KAWASAKI Z1000 (2003-2004) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2004, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki Z1000, a naked motorcycle that featured the engine from the Ninja ZX-9R, bored out for a bigger displacement, which resulted in more low-rpm torque and four horsepower less than the ZX-9R.

In the performance department, the 2004 Kawasaki Z1000 took its thrust from a 953cc four-stroke four-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine that delivered an output power of 127 hp available at 10,000 rpm and 96 Nm (71 lb-ft) of torque with a peak at 8,000 rpm.

The engine power was converted into motion by a six-speed manual transmission that spun the rear wheel through a chain drive to a top speed of 238 kph (148 mph).

Besides the larger bore, the engine also featured a new cylinder head, new cams, new valve springs, and chrome composite-plated alloy cylinders that reduced weight and improved heat dissipation. In addition, the fuel-injection system featured large 38 mm throttle bodies that provided smoother engine response and fewer emissions.

The bike featured a high-tensile steel frame with large-diameter tubing that used the engine as a stressed member of the chassis for more rigidity and strength and removable mounts for easier maintenance.

Bolted to the frame at the front end the bike packed a 41 mm hydraulic fork that featured the same system used on dirt bikes, such as one fork leg with rebound damping and the other with compression damping and a Uni-Trak adjustable shock absorber on the rear.

As 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.