Post Sale Update: this Z1R sold for $7,400 after 19 bids on eBay.
The Kawasaki Z1-R 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 Z1-R has nearly 40,000 miles, and has had a major service in the last week, including having the tank cleaned, basic mechanicals, and a repaint of the fairing. Everything seems to be original, though the front fender looks like it’s been chopped a bit.
Find this Kawasaki Z1-R for sale here on eBay with bidding up to $3,250 in San Bruno, California.
