OK, so it’s not a 1973 Z1. So what?
Like all totemic machinery, Kawasaki’s Zed line now commands big dollars, but within that 1970’s lineage some bargains still lie. Here’s The PS’s take on where they might be
If you can find a mint, showroom spec Z1 for under £20K or an immaculate Z900 for less than £18,000 you’re doing well. Kawasaki’s original Zeds have rocketed in value as collectors, and model specific anoraks, outbid each other to own the earliest examples available.
But if, like us, you care more about how a bike rides than when it rolled off a production line, your chance of snapping up a tidy ’70s Zed is much greater than you might think.
Owning the first incarnation of any machine – especially one with a long production run, like the Zed – rarely makes sense, unless bought as an investment. Later models are usually better specified, more powerful, and free from the niggles suffered by first-of-type designs. Newer versions of classic designs are invariably cheaper too, so you get a better bike for less wedge. And who doesn’t want that?
That’s certainly the case with Kawasaki’s Z1, which became the Z900 and eventually the Z1000. Five years on from the Z1’s launch, Kawasaki’s range-topping inlinefour had grown by 112cc, gained an extra disc brake up front, as well as one at the rear, and benefitted from a much-improved chassis to make the most of the extra performance on offer.
By the late ’70s Kawasaki’s Zed range had mushroomed, covering most capacity classes and styles from supersport to custom. Some models, like the Z1-R, can command prices higher than even first year Z1s – especially in Japan. But there are plenty of others oozing big Zed style and character for far less wedge; models like the Z650 and Z1000J.
Here’s how to own a Kawasaki legend without breaking the bank…
KAWASAKI Z650
The Z650 may not have the glamour or headline grabbing status of its larger, more revered siblings, but in terms of handling, usability and sheer riding enjoyment it’s the best ’70s Zed by quite a margin. Kawasaki described the 650 as “a lean, lithe handler with power enough to outperform most 750s.”
Producing a claimed 64bhp, the Z650 is 1bhp more powerful than Suzuki’s GS750, yet 14 kilos lighter. Honda’s SOHC CB750F made do with a paltry 58bhp and a 16kg handicap. Kawasaki’s marketing blurb suggested, somewhat mischievously, that Z650 owner
