KZ1000 and Z1000 questions!!!!!!

Hi all,
I've got some questions about a bike project. I have '79 KZ1000 that runs great! It's fast for it's age but not anything like a new bike. I see that they built KZ1000P's up around 2002. How fast are they compared to my old bike? Does Kawasaki make a newer sport-bike that is 1000 cc's and air cooled? What was the last year for the regular KZ1000's? and how fast were they?

Also, I'm looking for some info about the old KZ1000 drag bikes. I've been told that many drag racers used them because they were so fast. What mods were used?

Thanks in advance!
Randall

mods were endless depending on wallet and balls! :laugh: check the misc motorcycle pictures posts

Well Randall, let me answer a few of these huge questions:

Alabaster wrote:

Does Kawasaki make a newer sport-bike that is 1000 cc's and air cooled?

I think the last attempt that Kawasaki made an aircooled inline four and imported into the USA was the 1992/1993 ZR1100 aka Zephyr.

What was the last year for the regular KZ1000's?

The last year that Kawasaki made a 1000cc bike that was officially a 'KZ' (and not a P bike) was 1983 and that was a KZ1000-J3...those made it to Canada and Europe

Very nice!! Thank you very much, I think that Zephyr will fit my needs. It has to be faster than my 79 KZ1000. Now, if I can only find one....

Alabaster wrote:

Very nice!! Thank you very much, I think that Zephyr will fit my needs. It has to be faster than my 79 KZ1000. Now, if I can only find one....

Several of our members have them...JTMcCullogh leaps to mind...you can expect to pay a fair amount for one, if one can be located...perhaps as much as US$4000. They were only imported to North America for two years or so and didn't sell well, so there aren't many around.

Why not just make you KZ1000 faster?

T_Dub wrote:

Why not just make you KZ1000 faster?

I'd love to but I am unsure of the mods required. Bigger pistons, bored cylinders, cams, carbs.... ?? And what about that heavy frame?

I'm sure the guys with KZ1000's will chime in soon, but I'll start off. Seems like the thing to do is bore out to 1075, that will bump your CR to 10.25:1. Then throw on some 29mm smoothbore carbs and some street cams and an exhaust, and you'll have quite a bit more power. I think thats the exact setup timebomb33 has on one of his bikes.

As for the frame/susp, I doubt the Zephyr will be lighter, as it was basically just a Japanese continuation of the line they tried out over here, if I understand correctly. And the frame on these is pretty good, you can get bracing kits for them too that are welded in. And then are all the various suspension mods people have done over the years, swapping out swingarms and forks for newer/lighter stuff from different bikes.

For example, on my 650, I'm boring to 810, with GPz750 cams, big carbs, a yosh pipe, and pod filters. I'm adding progressive fork springs up front until I get the caash to get some late model forks and a front wheel. And i'm having a custom swingy made to accomodate a 2008 CBR600RR rear wheel/brakes/etc. I'm kee[ing the dual shock setup though, using aftermarket shocks I bought last year. The new pipe and rear wheel should cut weight by a fair bit, and the big rear tire should help put the power down a bit better.

Check out www.kzzone.com . Lots of stuff on there for 1000's.

The 81 up KZ1000 was a lot faster than the pre 1981, but not near as reliable. I'd love to have my KZ1000J back again, but I'll keep the 79 and 80 that are a much better motorcycle all the way around in my opinion. Whenever you try to make stuff faster reliability and drivability will suffer. I know there's exceptions to this, but many times it's true. You raise the compression, pump gas no longer will work worth a dang. Add bigger pistons you get increased vibration. There's always a tradeoff and to me it's not worth the tradeoff to try to make a streetbike run better. But other guys do it and have better luck. Also the Zephyr is a nice enough motorcycle, but it was made 2 yrs. That's not good news in the parts situation. Kawasaki has discontinued all parts for them so it's going to be a little harder to maintain.

T_Dub wrote:

Check out www.kzzone.com . Lots of stuff on there for 1000's.

Awesome, I'll do it!