The Kawasaki 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. So he took the KZ1000 and turned it into this! The first year of production was 1978, and all the bikes were adorned in Starlight Blue. Kawi actually skipped the 1979 model year for the Z1R and brought it back in 1980, this time in black. The black bikes are much more rare – 3,309 units versus over 17k of the blue.
The sport-tourer concept that Moulton introduced to this bike included a smaller front wheel, and the cockpit fairing – a first for a Japanese production bike. For 1980, Kawasaki made several changes: increased trail, a new frame, bigger fuel tank, higher ground clearance, and more. Weight increased to 552 pounds dry but a change in gearing meant it accelerated quicker. For more on the Z1-R, check out this article on Motorcycle Classics.
This example (VIN: KZT00D018151) has just over 14,000 miles and the seller says that he acquired it last year from the original owner. “The bike still sports the original paint, exhaust & airbox. The bike was auctioned on BAT in August of 2023 and received multiple offers. The winning bidder was unable to come up with money which is why I’m listing again.”
Find this Z1R for sale in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania with bidding up to $17,000 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.