Kawasaki Z1000 R Edition

The Kawasaki Z1000 has the word ‘aggression’ written all over it, as the motorcycle looks out of the word with its ‘in your face’ design. Despite being more than half a decade old in terms of design, the Kawasaki Z1000 never manages to look dated an inch, and still manages to turn many heads with its aggressive design.

The Kawasaki Z1000 initiates a strong impression the moment you see it head-on, with the motorcycle getting an angry front fascia. The super sleek headlamps which incorporate LED projectors sit within a sloping front headlamp cowl, which looks aerodynamic and also has a small pilot lamp nestled in a tinted crown-like visor above the main headlamp. The turn indicators are positioned just at the bottom end sides of the headlamp. This whole front fascia is mounted a bit lower, which enhances the aggression even more.

The motorcycle exhibits its muscular side the moment you switch your exploration towards sideways. From the sides, the Kawasaki Z1000 looks extremely macho and extrovert, the main credits of which goes to the beefy looking fuel tank. This fuel tank also gets sharp fuel tank extensions, which flow all the way down towards the engine. The engine, in particular, also looks large and completely covers the side profile wholly.

The aluminium finished sleek side body panels merge into the rear side body cowls, which like in any other modern roadster, rises upwards towards the tailpiece. Here, the Kawasaki Z1000 gets a split seat setup, and the small LED tail lamp at the back looks as if it is tucked beneath the rear seat. What adds to the extrovert appeal of the Z1000 is the short rear fender and a chubby rear tyre, along with quad exhaust pipes – two on either side, shaped in a rising Y pattern.

The rider’s cockpit of the Kawasaki Z1000 feels minimalist and futuristic yet functional. The bike gets almost flat single piece handlebar, with a two-staged fully digital instrument console at the centre. The display shows readouts for speedometer, odometer, tachometer, trip meters, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and many other data. The split readouts for the tachometer look unique too.

The Kawasaki Z1000 might look a bulky and old school motorcycle in terms of handling, but it is the prowess of the chassis beneath that makes it a sharp and agile handler. The motorcycle comes equipped with upside-down hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and a fully adjustable Ohlins rear monoshock. The great suspension setup is further aided by a supreme-in-feel Brembo disc brake setup – two at the front and one at the rear.

The powerhouse deployed on the Kawasaki Z1000 is a four-stroke, inline-four, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 1043cc motor, which it shares with other Kawasaki biggies like Ninja 1000 and Versys 1000. This extremely refined and sweet-sounding motor is paired to a 6-speed gearbox and manages to pump out a maximum power output of 143 PS and a peak torque output of 111 Nm.

The Kawasaki Z1000 does get a sufficient amount of safety features on board, the list of which includes dual-channel ABS, assist and slipper clutch, and traction control with multiple ride modes on offer.

The Sugomi design philosophy of the Kawasaki Z1000 is capable enough to bring customers to Kawasaki showrooms single-handedly. However, apart from the great design, the Kawasaki Z1000 offers much more, and given the fact that it is the liter class roadster from the Japanese giant, it packs in performance and riding dynamics with great prowess. In traditional Japanese manner, the engine feels super refined and responsive, while it handles like a charm, making the Z1000 a desirable motorcycle despite its age.