The Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer.
The sport-tourer concept that Moulton introduced to this bike included a smaller front wheel, and the cockpit fairing. Possibly due to the fact that the changes did not include extra horsepower, this bike was a commercial flop – some reports claim only 500 were sold over 3 years. Moulton ended up founding a separate company to deal with the leftovers of his failed product. He dealt with the lack of added power by teaming up with American Turbo-Pak of Santa Ana, CA to throw a snail onto the Z1R and create the first turbocharged production motorcycle. Check out a previously featured example of the Z1R-TC here.
This specific Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1R is in great shape, though we’d ask for some better photos to determine the true quality of the paint job. The seller claims the motor is strong, and the bike comes with a few extras like a Yoshimura pipe, powder-coated wheels, and more.
Find this Kawasaki KZ1000 Z1R for sale here on Craigslist for $6,000 in Sarasota, Florida. This bike-uriousity brought to you by reader Steve B!