Kawasaki Z1 900 Documentary | So Far So Fast

This vintage documentary captures the Z1 900 breaking the 24-Hour World Record at Daytona in 1973.

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[svyn]

55 now, still own my 74 Z1A that I bought when I was 17, Still rides as good as she ever did. Other Bikes come and go but I would never let my Z1 go !

[ramishrambarran]

I am 66 years old, and started riding at 17. Only 2 Kawasaki Z1 900 ever made it to our individual importers. Later, the Kawasaki dealer brought in a handful of the KZ 1000s.
At that time, two-stroke machines were still ruling the roost, and the Honda CB 125, 175 & 350 were no match for them.
I can never forget the sound of the starter-motor tumbling the Z1 engine, and its coming to life was unique, unlike any other bike at the the days of kick-starts !
In my Third-World country, by and large, the public do not like motorcycles. There is only a Yamaha dealer (Indian models), and a tiny Suzuki (Colombian models) dealer. Most of the bikes on the road are individually imported, the owners buying replacement parts online.
Looking at restored and unrestored Z1s on YouTube still fills me with awe. No other bike had an impact on the motorcycle world as the Z1.
Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies.

[scottmatzeder]

I am restoring a 76 kz900....totally awesome bike...ageless and timeless....KAWASAKI is #1!

[mchristr]

Even the people at Kawasaki had no idea how iconic this motorcycle would become. Forty-five years later bike builders are creating modernized versions of this bike. Amazing engineering for the slide rule era.

[SteveBlancoMusicianWarrior]

I love this film and Kawasaki bikes! So many amazing people involved. What a time.

[MFP]

As of today, nothing inspires me more than the singing valve train plus throaty exhaust notes of those mighty Kawasaki engines. Really. Nothing.

[billbright]

I had an 80 GPZ 550, an 82 KZ 750, and now 24 Z900 rs se.

Kawasaki motorcycles 🏍️ let the good times roll 🏁

[richardestenson]

Dad bought his Rootbeer / Orange '73 new and still has it to this day with 1, 700 original miles sitting on its factory Dunlops. I was 3 when he brought it home for the first time and went from riding on the back to riding it myself. When you hammer the throttle, you tuck in your knees and hold on!

[monteiro]

Amazing video, awesome job. Even after all those years Kawasaki can make me dream. Kawasaki : I love you. As simple as that.👍👍

[avrbri]

I remember hearing my first Z1 rumbling from outside a MC shop in Detroit about 35 yr ago. I was inside the building and this thing sounded super SIKK but i could not see what it was. I asked the mechanic what it was coming in that sounded so badass; he said, that's a Z1. Had an old Kerker 4 into 1 out the RH side. It wasn't the fastest thing 35 yr ago compared to some of the Hondas, Yamaha's, Kawasaki's and Suzukis of the mid 1980's, but it wasn't far behind either.... It's a timeless legend. Thx for sharing this vid

[Donald-kyfg]

My dad bought me a 1976 kz 900 w 3000 miles on it when i was 14 .

It took me a year and a half to get warmed up. For the next four years i rode that bike wide open where ever i went. And it was undefeated. I raced the ninja when it came out and smoked that too.
Nobody believed me
But the guy on the ninja never forgot.

[genebaket]

I purchased my first Z1 in 1974 while in college for four years I never lost a street race. Ended up putting a windjammer fairing on it so I could do long cross countries without fatigue. Best motorcycle I’ve ever owned. Have gone through a dozen motorcycles since then, but nothing gives me the thrill of the z1900. at 70 years of age now those are some of my fondest memories

[RickyJr]

Pops Yoshimura and his guys played an important role in this effort, and they originally raced Z-1s in AMA Superbike. If Kawasaki ever returns to MotoAmerica I'd love to see them again working with Yoshimura R&D.
💚 🏁 🏆

[RickyJr]

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all objections must first be overcome."
- Samuel Johnson

A reasonable man might imagine all the things that could go wrong, and never risk failure or humiliation. But great feats, like this one, belong to unreasonable men. Most excellent history, Kawasaki!

[DeereX]

My two favorite motorcycles I owned were a 1974 Z1-B, and a 1985 Ninja 900. The Ninja would blow the doors off the Z-1, and out-handle it 3 to 1 on a curvy road. I put over 60, 000 miles on each one while I owned them. If I could have either one of them again, I'd take the Z-1 in a second. I started with a 4-into 1 Hooker header, then changed it to a 4-into-1 Kerker with a race baffle. There is still not a motorcycle made than sounded as good as that Z-1. Like the video said, it sounded like a F1 car when you had it wound up.

[chrisbrown]

I remember when one of the big kids on my block bought a z1, we couldn't believe how tall the engine was compared to all the 2 strokes running around!

[bljuhl]

Yep i owned one, rode it all the time, painted it dark blue, drag raced it, then sold it to somebody i didn’t even know, should of keep it, because you can’t find one affordable anymore, Kawasaki could sell brand new air cooled ones. The 1970’s were a blast!

[dwightpenn]

Bad ass engine sound with the header and the Kaw performance and looks, is the hook 4 me!

[timobrien]

How I survived that bike I’ll never know.
Sure was fun!

[bryandouglass]

I had a 1975...a beast at the time. I bought it in 1978...added a Russ Collins header...stacks and it degreed.