Beschreibung:

• Restored example of a milestone superbike • Reproduction exhaust, many NOS parts • Correct 'Candy Super Blue' paint In the history of any motorcycle manufacturer there are models that are more important than others, that become significant milestones in the history of the company – that, indeed, define the marque. For Kawasaki that motorcycle was the original Z1. Until late in 1972 Kawasaki's model line was anchored by the scorchingly fast, wheelie-happy H1 500 and H2 750 two-stroke triples. That year's introduction of the four-stroke, four-cylinder 903cc Z1 caught virtually everyone by surprise, especially arch-rival Honda, who suddenly found its swift-selling CB750 facing some genuine marketplace opposition. Up until then Honda's Four had been the recognized leader in the new superbike arena, but here came the Z1 packing an extra 150cc and fitted with sexy double overhead cams as compared to the CB750's solitary camshaft. With 82hp on tap, top speed was around 130mph, both figures beyond the Honda's grasp. Advantage Kawasaki, as duly noted by the staff at Cycle magazine. "The Kawasaki 903 Z1 is the most modern motorcycle in the world," they wrote in the November 1972 issue. "It is also the fastest. It is above all the first of a new generation of bikes ... a generation which will come close to being , within reason, all things to all people, capable of nattering down quiet country roads packing double one minute and rotating the Earth with incomprehensible acceleration the next." Kawasaki took special care that the Z1's styling was not seen as a copy of the Honda's, an objective which, thanks to a beautifully shaped gas tank, distinctive mufflers and jutting tail section, was clearly achieved. In fact, from Day One the larger Z1 appeared no heavier than Honda's smaller-displacement CB750. Put to use in everything from AMA Superbike racing to cross-country touring to police work, the Z1 established a strong foundation for all the Kawasaki four-strokes that would follow, while spawning a number of derivatives – 900 LTD, KZ1000, Z1-R, etc. – remaining in the market, in its various configurations, until 1984 when the air-cooled design was retired. Today, as so often occurs, it is the earlier examples that stand out from the pack. Forty-five years down the road, few would disagree that those first Z1s are truly milestone motorcycles. The machine offered here is an example of the mildly revised Z1-B model. Introduced in 1975, it featured different gas tank livery and a bare alloy finish for the engine's upper half (first seen on the Z1-A, the Z1's having been black), together with minor mechanical alterations, including the adoption of an O-ring drive chain and deletion of the chain oiler. Subject of an impeccable restoration, it is fitted with a reproduction exhaust system; otherwise, rehabbed original or NOS replacement parts appear to have been used throughout.