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'78 Kaw Z1R (not mine)

  • Thread starter Thread starter winfield
  • Start date Start date
Can you say "Not that attractive rip off of a Cooley". In my humble opinion, no disrespect meant to those of you who this is your dream bike.
 
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No disrespect taken but hard for the ZIR to be a rip-off of a Cooley when it was produced a year earlier.
Heck if you can afford that bike you could probably afford one of each.
 
bomber737 said:
Can you say "Not that attractive rip off of a Cooley". In my humble opinion, no disrespect meant to those of you who this is your dream bike.
Click to expand...

But, but... the first S model 1000s came out in '79, a year later than the Z1R.
Still a fine looking resto. Love the kicker located under the seat.

Edit: what steve m. said.
 
I stand corrected. I think its the side covers that make this bike so unattractive.

Don't now why these Kawis are so valuable and our more attractive, GS's can't command the same cash. Once again, just my opinion
 
bomber737 said:
I stand corrected. I think its the side covers that make this bike so unattractive.

Don't now why these Kawis are so valuable and our more attractive, GS's can't command the same cash. Once again, just my opinion
Click to expand...

If you ever seen the original ad for the Z1R it is straight out of Star Wars. Put the two next to each other and 9 out of 10 will say the kawi,s cooler. Sorry s owners. It's only my opinion which don't count for much.
I love Z1R,s. This is my personal favorite.
 
Zoomiest?

Zoomiest?

When it came out, the Z1R was on the cover of Cycle World (big wheelie) over the words, "Zoomiest Z Yet!"

Yet once I turned the page, I discovered that it's quarter-mile time was NOT as quick as previous Zs. I've taken Cycle World's grand pronouncements with a grain of salt ever since.

Yet (yet again), there's no denying that in their day, the big Kaws were the most desired bikes for those of us who liked to zoom around the streets. When I got my used '73 Z1 in the late '70's, I was sitting on top of the world.

And of course there's the first Mad Max movie. Every bike is a 900 or 1000 Z.
 
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Actually, the 1000s were not faster than the original 900s. In 1978 I went to El Paso and rode with a bunch of 900s and a 1000. The 1000 was modded with pods,pipe and jetted, and was no faster than the 900s.
IMHO, one reason the Z1Rs fetch a high price is that they are rare. IMHO, the reason they are rare is that they did not sell. One the reason they did not sell is those ugly as snot angular sidecovers.
 
I never much cared for the angular look Kawasaki tried with the Z1R. Maybe third or fourth fastest bike in 1978. The regular KZ1000 of the same year is a much nicer looking bike. Of course, I have always preferred the rounded lines of the Z1 with that ducktail. Though I wouldn't object to owning a Z1R now, there are many other bikes I would spend my money on first.
 
I know the owner of the local Kawasaki dealer. In 1986 he offered me a new in the crate Z1R, had it out back, no one wanted it. Seems like it was less than 3k. I passed. I had one before that, that the po had painted Candy Magenta. A word of advice, NEVER paint a bike Candy Magenta.
 
steve murdoch said:
No disrespect taken but hard for the ZIR to be a rip-off of a Cooley when it was produced a year earlier.
Heck if you can afford that bike you could probably afford one of each.
Click to expand...

Affording it is one thing, actually wanting to afford it is something else.
I'd rather have the Chevette pictured in the background.:eek:
But that's just my opinion.
 
FLHGSRay said:
I know the owner of the local Kawasaki dealer. In 1986 he offered me a new in the crate Z1R, had it out back, no one wanted it. Seems like it was less than 3k. I passed. I had one before that, that the po had painted Candy Magenta. A word of advice, NEVER paint a bike Candy Magenta.
Click to expand...

Is that a color?
 
It was actually a pretty cool color. It would change under certain lighting. Anything from a bluish green to a bright pink. Again, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. It was the '80s.
 
Those bikes didn't sell in their day. Like the Sportster XLCS and XR1000, they have become collectable only after their time. Is kind of a rule that a collectable vehicle needed to be wanted in its day to be sought after later. Machines that break that rule are interesting. I know a guy who has two of the turbo versions in his kitchen. He is also a GS owner.
 
The '78 KZ1000D1 was only one to a dealer at first. The dealership I worked in back then got full nut for it. Later that year more became available to each dealership. We never discounted those very much when we sold them. Now the '80 KZ1000D3's we could not give them away that year.

Whats really funny is the '79/80 KZ1000 MK II's and what they bring in todays market. NOBODY wanted to buy them back then. Our dealership was putting the older rounder fuel tanks on them with custom paint and a Kerker pipe just to move them off the floor. I can't believe what a stock '79/80 MK II brings today.

We got only ONE KZ1000R1 in 1982 and that went for full nut plus plus!!! It was serial number 00031 or so if I remember right. In '83 I remember trading KX 's for KZ1000R2's from little dealerships in boo foo Egypt. Those farmboys never bought much in streetbikes, but they did sell the dirtbikes!!! Those R2's went for good bucks too!!

The Suzuki dealerships by me never had a GS1000S on their floor back then. But they were both poorly run dealerships. I remember when the bank and Suzuki Motors came with a truck and took all the new bikes off the floor.
 
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