Kawasaki Z1000 - Liter Legacy

In 1977, Kawasaki introduced the Z1000 (known as the KZ1000 in the US), succeeding the iconic Z900.

The Z1000 maintained the classic good looks of the Z1, but with 85hp it was able to compete with new machinery from suzuki with their GS1000 and Honda with their new generation of DOHC models like the CB900F and CBX1000 Six.

kawasaki z1000 red

The Z1000 Kawasaki had just one disc brake up front in the US (with a second available as an additional extra), whereas in Europe the bike came standard with twin discs. Both versions, however, received disc brakes on the rear as opposed to the rear drum that graced the earlier Z1.

The Z1 had 4 exhaust pipes, but for the new Z1000 Kawasaki decided a 4-into-2 Jardine exhaust was more fitting and more cost-effective. The rear end was made up of a swing arm with two coil-over shocks and it weighed in at over 255kg wet.

The Kawasaki Z1000 set the bar for the liter-capacity bikes that would follow and was one of the fastest production motorcycles of its time. It was only until their GPZ900 that followed years later, that the Kawasaki Z1000 was knocked off the top spot of Japanese Superbikes.

At CMSNL, we boast an extensive collection of Z1000 spare parts readily available for delivery. Explore our vast inventory of new and old stock and reproduction components on our website today.