Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1-R
Into the "R" Zone
November/December 2009
By Robert Smith
 |
Kawasaki Z1-R
Photo by Robert Smith
|
Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1-R
Years produced: 1978 and 1980
Claimed power: 90hp @ 8,000rpm
Top speed: 132mph (period test)
Engine type: 1,016cc air-cooled DOHC inline four
Weight (dry): 245kg (541lb) (563lb w/half full tank)
Price then: $3,695
Price now: $2,000-$5,000
MPG: 45 (avg.)
RELATED CONTENT
From Triumph cylinder kits to Arai’s latest helmet, these are six cool products every classic bike ...
Motorcycle shops used to be small, friendly, family-owned affairs. These days, a lot of motorcycle ...
Keeping any classic machine on the road is a combination of who you know and what you know, and thi...
Rockers and mods coexist, Texas style...
Not surprisingly, Bonhams’ record-breaking price for the Verrall Vincent is sparking more interest...
The 1970s produced the most dramatic transformation the motorcycle industry has seen before or since. The Z1-R proves the point.
In 1969, all street bikes were standards. Fairings were for race bikes. Twins dominated the big bike market. And “big” meant either a 650cc British bike or an overweight, underpowered 1,200cc V-twin from Milwaukee. Bikes leaked oil and were started with a kick; most small bikes were smoky 2-strokes and many needed pre-mix; wheels were wired, brakes were drums; and the “ton” (100mph) was a magic figure, often approached but rarely bettered.
A decade later, four Japanese manufacturers had a stranglehold on the industry, and their internecine competition (which to the public looked like sheer exuberance) had given the world fast, powerful motorcycles with three, four and even six cylinders, alloy wheels and triple disc brakes. They made close to 100hp/liter, and were capable of more than 130mph. You could park them in your living room without staining the carpet, and a simple push of a button spun the engine to smooth, purring life. The Superbike era was well and truly upon us.
But within a few short years, those easily jaded motorcycle journalists, instead of being astonished by these engineering marvels, casually grouped all Japanese bikes together with the prosaic abbreviation “UJM,” for Universal Japanese Motorcycle.
“King of the Road”
In the late Sixties, Japanese motorcycles were mostly small 2-stroke twins and singles or small 4-stroke twins from suck-squeeze-bang-blow devotee Honda. The first intimation that things were about to change came in late 1968 with the announcement of the Honda CB750 Four. At first, the competition stuck with their 2-strokes: Kawasaki with its H1 and H2 triples, and Suzuki with the Titan and GT750, while Yamaha seemed to take more of a wait and see approach — though its XS650 did give it a toehold in the big bike 4-stroke market.
Kawasaki was first to drop the other shoe. It’s widely reported that the K-men were working on their own single overhead cam 750 four under the project code name “New York Steak” when they heard about the new Honda. The design brief was subsequently altered to leapfrog Honda with an extra camshaft and another 150cc of capacity — there being no replacement for displacement, of course.
Page: 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Next >>