Café Racer New Style rebuilds a middleweight KZ… Introduced in 1974, the Kawasaki KZ400 was designed as a “bigger and better CB350” (Cycle Guide, 1979). While the KZ didn’t have the smoky sex appeal of […]
Tag: Kawasaki KZ
The Z: Kawasaki Z650 Scrambler
SW-MOTECH Cofounder Jürgen Swora’s Z650! The Kawasaki Z650 was designed by none other than the grandmaster himself, Gyoichi “Ben” Inamura, designer of the legendary Z1. Introduced in 1976, it quickly earned as reputation as the […]
Turbo Tracker: Kawasaki KZ440 by Slyfox Customs
“Words can’t describe the sound this thing makes as it comes onto boost.” Back in 1974, Kawasaki built a plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, to produce their new KZ400 twin, becoming the first foreign manufacturer to […]
Raptor Red Roadster: Kawasaki KZ1000 by MotoRelic
Sean Skinner of MotoRelic builds a red-hot KZ… Introduced in 1977, the Kawasaki KZ1000 would set the standard for generations of liter-size superbikes to come. The 1015cc engine boasted 90 horsepower in factory trim, good […]
The Rickman Zed: 1075cc Air/Oil-Cooled Cafe Racer
Thirty Years with a Rickman Z900: From 1/4-mile sprinter to cafe racer… Rickman Motorcycles, founded by brothers Derek and Don Rickman — both AMA Hall-of-Famers — is possibly the world’s best-known name in motorcycle frames. […]
STG Tracker: Kawasaki KZ750 Twin
In 1976, Kawasaki introduced the KZ750 Twin, meant to compete against large-bore vertical twins like the Triumph Bonneville, Yamaha XS650, and the bygone British twins of yesteryear. But the KZ was no throwback — the […]
Aquafresh: Kawasaki KZ1000 Cafe Racer
A big-bore Kawa from Mitsuaki Shinohara… The Kawasaki KZ1000 is one of the baddest air-cooled muscle bikes of the 1970s. Introduced in 1976, the bike won the 1977 and 1978 AMA Superbike Championship, and the […]
Kawasaki KZ400 “MoneyPenny” by WKND Customs
Built for a female air force officer… The original Kawasaki KZ400 twin, introduced during the oil crisis in 1974, was billed as a middleweight commuter, featured in magazine advertisements alongside a VW Beetle with the […]
Whoa, Black Betty: Kawasaki KZ400 by Classic Moto Works
The Kawasaki KZ400 was an air-cooled twin built from 1974-1980 out of plants in Akashi, Japan and Lincoln, Nebraska — the first foreign motorcycle factory on U.S. soil. In 1974, it was marketed alongside the […]
Kawasaki Z750 Scrambler by Andreas Olesen
The Kawasaki KZ750/Z750, introduced in 1976, was a 55-hp vertical twin designed for riders who preferred the dependability, character, and easy maintenance of a big twin — a machine that recalled the 750 twins of […]
