Used 1973 Kawasaki Z1 - Zed 1 Used 903L

Seller Description

1973 Z1 900 SUPER FOUR1972 Build ! - VERIFIED AND DOCUMENTED
Selling my 1973 Kawasaki Z1.Parting ways with my precious Z1 after 47 years and looking for a new owner with the same passion and care as mine. Every word stated here in this ad is backed up with proof, documentation and respected endorsements.This is a One Owner bike since 1973. Bill of Sale, cancelled cheques for payment and vendor letter to prove.This bike has been in my possession since I was 17 in 1973.Every date stamped part on the bike has been verified and documented as 1972 manufactured.This Z1 ran off the assembly line complete in December 1972.Numerous pics enclosed detailing some of the date stamped parts of the bike.Mileage ODO ORIGINAL MILEAGE OF 16,326.7 MILES ( 26,122.7 KMS )Motor Serial #Z1E-04007 , Frame Serial #Z1F-03912 , STEERING COLUMN LABEL MFD 12 72
My Z1 is all original including the paint & chips.This is not some Hack-job rebuilt using knockoff parts and/or parts from another bike and year.It has never been repainted hiding years of rust and abuse. This Z1 is an all original 47 year old bike in my possession all those 47 years and has had nothing cosmetic done other than required mechanical maintenance to keep the Z1 in top running form. Nothing has been covered up.The following Mechanical work has been done and/or parts replaced in the normal course of maintenance.ALL WORN ORIGINAL OEM PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE KEPT AND STORED TO BE PASSED ON WITH MY Z1 TO THE NEXT LUCKY SECOND OWNER.
FEBRUARY 3, 1993>>> Tires were replaced with Metzler FRONT - LASERTEC , REAR - METRONIC
SEPTEMBER 10, 2011>>> Sonic Cleaned the Carburetors and installed two in-line gas filters
2012>>> Replaced Chain, Front and Rear Sprockets>>> Replaced Front Brake Pads and Rear Linings
DECEMBER - 2013>>> Replaced all aged Valve guides with new, Honed out the cylinders and replaced all the rings.
ALL WORK WAS PERFORMED BY ONE CERTIFIED " RED SEAL MECHANIC " WHO RACES AND SPECIALIZES IN THE KAWASAKI Z1 LINE. I HAVE THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF DOCUMENTS AND RECEIPTS CERTIFYING ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE
My Z1 has never been dropped or on it's side and rides true like the day it was new. The Z1 has never been left outside in the rain. My Z1 has been Garaged or in Dry storage the life of the bike.My Z1 has the original Velcro Tool Bag, Tool Tray, Owners Manual printed November 1972 and 13 of the original 16 ToolsMissing the- Spark Plug Feeler Guages , Pliers , Spanner ? See in the pictures enclosed.
Many other Z1 Extras to be passed on with the bike as well including ;>>OEM LIONS KEYS EARLIEST VERSION>> FACTORY LABEL - 12 72 DECEMBER 1972>>LEFT HAND BLOCK - 2.9 1972.SEPTEMBER>>RIGHT HAND BLOCK - 2.11 1972.NOVEMBER>>REAR WHEEL - 2K 1972 NOVEMBER>>FRONT WHEEL - 2L 1972 DECEMBER>>SWINGARM - 2 11 1972.NOVEMBER>>BRAKE STAY ARM - 2 11 1972.NOVEMBER>>FRONT DISC - 7S 1972 NOVEMBER>>SPEEDOMETER - LINE UNDER 20- EARLIEST VERSION MILEAGE OF 16,326.7 MILES ( 26,122.7 KMS )>>TACHOMETER - STRAIGHT 7 EARLIEST VERSION>>OEM HANDGRIPS EARLIEST VERSION>>LARGE KAWASAKI EMBLEMS EARLIEST VERSION>>BLACK FOAM SEAT EARLIEST VERSION+ SPARE ORANGE FOAM SEAT HIGHLIGHTSDouble Overhead Cam transverse air cooled 4-cylinderFirst year for the landmark Z-1Most powerful 4-cylinder 4-stroke motorcycle produced when it was introducedMotorcycle News Magazine Machine of the Year from 1[hidden information]Kawasaki surpassed the Honda CB750 with the Z-1 by a quantum leap.The original Z, this Kawasaki Z1 was the first real Japanese superbike; it was bigger and more sophisticated than anything else on the market, and with a DOHC 903cc motor, it was also the fastest production motorcycle in the world.It was the motorcycle that finally broke the Vincent Black Shadow’s spell of world’s fastest, set in 1948.However, the Z1 was never intended as a 900. It was originally a 750 DOHC 4-cylinder, which was still quite a coup over everything but the MV Agusta 750 Sport. When Honda introduced the CB750 in 1968, Kawasaki decided it needed a bigger splash in the market, so it enlarged its engine. The original design study of 1968-69 was built by the Southern California team of Macfarlane Studios, and looked very much like a UK-market BSA Rocket 3, complete with raygun silencers. While the rayguns never made production, the bodywork would be familiar to fans of Kawasaki’s 2-stroke triples. The engine, though, looked far more like an MV Agusta 750, with widely splayed camshaft housings, vertical finning on the heads and black-painted cylinder barrels. The move to a 903cc engine capacity was brilliant, as it emphasized the superiority of the Kawasaki 4 to the Honda design. The styling of the Z1 was big and bold, with well-designed curves on the gas tank and tail section emphasizing the beefiness of the bike code-named “New York Steak” in prototype form. It had plenty of sizzle too, winning Bike of the Year accolades from many magazines for several years running. The Z1 could handle its power with a good chassis and decent brakes.This 1973 Kawasaki Z1 is from the first-year production run, and it’s a landmark machine from any viewpoint. The paint scheme is pure 1970s, with correct burgundy and orange two-tone, and as a first-year Kawasaki, it is a very rare and highly coveted machine.
FOLLOWING TAKEN FROM A 2011 APPRAISALBy An Accredited member of theSpecialty Vehicle Appraisal Institute (S.V.A.I.)
To Whom This May Concern:I state for the record, that I have examined the above-mentioned 1972 Kawasaki Z1.The Appraisal was arrived at from the following criteria:If one machine summed up the spirit of Seventies super biking, it was Kawasaki's Z1, which burst on to the scene in 1973 and dominated the decade with a performance that put it streets ahead of the opposition. The first big 'Zed' was a landmark motorcycle, raising the speed stakes to new heights and establishing a reputation for brute power and reliability that Kawasaki has retained to this day. The Z1 early story is one of triumph over near disaster. In the fall of 1968, Kawasaki's engineers were dismayed when, with their own plans for a radical four-cylinder 750 well advanced, they were suddenly confronted by Honda's CB750. Kawasaki considered scrapping their project, code-named 'New York Steak' - but, instead, they learnt all they could from the Honda, enlarged their own twin-camshaft engine to 903cc, and returned four years later with the Z1.Mr. Blair’s Kawasaki Z1 is a second owner machine in that his father purchased the machine new in 1973 in Vancouver, B.C. It is very much an original Kawasaki Z1 and has not been restored. Upon inspecting the machine, I discovered that the frame VIN number and engine numbers were not matched at the factory, although most frame / engine number combinations are within 200 numbers which this fact is consistent with this machine. Other tell tail signs that this is one of the first Z1 to come off the assembly line are on a number of Z1 components are date codes. This machine was assembled in December of 1972 (12 72). It is reasonable to expect some of their parts to have been made in the current month (December 72), prior month (November 1972) or even two months back (October 1972). It is not reasonable for parts to have been made after the build date. Yet on close inspection of numerous 'restored' bikes, it is obvious the restorer utilized factory replacement parts or parts from later models to replace marginal or damaged parts. On thgis Z1 of Mr. Blair’s this is not the case, as all the parts are original. This Z1 maybe one of the very first Z1 to come off the assembly line in Japan in late 1972. On the top right front of the swing arm, by the grease nipple, is a date code. This shows the date of manufacture for the swing arm. The code uses the format Y MM where the first number is the LAST digit of the year and the other numbers are the 1 or 2-digit month. For example: 3 12 is December 1973. This machine it’s stamped 2 11 which is December 1972, as this is confirmed with is the rear torsion chrome bar that is stamped on the back of the chrome bar is a date code similar to the one on the swing arm in this example, December, 1972 2 11). The Front disk rotor the code on the rotor is more difficult tointerpret. The first digit is numeric, the second is alpha. The first letter of the code is another year code - it is based on the number of years in the reign of the Japanese Emperor Showa (also known as Showa Tenno Hirohito, who came to power in late 1926. The 47th year of the Emperor's reign is 1972. So the code represents the last digit of the year. The second digit is a sequence number - probably a month code, although the letters are not consecutive. 7S in the picture attached below is on this Kawasaki Z1 and is translated to a December 1972 Z1.

