Cost when new?

missionkz wrote:

RonKZ650 wrote: If you paid $2000 for a new 77 KZ1000 you got one heck of a good deal. A KZ650 sold for $2000 list back then, the KZ1000 was $3000 give or take. I bought the new KZ650 because I couldn't fathom spending the extra $1000. Some prices I remember give or take a few hundred bucks.
1979 Honda CBX $3999
1978 Z1R $3600
1982 GPZ1100 $4499
1983 GPZ750 $3399
1978 KZ750 twin $1800
1986 Yamaha FZ750 $4900
1988 Yamaha FZR1000 $5800
Prices have gone up over the years, but a motorcycle is still a huge bargain. Prices went up drastically in 1984 due to the Harley Davidson bailout that raised prices 25% from 1983 to 1984 on big Japanese motorcycles.

Dang it. Yeah. You're right.
My wife just pointed out that my crappy eyes fail me on this old piece of paper and it actually says $2880.00. ☹️
Still happy with the purchase 39 years later.

That makes the price $11,348 in 2016. Even more impressive.

In Dec 1877 I paid $3,200 Aust registered, for my 1978 Z1R, it was one of the first into Australia - Victoria. Later in 1978 they dropped the price to $2,800 for UK imports (New) because they didn't sell well with the 13 litre fuel tank.

Also later that year they supplied an 18ltr fuel tank for the 1978 Z1R for $300 A to stop us from bitching about the low cruising distance. I still have that tank in A1 condition.

June, 1978 I was a Junior in High school and paid $1780.00 for my new KZ650. Still have and ride it.

I've got the original sales receipt for my 73 Z1... $2,145.75 with taxes and tags.

A friend of mine bought one of the 78 Black Molly Z1Rtc's. It was $5,300. I think the standard Z1R was less than $4K at the time. He had to sign a release saying basically that this bike will probably kill you and if it does it is not Kawasaki's fault.
A local dealer had an 82 ELR for $4,200. I remember thinking there's no way I would be seen riding a bright lime green motorcycle. My riding buddies would be rolling on the ground with laughter. Looking back now, if you could actually kick yourself in the a$$, I wouldn't be able to sit down from all the bruises.

Bozo wrote: In Dec 1877 I paid $3,200 Aust registered, for my 1978 Z1R, it was one of the first into Australia - Victoria. Later in 1978 they dropped the price to $2,800 for UK imports (New) because they didn't sell well with the 13 litre fuel tank.

Also later that year they supplied an 18ltr fuel tank for the 1978 Z1R for $300 A to stop us from bitching about the low cruising distance. I still have that tank in A1 condition.

Rutherford B. Hayes was elected U.S. president that year too.

Shabba wrote:

Bozo wrote: In Dec 1877 I paid $3,200 Aust registered, for my 1978 Z1R, it was one of the first into Australia - Victoria. Later in 1978 they dropped the price to $2,800 for UK imports (New) because they didn't sell well with the 13 litre fuel tank.

Also later that year they supplied an 18ltr fuel tank for the 1978 Z1R for $300 A to stop us from bitching about the low cruising distance. I still have that tank in A1 condition.

Rutherford B. Hayes was elected U.S. president that year too.

I was waiting for someone else to notice that also :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I ignored it. I knew what he meant.
Steve

swest wrote: I ignored it. I knew what he meant.
Steve

I did too but I needed a good laugh.

Some other things I remember, the 78 Z1R had a glut of bikes in showrooms and they lowered the price on them to around $2500 in late 1978. I would have bought one except for the color which didn't excite me, then in 1983 they had the $1.00 a cc rebate on all Kawasaki's so you could buy a new GPZ1100 or ELR for around $3300. This kind of killed resale value for those that bought new earlier. I wanted the new CB1100F Honda which was only like $3800, but my GPZ1100 value was low to say the least after that rebate deal. I still have my 1978 KZ650B I got when I was a junior in high school just like baldy, but it was right at $2000. Still live 1 mile from where I bought it and the surviving guys from the shop are still friends after all these years.

The Burr Ridge Kaw dealership where I got mine is now a pizza place

Purchased brand new Z1 off the showroom floor in 1973 at it's sticker price of $1,995 plus state sales tax and relatively painless nominal DMV fees for title issuance and license plate.

Am thinking that $1,995 was in 1973 a commonly listed showroom price for a new Z1 throughout most of the USA.

Good Fortune!

Bought a 72 Honda 750 for 1,650 out the door in 73 and still kick myself for not trying to come up with the extra 4 - 500 or so for the 900 Kaw...... then got into dirt bikes till 1980 when I bought my used Kz650 for 1,100 with 1,700 mile on it from a friend..... (feel like a traitor saying this but) I was planning on a Honda 6 and accually put down a down payment on a 79 Suzuki 1000 before I decided it was gonna cost me too much.

Got a new 1978 IT 175 Yamaha dirt bike just before for 1,050 out the door and was the owner of the place hot at the sales man...... He said a day or two later when I picked it up the only reason he wasn't refusing to sell it to me is cause I put down a down payment of either 50 or 100 dollars and had gotten the loan...... checked a couple other places and their lowest price was 1,375..... a friend of mine kinda did the same thing buying a 750 Harley (the special track cafe bike)?? that they made around 78 for 2,995 when the lowest the owner would have gone was 3,995.... but like in my case the loan was done and the bike was gone when he (the owner) got back a week later. The owner wanted it back and they really went around for a while but my bud refused and the bike shop finally gave in.