrestored bikes, especially the imports, are probably write offs from the 70/80`s that were never meant to be resurrected
Tony at Pit stop motorcycles in Lowton (01942 684684) is my go to man for welding, so I dropped the frame and swing arm off to him for him to do is magic. The swing arm was ok, but I struggle getting the needle roller bearings out of those Z1000 arms, better to let Tony remove them.
There is nothing this guy can`t do and he was soon down on the floor, welding, grinding and making sure the frame was straight enough for the next stage.
Once he has done his job, then it`s off to Roger , another good old friend who has a rare bit of kit, a MOTO LINER frame straightener. Roger charges a couple of hundred quid to check the frames overfor me and normally all is ok as was in this case but it`s worth paying the money just for the peace of mind it gives me.
With all that done then it`s a trip to the powder coater.
You know, all things considered, powder coating is really cheap. All the bits for this bike including the wheels came to £200. That is excellent. I know some owners are having their frames and wheels blasted and then spraying them with rattle cans to obtain that factory finish but is it really worth it? And more to the point the original factory finish was never that good to start with. I spent many an hour at Knott Mill Kawasaki, where I worked in the 70`s, touching up frames with black Humbrol Enamel brush on paint on scratched frames where Kawasaki had roughly fitted the engines in. People forget what early bikes were really like, maybe it`s those rose tinted glasses again?
Anyway enough about politics, lets get back to the bike. Because this bike is a “special” then I can use a little bit of artistic flare and not bother too much about the correct date codes or the numbers on the top of the bolts, in fact I am going to use some Allen bolts and some stainless parts, makes a change from my original Z1 production line!
A few days later and the frame work and wheels are back. I always run a tap through all the threads, even though the coaters tape them up. Nothing worse than snapping a bolt at this stage.
Next job is to fit a set of taper roller head bearing to the headstock and bottom yoke. Like I said before, no need to fit the original races and fiddly ball bearings to this bike. Also ii fit new bearings in the swing arm and a new pivot shaft. Then I am ready to fit the motor in.
I have already rebuilt the engine so because the engine is in one piece i decided to "cheat" and fit the frame over the engine by laying the motor on its right side and then carefully locating the frame into the relevant position. This makes sure none of the frame gets scratched.
I prepared it with some protective duct tape just to make sure...... You only then have to fit the bottom rear and top front engine mounts and bolts and it is then secure enough to lift up.. Make the job really easy!
Well, the engine is in the frame and it is time to start bolting things onto it. Firstly I fitted the main stand and the side stand which had been previously powder coated gloss black. After fitting the bottom yoke and the standard rear swing arm, everything else just seems to fall into place. What I mean is that all the other parts just fasten to these 3 main items. The rear shocks are first, I am using a set of the USA type chrome shocks. All new fasteners are used. Then I fit the rear brake torque arm along with new bolts.
The front forks on the donor bike were straight enough but the chrome inners were pitted and the lowers were well scratched ,so Steve Smethurst did a cleaning and polishing job on the lowers and I got a set of new pattern fork inner tubes from Z-power along with new seals, dust seals and fork tops. Once assembled and filled with 10w fork oil, I then slid them into the bottom yoke and then fitted the top yoke along with the big central chrome securing bolt. Because of the fairing I will not need any headlamp brackets or any of the collars. Not sure yet where the front indicators are going to fit, I need to wait until the fairing is fitted to see what clearance I have.I fitted a new short chrome front fender and a polished front fork brace. A twin front disc set up was also fitted.
The Goose bike had a set of straight bars on it, a bit like Vincent Flats so I got a set of chrome bars from one of my suppliers but the problem is that the controls are too close to the clocks, especially the front brake master cylinder, so I had to fit a set of alloy handlebar risers to get some extra clearance. These did the job nicely.
New original type switchgear and clutch lever assembly were then fitted along with a new round master cylinder and new handlebar grips. I built up a new set of standard clocks using pattern parts from Z-power with custom “goose” designed clock faces
A new set of rubber and metal brake pipes were fitted and a new 4-way brake junction box. The rear disc was so badly worn that it needed replacing. A new original one is not available and most used parts are as just as bad as mine so I decided to fit a new EBC item. I know it does not look 100% right but it has to be better?. Warped rear discs were always a problem on the Z1000 models.
New sprocket cush drive rubbers were fitted and a new rear sprocket along with new bolts and tab washers. I had previously re-zinced the original rear axle, chain adjusters and spacers, so it was a simple job of just putting them all together. Then I fitted the whole lot into the swing arm and fitted a new DID 630 x 92 link o`ring chain. A standard black plastic chain guard was fitted along with new bolts. The bike is now just about a rolling chassis.