7x is 1972 (where x is an alpha code), 8x is 1973, 9x is 1974, 0x is 1975, 1x is 1976, 2x is 1977. With 8F codes, these disc rotors appear on 1973 Z1's built in June and July 1973. So the F coded rotors were probably made in June or May 1973 as an example.Engine is an Air cooled, four stroke, transverse four cylinders, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, which utilizes four (4) 28mm Mikuni carbs. Engine finish is a flat black color with the transmission, timing and primary chain cover being polished aluminum. This Z1 is a combination of electric start and kick start and is at the period in the manufacturing of motorcycles the kick start lever was beginning to be eliminated from street machines of the future. Transmission was a five (5) forward speed with a final drive being a chain drive. The overall finish is starting to show its age, as this engine has not been touched and is still oil tight. The exhaust pipes and mufflers are original and it appears there is no rust starting to appear which is very unusual. Wiring is original and appears to be in very good condition for its age.Frame is double tubular steel cradle design that has very early gloss black paint and it too is in very nice condition which means the machine has not spent any time in a wet atmosphere. Mr. Blair has two added spare factory OEM seats that are in a picture below with one the original seat’s mounted on the Z1. The rear passenger grab rail is totally correct for the North American market.Instruments and signal lights all work perfectly and in very nice condition. The rear fender tail, side panels and fuel tank are in original condition and are totally correct with the Candy Orange/Brown combination. Due to the age of the machine, the paint is in good condition for its age. Front fender is chrome finished with the front fork sliders were chrome whereas the fork legs had an alloy finish. Spokes are cad plated and not stainless steel.The front wheel comprised of a 19 inch Takasago chrome rim laced to the black painted hub with forty zinc plated spokes. The rear rim is an 18” Takasago with an aluminum natural finish. The serial number on the front rims indicate that the 2L was manufactured in November 1972 and the 2K was manufactured in December 1972. The tires are Metzler Lasertec 3.25 X 19 on the front and the rear are Metzler Metronic 120/90 X 18. Both tires are new with little mileage showing. A single hydraulically operated 296mm disc brake on the left side of the motorcycle was standard while the rear is a drum brake.The machine has its original tool kit, owner’s manual and Mr. Blair has acquired an original shop manual to do service work on the machine.Because this machine is a low mileage, limited numbers were imported into North America in the late 1972 early 1973 thus this is a un restored Kawasaki Z1 I would have no issues rating it an 9 out of a possible 10.I have made this Evaluation to the best of my Knowledge and Ability.
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