Kawasaki KZ1000

In 1976, Cycle World declared that the KZ1000 was “The Fastest Stocker We’ve Ever Tested.” Production started in 1976, and the KZ1000 was the third in a line of fast, exciting ‘nakeds’ that started with the Z1 and then the KZ900.

The KZ1000 is now something of a cult machine, and popular with both cafe racer builders and restomod specialists. In Japan, there is a whole industry of companies that focus on fettling and upgrading the KZ1000, with AC Sanctuary being the most famous.

Over the years, multiple variants of the KZ1000 were developed by Kawasaki, and the 1980 Z1000H was the first mass-produced fuel-injected motorcycle in the world.

It’s one of the most exciting platforms to build on in the custom world, and if you have tens of thousands of dollars to spare, you can buy a heavily upgraded custom KZ1000 that will hold its own against much more modern machinery.