Photo: Kawasaki
The new Kawasaki Z1000 is an exceptionally aggressive bike, both from a technical and an aesthetical point of view, but the house of Akashi is upping the ante with a Special Edition model which adds an extra dash of killer looks to an already awesome bike.
If anything, the new Kawasaki Z1000 Special Edition is a bike which commands respect even when the ignition is off. Kawasaki dropped the very cool black and black/orange liveries of the stick model (you can check them out after the jump) and went for a more elegant color combination of Golden Blazed Green and Metallic Graphite Grey, with the latter looking not unlike brushed titanium. Smashing, that is…
On the tech side, the Kawasaki Z1000 Special Edition seems to be unchanged from what the base model offers: a liquid-cooled 1,043cc 4 in-line engine which can deliver 142 hp @10,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 111Nm (81.8 lb-ft) at 7,300 revs, mated to a 6-speed transmission actuated by a wet multi-disc manual clutch.
The fork comes from Showa and is a Separate Function Fork with big Piston architecture, with preload adjustability in the left tube and damping duties in the right tube. A Horizontal Back-link rear suspension frees up the clutter in the rear section of the bike for a more centralized mass, retaining full-performance. An Eco Riding light indicator is standard, just like the dual throttle valves, ultra-aggressive die-cast mirrors, full LED Lighting and the rim-striped, lightweight cast wheels.
However, while the radial brakes are stock trim, the ABS isn’t. If you want full confidence under hard braking you’ll have to fork out some extra money. This radical Supernaked machine is available for £ 9,699 (€12,280 or $16,610), with the ABS-equipped version selling for £ 10,099 (€12,785 or $17,290), UK prices.
On the tech side, the Kawasaki Z1000 Special Edition seems to be unchanged from what the base model offers: a liquid-cooled 1,043cc 4 in-line engine which can deliver 142 hp @10,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 111Nm (81.8 lb-ft) at 7,300 revs, mated to a 6-speed transmission actuated by a wet multi-disc manual clutch.
The fork comes from Showa and is a Separate Function Fork with big Piston architecture, with preload adjustability in the left tube and damping duties in the right tube. A Horizontal Back-link rear suspension frees up the clutter in the rear section of the bike for a more centralized mass, retaining full-performance. An Eco Riding light indicator is standard, just like the dual throttle valves, ultra-aggressive die-cast mirrors, full LED Lighting and the rim-striped, lightweight cast wheels.
However, while the radial brakes are stock trim, the ABS isn’t. If you want full confidence under hard braking you’ll have to fork out some extra money. This radical Supernaked machine is available for £ 9,699 (€12,280 or $16,610), with the ABS-equipped version selling for £ 10,099 (€12,785 or $17,290), UK prices.
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