What makes a Kawasaki a "KZ"?????

OK, this might be a dumb question but I have not found any answer. What makes a KZ a KZ? It seems to me they are air cooled inline 2-6 cyl Kawasakis that have vintages from the early 70s to the late 80s but that is pretty much all I can figure. Are they just KHI "production model" codes that may or may not correspond to the model names/numbers they marketed them under (i.e. GPz750 having the production code KZ750R1)? I know they used similar engines and frames on later models like the on the ZX series GPZs and ZR series bikes but they don't seem to also be considered KZs.

So, would anyone like to shed some light on this?

I thought it sorta signified "cruiser" for people who can't spell but I could be way off

Z1 is not a KZ even though the later models were the same configuration. KZ started in 76 with the 900. It would be pretty lonely if I joined a Z1 only site. I am a member of another one but it isn't as well visited. I'm happy to be part of the KZ family. The KZP went on long after the KZ's stopped. Where and why? I don't know.
Steve

have a go at this;
www.z-power.co.uk/merchantmanager/view_information.php?pId=22

My head hurts. :dry:
Steve

GPzMOD750 wrote: What makes a KZ a KZ?

That is not an easy question to answer. The short version is that the KZ designation as far as marketing and more importantly badging goes is a US/Canada thing only (I'm not entirely sure about South America), in the rest of the world, which would be Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa they're simply known as Z's: Z400, Z500, Z550, Z650 etc. up to Z1300.

Some say that Kawasaki dropped the KZ designation in Europe and elsewhere because of it's association to the German concentration camps during WW2 ( Konzentrationslager, commonly abbreviated KZ by the nazis), don't know if that is true, but that's what they say.

The odd thing is that even though my bikes were sold and registered/titled as Z's they still have a KZ in both the frame and engine number - what's even odder is that some bikes sold in the US under the KZ designation (one example according to Zedder.com is the 74 KZ 400) don't have a KZ in neither the frame nor engine number.

All I know, I was disappointed by the KZ logo.
Steve

davido wrote: have a go at this;
www.z-power.co.uk/merchantmanager/view_information.php?pId=22

Geez! Sorry I asked.

So, what about the "MKII" references, etc.?

Now that I liked. They added more smog equipment and made some changes.
Steve

Kawasaki even made 1 cylinder KZ models (i.e. KZ250 single; they also made KZ250 2-cylinder models). Ed

Zephyr is a KZ

Looks like one to me. :woohoo: I'm still wondering if that swing arm will fit my bike. :whistle:
Steve