Kawasaki Z celebrates 40 years
From the original Z1 in 1972 to the new Z1000 in 2012, the Kawasaki Z has come a long way...The year was 1972. Kawasaki whipped the covers off its Z1, a motorcycle that for many regard as redefining the high performance motorcycle market in early '70s.
And now, the famous Z model celebrates its 40th anniversary.
When Kawasaki decided to forge ahead with a high performance naked bike in the early '70s, no one really knew what the outcome would be.
It was codenamed 'New York Steak' during development but the letter Z was later chosen because it was the last letter in the alphabet, at the extreme end of the spectrum. And the number one? It could be seen as arrogant, but it was chosen to represent number one in the world.
The Kawasaki Z1 was the world's first mass-produced sports bike to be powered by a DOHC four-cylinder engine, technology that was generally reserved for factory race bikes.
Nevertheless, Kawasaki wanted to make a statement, so the 903cc four-banger was green lit, which ensured the Z1 was the fastest production motorcycle of its era.
And then the bike was launched and the public's response to it was favourable, delivering Kawasaki significant sales boosts in Europe and North America. It also had a successful career on the race track, the DOHC engine gaining a reputation for durability.
The original Kawasaki Z1 kicked off what has now been four decades of the Z bike, which has seen popular models such as the 1977 Z1-R, the 1978 Z1300 and the 1982 Z1000R.
Fast forward to the 21st century and in 2010 Kawasaki revealed an all-new Z1000, which the Japanese company based around a 'super-naked' concept.
The new generation 2010 Z1000 ditched the previous model's superbike platform and was given a custom aluminium frame and chassis, along with a heavily revised 1043cc four-cylinder engine.
The rear suspension featured a new horizontal back-link setup while the design was angular and edgy, like a motorcycle from a futuristic Japanese anime.
And so the history of the Z brand continues, and it will be interesting to see what Kawasaki delivers for the next generation Z bike…
Kawasaki has set up a comprehensive 'History of Z' mini site that you check out at Kawasaki.com.au/History-of-Z.
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