One of 750 ever built, this Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR (Eddie Lawson Replica) was a limited edition homage to the mount of Eddie Lawson, 4x winner of the World Championship (among many other titles). It was aggressively set up, and with the exception of subpar shocks, consumers and reviewers loved this bike.
The 998cc inline four produced 79 horsepower in a bike that weighed 543 pounds. Top speed was just shy of 130, but numbers don’t matter to me with this bike. I always thought this was the definitive muscle bike, and something about that styling, particularly the front fairing, will always call to me. Want to learn more about this special bike? Check out this write-up from Motorcycle Classics, who call it “A mean machine in its day and collectible classic Kawasaki motorcycle today.”
This specific Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR (VIN: JKAKZCR12CA000151) has 24,232 miles and is a one owner bike that’s all original, except for the grips. The bike has been stored since ’96, but the bike now starts right up after a tank and carb cleaning, as well as the installation of new plugs. The head has been painted, and there’s some minor cosmetic issues, most of which are related to degraded clear coat. The seat and brakes will need to be attended to, but this bike presents an interesting dilemma – either restore it (and don’t get your money back), or fix it up enough to be a reliable street bike and enjoy a “honest ELR survivor” that sounds great with the Kerker pipe (check the listing for a walkaround/startup video). I’ve featured two of these bikes before – both were in mint condition and got up to about $16,000. I assume this will sell for less.
Find this Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR for sale in Houston, Texas with bidding up to $6,100 and the reserve not yet met