At the 1969 Tokyo Motor Show, Japanese motorcycle giant Honda stunned everyone with the unveiling of the Honda CB750. The bike had a number of firsts. Not only was it the world’s first mass-produced four-cylinder production motorcycle, it was also the first with electric start and disc brakes. Its 67 horsepower engine also gave it a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). The automotive press of the time coined the term “superbike” to describe the CB750, a term still used to this day to describe high-capacity, powerful motorcycles.
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Honda’s biggest rival, Japan’s Kawasaki, was one of many competing manufacturers shocked by the reaction to the Honda CB750.As a result, Kawasaki, which was designing its own 750cc superbike at the time, amended that project midway, setting itself the goal of building a bike that was even more powerful than the Honda CB750.
It took Kawasaki another four years to develop a rival to the Honda CB750, which the company called the Kawasaki Z1. With a 900cc engine, the first-generation Kawasaki Z1 produced an astounding 82 bhp of power and could reach a top speed of 201 km/h (132 mph). Kawasaki continues to sell its Z-series bikes to this day. The 1972 Z1 has spawned several successor models, and today the company sells a range of powerful superbikes under the Z-series brand.
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Nowadays, Kawasaki’s Z-series bikes are known for their “naked” design, which basically means that there are no fairings or panels covering various parts of the bike. In this article, we will look at the 5 most powerful Z-series bikes to date.
Kawasaki Z H2 (2019 – Present)
The most powerful Z-series road-legal naked bike that Kawasaki has ever produced is the Kawasaki Z H2. Closely related to the Kawasaki Ninja H2, it is the flagship of Kawasaki’s Z super naked series of bikes as of 2024. Kawasaki first unveiled the Z H2 in 2019. The Kawasaki Z H2 is powered by a 998cc four-stroke inline four-cylinder supercharged engine that produces 197 horsepower of power and 101 pound-feet of torque.
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As you’d expect from a bike in this class, the Kawasaki Z H2 comes with a wealth of engine and chassis management features, including an assist and slipper clutch, a dedicated Launch Control mode, a quick shifter, various power modes and smartphone connectivity options.
On-board safety features on the Kawasaki Z H2 include comprehensive ABS coverage with the added support of Kawasaki’s exclusive Intelligent Anti-lock Braking System. The braking hardware on the bike consists of two 320mm Brembo discs at the front and one 260mm disc with a single piston caliper at the rear.
The Kawasaki Z H2 weighs around 531 pounds and has a fuel tank capacity of 5 gallons. It comes in only one color option: Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Grey/Ebony/Mirror Coat Black. Prices for the Kawasaki Z H2 start at around $20,000, making it one of the most expensive in the company’s range.
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Kawasaki Z1000 (2003 – 2016)
In 2003, Kawasaki resurrected a legend by introducing an all-new 1000cc class naked bike called the Kawasaki Z1000, which was a homage to the company’s “original” 1000cc naked super sports bike of the same name from the late 70s. The 2003 Kawasaki Z1000 borrowed a 953cc engine from the ZX9R, producing around 127 horsepower of power and 71 pound-feet of torque.
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This model was produced until 2006, when it was replaced by the Kawasaki Z1000 for the 2007 model year. This model had a slight redesign and the 953cc engine remained the same, but the power output changed slightly; power was slightly reduced from 127 horsepower to 125 horsepower, and torque was slightly increased to 73 pound-feet. This model was produced until 2009, when Kawasaki replaced it with a different model in 2010.
The biggest change to the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 is the engine. Kawasaki has ditched the old 953cc engine for a larger 1043cc four-stroke four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower at 9,600 rpm and 81 lb-ft of maximum torque at 7,800 rpm. This Z1000 also came standard with ABS (anti-lock brakes), so in some markets it was also called the Z1000 ABS.
