The superbike era among Japanese motorcycles was not entirely dissimilar from the peak of the muscle car years. The emphasis was on flat-out speed and not much else, which is why bikes like this 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1R were celebrated for their performance but feared for its wet noodle handling. The Kawasaki seen here was certainly right in the thick of the chase among Japanese superbikes to offer the most raucous performance, but we seemingly see decent examples like this one here on eBay pop up for sale far less frequently than the Honda CB750 and earlier Kawasaki H2. Bidding is up to $7,250 with the reserve unmet.
The Z1-R badge may seem racy as hell, but it really just represented a few cosmetic modifications to ensure the bike’s external appearance matched that of its 90 crank horsepower engine featuring 28mm carbs and a four-into-one exhaust. But the badge meant that you got this gorgeous ice blue paintjob, along with the triangular side cover seen here and full fairing. Still, like its predecessor, the frame and overall structure wasn’t improved nearly enough to keep rookie riders safe from falling victim to the merciless combination of outrageous speed and wet noodle handling.
The seller notes he purchased this bike over 20 years ago from a widow in Chicago. Given the bike appears to be in fine shape, one can hope the deceased didn’t make his wife a widow following a ride on the grandson of the original Widow Maker. The bike had been in storage for eight years in Chicago before being shipped to the seller in Puerto Rico, where it started right up despite the years of inactivity. It was used regularly before being put away again in 2010 and just recently brought back into the daylight. The seller notes that despite the second retirement phase, it still starts right up.
Condition-wise, the Kawasaki appears to have decent cosmetics, and the seller has made numerous repairs or improvements to the bike over the last few years. These include: restored calipers; new stainless steel brake lines; new pads; valve seat resurface and valve cleanup; new fork seals; and new accelerator cables. The seller does disclose the presence of surface rust and that given the prolonged periods of inactivity, the gas tank and carburetors will likely need some additional clean-up. The bigger concern is shipping, given the Z1-R still resides in Puerto Rico.
This wasn’t a bike for a novice, and in this time there were lots of noobs plopping down their 3 grand on a Z1. For me this was my second bike and I learned to respect it soon after purchase. The handling was to say the least flexible. The most flexible part is the swing arm, which, when large doses of right wrist were applied, would torque itself out of shape a tad and set up a shorts-staining wobble at high speeds. Oh the memories. For the truly adventurous you could the identical bike with the turbocharger. That was a truly insane option and useful mostly for straight line displays.
my Bro had the same bike. I got on it from a standing start. it came straight up on me! grabbed the clutch it came down my balls hit the tank. taught me to never try wheelies again. bought a superglide.never have to worry about wheelies.
I had the 1980 Z1R all black it would cruise at 100mph the bike was a beast but I always like the 78 better.
I took a crashed one and it became the basis of a plans built three wheeler reverse trike, the Tri-Magnum.
It could light up that rear wheel in any gear and was far, far safer than the bike.
The basis for the MFP motorcycle ridden by the Goose in the first Mad Max film?
A company called ‘White House’ in Japan sells a replica Mad Max MFP kit for the KZ1100 for anyone who wants the Jimmy “The Goose” look… just saying!
In the movie they used several KZ1000’s
I came across a KZ750 in our neighborhood.Owner said
that I could have it for $3500.I decided against it,as I haven’t ridden
a bike in over 30 years,& all those idiot drivers with their stupid cell-
phones scare the hell out of me.
Yep – just saw the movie the other night – most if not all the bikes in the first film were 900 based bikes…..night rider !
Four or two cylinder? Price seems a bit high.
Those of us too poor to buy cool new bikes like this often got together at The Hangout and talked of the Ideal Bike of the Month.
In this case it was this engine with American electricals in a Rickman Metisse or Spondon frame, Ceriani wheels and Marzocchi suspension..
Nice find, Jeff.
ALL of the bikes built in that time-frame didn’t have handling issues. I bought new a ’78 Suzuki GS750, and it was simply awesome on twisty roads. Way back then, I’d lean it down and get within a few inches of knee-dragging… Wearing shorts, of course. No chicken-strips on the tires.
How on earth did I make it through those years?
Test rode a GS1000, but since I weighed maybe 140#, it just seemed too heavy for me, and not as nimble as the 750. Mine was a GREAT bike.
Two in one day!
Keep the bikes comin’
Most awesoma bike , EVER! The Z1 will in my mind, always be “King of the Hill”. Oh sure, there were faster bikes, I think Suzuki has that claim, and while the Honda 750 kind of started the “in-line 4” revolution, it was Kawasaki that blew everyone out of the water in ’73 with the 900 Z1. You can see, by ’78, the bike had become dated, and went with the “square” styling, but make no mistake, this bike will straighten your arms out. While that 750 3 cylinder will always remind you of what you are riding, these were extremely docile and well mannered, until you let ‘er go. If you can hang on to one of these, you are an experienced bike rider. This was the shortest video, and remember, that’s kilometers, but you get the idea’r,,being in a straight line before gassing it, is imperative,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqoDRSWGB3w
Item location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Of course it has a Kerker pipe. Perfection.
Ended:
Jul 06, 2021
Starting bid:
US $7,250.00
[ 0 bids ]
Location may have had something to do with it…
“Never restored” ??????
There are SO many “mistakes” on that bike !!!!
It is supposed to have pin stripping on the tank, screen, tail and seat liners. The exhaust is wrong, shocks are aftermarket, seat cover is not correct, etc . .
And the ad say “never restored” ??
i got a loan approved in may 1979 for a bike sitting off to the side at town and country cycle in aurora,colorado. i was going down to look into a gs 1000L and the sales team asked me if i thought i could handle this leftover from the previous year. they knocked $1100.00 off the price and i explained how i had let an h1 500 slide past me to a co-worker at dominoes several years earlier. so i show up with the check from the credit union and left the lot with my brand new Z1R. Colorado was a great state to have a motorcycle. i traveled across the western u.s. and never had a bad day riding. i got married to the love of my life. she took her first m/c ride on the blue rocket. we just celebrated 41 years together. my brother has the z1r in his garage now. i owned 2 L series suzuki’s, a v65 a 750 yamaha. but the z1r will always hold a special place. to all you future and new riders. respect the time you have in this world. we are all travelling across space on this wonderful ship called earth. celebrate the journey.