The Legendary Kawasaki Z1—FIRST inline-four SUPERBIKE?
Description
Motorcycle minds were blown when the 1973 Kawasaki Z1 debuted with its 903cc engine, double overhead cams and burly styling—and Team Green's four-cylinder superbike was born—in rootbeer brown! Did 40-hp Triumphs ever have a chance? Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer talk about the Z1's origins, how it compared to the Honda CB750, and the marketplace the bike entered, including facing off against Kawasaki's own two-stroke triples. The guys wander off a bit on this one and coincidentally heard the same crazy superbike race announcer at Monza more than a decade apart! (Really, it's a cool story.) There's a moment on Harley-Davidson steering philosophy that's at least peripherally related, and a little about the death of the two-stroke, plus so much more. Join us!
United States