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This Z1000 variant was further updated over the next few years, with the final production Z1000 appearing in 2017. This Z1000 variant was also the most powerful model, with a 1043cc engine producing 142 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque. The modern version of the Z1000 was produced from 2003 until 2016 (sold as a 2017 model), after which it was discontinued.
Kawasaki Z900 (2017 – Present)
One of the reasons Kawasaki ended production of the Z1000 in 2017 was because the company was preparing to launch another high-end Z-series bike around the same time called the Kawasaki Z900. At the time of its launch, the Z900 was marketed as an upgrade to the Kawasaki Z800, which was launched in 2013 and sold until 2017. This bike is still in production as of 2024.
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Currently, Kawasaki has two series of Z900 bikes in its lineup. These include the standard Z900 models (including the Z900 ABS and Z900 SE), which produce around 124 horsepower of power and 73 pound-feet of torque, making them the second most powerful naked bikes in Kawasaki’s Z lineup. Then there’s the Z900RS lineup, which are the same bikes with a retro sports design. These machines produce slightly less power than the standard models (110 horsepower, 73 pound-feet).
In the U.S., the standard Kawasaki Z900 starts at $9,899, with the Z900 SE, which has a few extra features over the standard model, priced at $11,399. The Kawasaki Z900 RS lineup includes three models: the Z900 RS (starting at $12,149), the Z900RS Cafe RS ($12,899), and the most expensive Z900 RS SE ($14,149).
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Kawasaki ZRX1200R (2001 – 2016)
The Kawasaki ZRX 1200R may not be on the list of Kawasaki’s most popular Z-series bikes, but there’s no denying that to this day, it’s one of Kawasaki’s most powerful naked supersport bikes. First launched in 2000 as a 2001 model, the ZRX 1200R was the successor to 1997’s more popular Kawasaki ZRX 1100, and featured several updates to its styling and features. The main change, however, was to the engine, which saw its displacement increase from 1052cc to 1165cc.
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The design theme of the Kawasaki ZRX 1200 makes it look like a bike straight out of the ’90s, despite being a relatively new bike, having been launched in 2000. The ZRX 1200R retains some of the structural and design aspects of the ZRX 1100, including the Eddie Lawson-style swingarm, dual shocks and steel cradle frame.
Kawasaki hasn’t revealed the ZRX 1000R’s actual horsepower figures, but it was reported to produce 122 horsepower. In the United States, the ZRX 1200R was sold until 2005, after which it was discontinued. The bike was produced much longer in its native Japan, where it was sold until 2017.
Going back to the horsepower figures of the ZRX 1200R, it appears that the final model of the bike sold in Japan boasts a lower horsepower figure (110 hp) than the originally claimed 122. But despite the lower horsepower figure, the ZRX 1200 is still one of the most powerful and potent Kawasaki naked bikes to have ever existed.
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(Feature image by Aaryana8 and sourced from Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kawasaki Z1300 (1979 – 1989)
The Kawasaki Z1300 may be last on our list due to its slightly lower power output, but there’s no denying that it’s probably the most unique bike on this list. Firstly, it’s the oldest bike on this list, with a production run of 10 years, from 1979 to 1989. Secondly, unlike the other bikes in Kawasaki’s supersport category that are powered by inline-4 cylinder engines, the Kawasaki Z1300 stands out in that it’s the company’s only bike with a 6-cylinder engine.
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When the Kawasaki Z1300 was released in the late ’70s, it was a monster of a bike. It was longer, heavier, and more powerful than most of its competitors at the time, and its wet weight of 314 kg (692 lbs) was considerably heavier than other bikes of the time.
This weight was due to a massive 1286cc six-cylinder engine that produced an astounding 120 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque – power figures that rival the contemporary Z900. The Z1300 was fitted with a five-speed gearbox and had a claimed top speed of 138 mph. Thanks to this massive engine, the Kawasaki Z1300 holds the title of being the one with the largest engine in the history of Kawasaki Z-series bikes.
(Featured image by Ritika via Wikimedia Commons | Crop and scale | CC BY-SA 4.0)
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