No rear fender is going to be used but I did not like the idea of having a space under the seat so I used a alloy fender eliminator kit. The original plastic inner fender was also fitted.
I also made up a neat small number plate bracket that will tidy up the back end and sit against the Goose tail piece.
Then it was time to fit the other frame parts, the battery box, electrical panel and air box support. All been powder coated in gloss black of course.
I then fitted a new set of wiring, new main loom and connectors all the way through and a new ignition/lock set. The original loom was ok but had suffered the usual bodges here and there, not worth messing about with really; new parts are not that expensive. The original locks were well worn out after years of abuse.
A new set of standard rear indicators and stems were fitted and a new horn, new starter solenoid, new fuse box and one of the combined regulator/rectifiers that Z-power sell.
I did not want to trust the original units, there were after all over 45 years old. I then fitted a new sealed battery and turned the ignition on. Everything lit up which is always a bonus although I can’t check the tail light yet, because that needs to be fitted to the Goose tail piece first. I did plug in an old headlamp I had lying around just to check it. Everything was fine and the starter motor turned over nicely as well.
The footrest was next. Not having any rear ones of course and the Goose bike had a set of rear sets fitted up front. The nearest set I could find close the original bike was a set from PMC in Japan, not cheap at £550 but not really got any other option. Like most of the stuff from Japan, the finish is superb and the fit is excellent. The master cylinder for the rear brake is part of the right footrest bracket and the reservoir neatly fastens to the top shock mounting, very neat.Next up was the exhaust, I used an original 4 exhaust downpipe system that I had ceremically coated in silver then chopped off the rusty old silencers and grafted on a set of replica Z1000 MK11 silencers to give that 4-2 look .I did have to make some brackets for the rear fastening but all in all I am well pleased with it.
I then fitted a new set of control cables and tied up all the loose wires with cable ties. Like I said before, I am using a lot of Allen bolts instead of the original Kawasaki bolts which keeps the costs down and frankly, look better as well.
I then bled the front and rear brakes. Quite an easy job when all the parts are new of course but I do cheat a little and use an auto bleeder kit.
So the main stay of the bike is complete, just need to sort out the carbs next.
I have the standard Mikuni 26mm carbs put to one side and I need to strip them, get the main parts off to Steve Smethurst for cleaning and polishing and then rebuild them. Not one of my favourite jobs but it as to be done. I used to love the smell of petrol when you open the garage door in the morning before a ride but not so much now. Must be all these modern bikes I ride? They don’t smell at all!
So the next big job is preparing the bike for the Goose parts. Before I can start thinking of painting the body work I need to get the fairing brackets sorted. The body kit comes with nothing. My son has a 3D printer so we are going to design some brackets and print them out before we try to fabricate them in metal. There is a lot of drilling of holes still need to be done as well for the various bolt on parts. And of course, the work required in fitting the rear tail piece and wiring for the extra “police” parts, like the radio, siren and blue lights.
The fairing did not come with a screen either and the only place doing them is a shop in the USA at £200 + shipping… The bill is getting bigger and bigger…………………..
Next job was to sort out the ignition set up. I am using a Boyer Bransden system on this bike which simplifies things. I am using a set of replica “standard” coils on the bike, no need for the Dyna coils. A set of NGK B8ES plugs and some NGK plugs cap finish the job off. I turn the motor over by hand and it sparks in all the right places. I am tempted to start the bike up but I don’t want to fill the carbs yet. I am not ready for the disappointing vision of the petrol overflowing, but enough of these pessimistic thoughts, I am sure it will be fine.
I have a new tank and side panels ready for painting along with the “goose” bodywork but I still have not got the fairing brackets made. I need to get this fairing bracket thing sorted out real soon. The tank I am using is a standard Z1 item with original badges but with the “KWAKA” decals above them. They did use the standard Z1000 badges on the side panels though with a Kawasaki “flying K” decal above them. If you watch the film closely you will notice the single seat is a right mess, rips everywhere and bits falling off it. I am using a custom seat from PMC in Japan with the tail piece actually attached to the rear of it. This means the seat utilises the original hinges and lock which in turn still allows access to underneath the seat in case you need to get to battery and electics box. Makes a lot more sense than the one that bolts to the frame like on that original Goose bike I built all those years ago. That was a real pain to get to the battery box and required over 30 minutes of dismantling. I have secured the tailpiece to the seat by drilling 4 holes into the seat base and bolting the fibreglass tail piece to it. A few more holes were needed in the tailpiece to mount the rear light unit and the aerial. All looks good. Better to drill the holes now before it gets painted, I wouldn’t want to crack the paint once it eventually gets done!A few fabricators have let me down on making the main fairing bracket, but I managed to persuade a good friend of mine in Derby to have a go at them and he stepped up to the mark and did a really good job of them. I should have tried him earlier of course but the thought never occurred!
