KAWASAKI Z1000 (2002-2003) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Kawasaki Z1000 was a four-cylinder motorcycle introduced by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer in 2003 with streetfighter or standard styling. The first bike that started the Z series was the Z1, which debuted in 1972 with a 903cc engine, followed by the 1,015cc Z1000 in 1997.

The 2003 Kawasaki Z1000 was a departure from other naked sportbikes at the time and featured the same tail section as the 2003 ZX-6R machine, a four-one-four exhaust system, and a backbone frame that used the engine as a stressed member with removable mounts for easier maintenance.

A technological feature mostly used on dirt bikes made its way into the Z1000 model, with the suspension fork that used one fork leg for compression damping and the other one for rebound damping.

The naked machine was based on the renowned Ninja ZX-9R engine, with a larger bore, new cylinder head, new cams, and chrome composite plating alloy cylinders that reduced weight and improved heat dissipation.

As for the performance figures, the 2003 Kawasaki Z1000 took its thrust from a 953cc four-stroke four-cylinders liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine that delivered an output power of 127 hp with a peak at 10,000 rpm and 96 Nm (71 lb-ft) of torque available at 8,000 rpm.

The electronic fuel injection system delivered smooth power output and offered a confident throttle response for precise handling.

For braking performance, the bike packed two 300 mm discs with four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 292 mm disc squeezed by a two-piston caliper on the rear wheel.