From SoCal (USA), Hellenic Republic (Greece), and the United Kingdom (that’s us)
KAWASAKI Z900
YOSHIMURA COOLEY REP
Southern Californian Russ Norman was bitten by the AMA superbike racing bug way before Wes Cooley and Yoshimura turned Suzuki’s GS1000 into a legend. Russ remembers Wes wrestling a Pops-tuned Z900 around the Riverside Raceway, and the image and sound of the bike has stuck with him ever since. But it wasn’t until 2015 that he finally came full circle and started building a replica of Cooley and Yoshimura’s big Zed.
Starting with a shagged-out but pretty much original 1976 Z900, Russ has since transformed the Kwak into this stunning nod to Wes’s old bike. Given that this is Russ’s first restoration special, we can only imagine what his next one will be like. For now, here’s how he built this one…
CHASSIS
Russ hasn’t spared any expense on his Zed. He wanted it to be as good to ride as it is to look at, so it wears JB Power five-spoke Magtan wheels, box-section ally swingarm, yokes, footrests and adjustable KYB forks – again from JB’s American distributor, Hyper Cycle. The frame’s been braced to match with period Yoshi strengthening methods.
BRAKES
The massive 320mm front discs are again Japanese JB Power, as is the rear, and the beautifully machined caliper hangers. Up front, the discs are gripped by six-pot AP Racing calipers (imagine what Wes would have given for a set of them back in the day…), a single AP two-pot unit at the rear, with braided lines throughout.
ENGINE
Russ took both conventional and unconventional routes with the motor. Hyper Cycle ported and flowed the head, as well as fitting saucy cams, race pistons and a lightened ‘race’ crank. Russ also took all the internals to CryoHeat in San Diego for temperature treatment (minus 350°C) which hardens the metal. Not only that, but every component has been micro-polished, giving the motor a modern free-revving feel. The engine, externally powdercoated, breathes through 33mm Keihin FCRs.
PIPES AND BODYWORK
All the work of Japanese genii Doremi (check out the subtle Yoshimura logo inside the exhausts), as is the period replica Yoshi race paint. Russ had the pipes ceramically coated to mimic the exact rough-hewn look Pops gave his race bikes, and to withstand future wear and tear. They look the business.