He made me three sets, two for me and another for a customer who was in the same situation as me. I give him a mock up engine and frame and all the fairing parts and he knocked them up in a couple of weeks. Because I had already powder coated the frame I did not want anything that needed welding to the headstock so he made a plate to fit the headstock which is held on with U bolts. The rest of the brackets mount to the various existing engine mounts which is really neat and makes the fairing a very sturdy fit.
He did really well considering the replica goose fairing is a copy of a copy of a copy, from all the way back from the 1970`s. So I was not surprised when I came to fit it to the real bike and found I had to cut it here, shape it there and make a few holes for the engine cases, especially the left side alternator cover. Of course, my man in Derby did not have the entire bike so it was inevitable that there would be some modifying of the various pieces.
Annoyingly, the clutch lever cleared the top fairing on full lock but the front brake lever didn’t, so I had to first cut a notch in the top fairing and then cut a piece out to make it all fit.
Then there was the job of drilling the holes for all the Police bits like the mirror, siren, badges and blue lights and making a bracket for the emergency light and siren box. I hate drilling fibre glass body work, it is so easy to crack.
My biggest worry was drilling the holes for the screen but luckily the supplier of the screen give me a special drill bit and a piece of acrylic on which to practice on and after a dozen practice holes I was confident enough to drill the actual screen. At £200 for a screen it was well worth the practice!
The fairing is not the best bit of kit I have had to work with and there were times when a little bit of panic set in, but after a few days work I was happy enough to take it all off, parcel it up and send it off to Kevin at Dream Machine for painting. I am looking forward to getting it all back so I can assemble it and finish it all off for good.
After many long months waiting for Dream Machine to finish the paintwork off I finally picked it up from their shop in Nottingham. It was well worth the wait, Kevin had made a great job of it and I was well pleased with the results. Apparently Kev and his team had spent many hours watching the original 70`s film to get the details right…I almost felt sorry for them but then.. it is a great film!
The colour is an old Kawasaki colour, Galaxy Silver with a bright blue fogging. They painted the inside of the fairing in a matt black. To stiffen up the flimsy fibreglass construction, Kev gave it five coats of clear lacquer and I have to admit it feels much more substantial then when I gave it to him.
I rushed straight back to the workshop and within a few hours I had dry fitted the full kit to see what it looked like. I had already pre-drilled a lot of the mounting holes so little was needed to get it attached to the various mounting brackets. All I really had to do was drill a few extra holes for the mirrors, blue lights, aerial and the speaker horn.
I fitted the original Kawasaki rear tail light unit to the tailpiece and then mounted this to the seat utilising the four M6 holes I had previously drilled. Like I said before, this lifts up with the seat to aid easy access to the battery.
I fitted a new cap and tap to the fuel tank and placed this on the frame. New Z1000 badges were fastened to the side panels.Aligning the headlamp centrally in the top fairing was a bit of a job, I had to give it 4 attempts before I got it centralised which required taking the fairing off 4 times as well. Once I was happy I fitted the fasteners loosely. Then came the job of the lowers, fitting one side at a time. This proved quite challenging because with the top fairing in place the holes I had drilled just did not line up? So it was a case of assembling the full fairing off the bike and then offering it up to the brackets and a bit of pulling and pushing until it was all lined up. Cracking the paint was not an option so it was a tedious careful few hours! Then came the job of fitting the screen. Again it was a very careful procedure, at £200 for the screen I did not want to end up with any cracks.
When my man John made the fairing bracket he had not tried to mount the front indicators to the holes he had put in it so when I tried, the heads of the original type indicators fouled the bottom of the fairing. So I had to make a few small extensions to lower them by around 35mm. They then fitted perfectly.
On the right side of the lower fairing sits the small mirror which is pretty useless but looks right.
On the left side is the speaker which I had to wire into the siren/microphone box that I had mounted to the fairing bracket. I managed to get a set of Blue marker lights for the top fairing and then had the job of making them flash! I did finally sort it by using an indicator flasher unit.
The aerial on the tailpiece is a short stinger type but I can`t be 100% sure on what colour it should be?
When you watch the film it rarely shows the aerial because apparently it kept getting broken off by riders getting on the bike. My man Dale who rode the bike on the original film told me this and said it got fitted with both black and chrome aerials but mostly with none! So I have fitted a black one.
So, the moment of truth, it was time to start it for the first time.
I put a little fuel in the tank, turned on the ignition, hit the button and it burst into life.
After a minute or two it settled into a steady tick over along with a disappointingly muffled exhaust note, the original bike was a lot louder but eh! It’s not 1979 anymore.
“See you on the road skag”
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