Kawasaki Superbikes

The winner takes it all It is 1982. Like the year before Eddie Lawson captures the title Superbike champion. His bike is a converted Z1000 J type S1. 1982 was also the end of the seven year 1000cc AMA competition. For safety reasons AMA decided to reduce the maximum capacity to 750cc. His first championship inspired Kawasaki to develop a limited and street legal version of the Z1000 S1 racer. A tank badge bears the number 1 and the signature of Eddie Lawson surrounded by bay leaves. Only the 1982 model is a genuine “Eddie Lawson Replica”. It was followed by the 1983 “Superbike Replica” in two colour schemes and a modified tank badge. In 1984 the final version of this model range appeared, fitted with an 1100cc engine, two colour schemes and some other minor changes. After a second production year with an unchanged Z1100 R the chapter was closed in 1985.

This title introduces readers to some of the most exotic and eye-catching motorcycles of the past half-century. Each machine is an icon of its era and can be appreciated as much for its beauty as it can for its performance. With each profile featuring a short description, list of specifications, and adrenalized photography, these books will bring fun and spark imagination.

A Golden Era The story of how Kawasaki superbikes appeared on the stage and evolved over almost two decades is presented by Stefan R. Oehl in 8 volumes. The code name for the Z1 project “New York Steak” was already invented in 1971. Designed in accordance with the secret “The three S Styling Concept” (“Slim, Sleek and Sexy”), it would be the beginning of a legendary superbike series. Initially the major market for the Z1 was the USA and so the first road tests with the latest prototype versions (“V-bikes”) took place on US highways and raceways in early and mid 1972. To keep the project a secret, the engineers painted the motorcycles in Honda blue and installed Honda badges on the tank. Kawasaki presented its first four cylinder four stroke superbike the 900 Super Four Z1 to the public in 1972 on the bicycle and motorcycle exhibition IFMA in Cologne Germany.

And Then There Were Three The Z1000 A2A represented the “Top of the Range” for just a view months, “And Then There Were Three.” In 1979, a series of new Kawasaki superbike models appeared, with the most robust 1 litre Kawasaki engine version so far. The Z1000 Mk.II, Z1000 ST and Z1000 SHAFT not only looked futuristic, but they were also equipped with most of the features that customers expected from sport and touring motorcycles at the end of the seventies. Despite these advancements the bikes remained affordable. The challenge of environmental legal requirements related to the emissions of an engine demanded improvements, and how these were incorporated can be found here. You wanted to know details about a kardan-drive for a motorcycle? The answers can also be found here, the fourth book about the history of Kawasaki superbikes.