Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 Replica

By The Motorcycle Classics Staff
Published on October 6, 2011
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Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
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AMA Superbike champ Reg Pridmore with Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
AMA Superbike champ Reg Pridmore with Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
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AMA Superbike champ Reg Pridmore with tuner Pierre des Roches after winning at Pocono in 1977.
AMA Superbike champ Reg Pridmore with tuner Pierre des Roches after winning at Pocono in 1977.
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Pridmore gives Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica a track test.
Pridmore gives Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica a track test.
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Both Pridmore and designer Craig Vetter’s signatures adorn the gas tank on Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
Both Pridmore and designer Craig Vetter’s signatures adorn the gas tank on Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
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Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
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Wolff’s homage to tuner des Roches on rear fender of Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
Wolff’s homage to tuner des Roches on rear fender of Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica.
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The simple aluminum sidecover on Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica is a faithful reproduction of the original.
The simple aluminum sidecover on Mike DiSabatino's Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 replica is a faithful reproduction of the original.

Although it’s easy to forget, the American road racing circuit hasn’t always been dominated by Japanese motorcycles. In 1976, Reg Pridmore rode to victory in the first-ever American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike Championship riding a BMW R90S.

It wasn’t until the next year, 1977, that Pridmore became the first rider to win a U.S. Superbike national race on a Japanese motorcycle when he won the AMA Superbike race at Pocono that year, piloting a Pierre des Roches-tuned Racecrafters Kawasaki KZ1000 to victory. Running #163, Pridmore went on to win the championship on the Racecrafters Kawi in 1977, and then again in 1978 on the Team Vetter Kawasaki KZ1000.

When vintage race bike enthusiast Mike DiSabatino decided to build a tribute vintage racer honoring the early days of Superbike racing, he couldn’t think of anything better than to honor the Kawasaki KZ1000 and Reg Pridmore by making his own rendition of the famous #163 Vetter Kawasaki KZ1000. His personal twist was to make it street legal.

Coincidence or fate?

DiSabatino didn’t come to this lightly. A CPA by day and avid motorcyclist when time allows, DiSabatino was the founder and developer of SportbikeS.com, once the highest-trafficked motorcycle site on the web. He’s also the executive director of Riders University, a registered public charity for the benefit of training motorcycle riders.

Once he’d decided to do the build, DiSabatino started looking for someone to handle the actual construction and discussed the project with several willing wrenches. The project eventually caught the attention of Thad Wolff, an ex-AMA Superbike racer and motorcycle restorer with more than a few projects under his wing.

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