1973 Kawasaki Z1: King of the Road
(Page 3 of 5)
May/June 2006
By Margie Siegal
In contrast, the British factories, whose owners would not — or could not — invest in new manufacturing equipment, continued to produce motorcycles that weren't far removed from the late 1940s. Enthusiasts loved the British designs, but the average rider wanted to hit a starter button and go. And on Japanese bikes, they could.
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Against this backdrop, Kawasaki decided to attract attention by designing a two-wheeled rocket ship: The Mach III, a three-cylinder, two-stroke powerhouse, was unveiled in 1968.
The Mach III (also known as the H1) produced a claimed 60hp from its piston-port two-stroke engine and was good for 125mph. Although it had exceptional straight-line performance, the Mach III's uncertain handling and inadequate brakes (for the first couple of years at least) made it into something people either loved or hated. Either way, the Mach III got Kawasaki what it wanted: instant name recognition and a reputation for making very aggressive motorcycles.
About the same time that the Mach III hit the market, Kawasaki's engineers started working on a big four-stroke. There were several reasons for concentrating on four-stroke development. For starters, Kawasaki was acutely aware of a building sentiment to tighten environmental regulations, and that it would be difficult to build two-stroke engines to meet strict emissions standards.
And surveys and dealer interviews established a customer preference for a large-capacity four-stroke: And retailers felt a four-stroke would have broader appeal to the motorcycle buying public than the drag strip-inspired two-strokes Kawasaki was building.
Kawasaki's large displacement four-stroke project, code-named “New York Steak,” was well underway when Honda presented its 750 Four at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1968. Kawasaki was shocked by Honda's new 750, and decided the New York Steak had to be bigger and better than the 750 in every way. Kawasaki abandoned plans for a release date in the near future and went back to the drawing board.
The Steak was originally intended to be a 750, but grew considerably before it was finally unveiled in late 1972. The new Kawasaki engine featured four compact cylinders and was only a half-inch wider than the contemporary Honda Four. It had an exactly square bore and stroke (66mm x 66mm) for a displacement of 903cc and double overhead cams. Eighty-two horses were claimed to be on tap (although magazine tests showed this to be somewhat optimistic), and the big bike's estimated top speed was 133mph (period tests gave 120mph).
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