Deze gave Kawa gaat naar een echte liefhebber. Ze motorfiets is compleet nieuw opgebouwd. Deze Kawasaki loopt als nieuw en ziet er uit als nieuw!
KAWASAKI Z1 900 SUPER 4
KAWASAKI Z1 900 SUPER 4
The Beginning of the Z900
Kawasaki had become known in the 1960s as a manufacturer of very fast and sporty two-stroke motorcycles.
However, both the uncultivated behavior and the noise level were one of the reasons for developing a type of motorcycle that could give the customer the very best available at the time. In 1967, just before the mach III came on the market under the code name New York Steak (NYS) the development of a machine that should not only have the power that people have come to expect from the Kawasaki brand, but also be superior in the way in which this power was developed.
Market research showed that there was interest in a touring motorcycle, which was also suitable for sporting use. This engine had to have a surplus of power and be easy to handle. They also wanted to be able to take future emission requirements into account. Naturally, the equipment of this new model had to meet the highest standard at the time.
The factory decided to develop a four-stroke engine with 4 cylinders, with 2 overhead camshafts with a capacity of 750 cc. One of the reasons for using 2 overhead camshafts was the ability to easily achieve high power in this way.
The design was started in early 1968 and Kawasaki looked forward to the 1970s with great optimism.
In September 1968 the dream of the Kawa technicians is cruelly shattered. Honda enters the market with the CB750. This machine actually had all the novelties that Kawasaki envisioned with their model under development.
After the employees of the NYS project had recovered from the shock, they realized that the arrival of the CB750 could also work in their favor. It was possible to follow the reactions of the market in practice and, moreover, to respond to the possible unfulfilled wishes of the public.
The CB750s could be admired everywhere on the road in a short time and the Honda dealers were also able to carry out maintenance on this complex machine for that time.
Kawasaki observed the developments and when it became clear that there was a large market for the Big Fours, they decided to give the NYS project a new lease of life. It was decided to maintain the original concept, but Honda had to be surpassed.
The displacement went to 900 cc and the power should be significantly higher than that of the CB750. At the beginning of 1970, the first model sketches arrived and a number of models were also developed. At the end of the year Kawasaki had a prototype ready and in the spring of 1971 the first test runs on the Yatabe test track could be started.
The first tests were not without problems; the crankcase breather didn't work at all and the pistons couldn't handle the force either.
Furthermore, a large number of minor modifications had to be made. But the prototypes showed that they were on the right track.
One of the prototypes delivered 95 HP and a top speed of over 225 Km/h.
In early 1972, two machines went for the road test to Los Angeles (America was the largest market). Road tests were carried out here until mid-1972. After the results of these road tests had been processed, the joint motorcycle press was invited to Japan in June 1972 to express their criticism and, of course, optimism about the new model. At that time, serial production had already started.
In September 1972 the world premiere of the Z1 took place at the exhibition in Cologne.
Series production had already started and Kawasaki was carefully making 1500 Z1s per month.
The triumph of the Z1 began and at all subsequent exhibitions the admiration and respect for the Z1 grew.
The Z1 in the Netherlands
It is 1972. For a long time, there had been talk of Kawasaki presenting a super motorcycle that would relegate everything that until that moment was motorized two-wheeler violence into inferior toys. During the development period of +/- 5 years, hardly any information had trickled out. The expectations of the motorcycle-loving public were all the greater when the first Kawasaki 4-cylinder was finally put on public display.
After the world premiere in Cologne, the Kawasaki Z1 came to the Netherlands on September 16 and 17 for its introduction.
Appropriately, the restaurant de La Course was chosen for this at the Zandvoort circuit.
In the report of a driving impression of one of the employees of the weekly magazine MOTOR, a number of the characteristics of the Z1 are listed.
Among other things, the incredibly smooth block and the enormous acceleration are praised. The all-round character of the Z1 is also praised, and the fact that the engine is suitable for running on unleaded petrol also loosens the necessary tongues.
The price of the Z1 has now also been set at fl 7698.
A few have had the pleasure of owning a Z1 before the turn of the year.
With this, the introduction of the Z1 in the Netherlands is a fact and the start of the triumphal march of a legendary motorcycle could begin.
The superbike era had now really begun.
© 2023 www.altenaclassics.nl - Powered by Shoppagina.nl