2010 Kawasaki Z1000 more power with all new engine and style

2010 Kawasaki Z1000

Gone during the 2009 model year, the Big Zed is back and one glance at the ‘10 Z1000 makes plain that there’s more than bold new graphics afoot. The styling of the Big Z changed dramatically changed. The profile is sharper, more angular, dialing down the nakedness of its predecessor with black bodywork covering the front fork and belly of the design. Perhaps to combat the disparity in popularity of naked designs in American, compared to Europe, where they are often top sellers, Kawasaki has this to say about the new design: 2010 Kawasaki Z1000.

2010 Kawasaki Z1000 Specs

• Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline-four
• Displacement: 1043cc
• Bore x Stroke: 77.0 x 56.0mm
• Compression Ratio: 11.8:1
• Fuel Injection: DFI with four 38mm Keihin throttle bodies, oval sub-throttles
• Transmission: Six-speed
• Final Drive: X-ring chain
• Rake / Trail: 24.5 degrees / 4.1 in.
• Frame: Aluminum Backbone
• Front/Rear Tire: 120/70 ZR17, 190/50 ZR17
• Wheelbase: 56.7 in.
• Front Suspension / Wheel Travel: 41 mm inverted cartridge fork with stepless compression and rebound damping, adjustable spring preload / 4.7 in. Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel: Horizontal monoshock with stepless rebound damping, adjustable spring preload / 5.4 in.
• Front Brakes: Dual 300mm petal-type rotors with radial-mount four-piston calipers
• Rear Brake: Single 250mm petal-type rotor with single-piston caliper
• Seat Height: 32.1 in.
• Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gal

2010 Kawasaki Z1000

“A unique blend of Japanese art and technology, the 2010 Z1000’s styling takes a dramatic leap forward with the distinct look of an apex predator. Hunched-down and ready to pounce, its visual impact is much stronger than that of a naked sportbike, or a derivative copy of some Euro trend.”

But it’s more than the outside that’s been overhauled, the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 bragging an all-new engine and frame as well. The previous incarnation of the Z1000 debuted in 2007 model year, still featuring a 953cc mill based off the Kawasaki ZX-9. The latest version sports an all-new 1043cc liquid-cooled Inline Four. Sporting a 77mm bore and 56mm stroke, the new Kwakker’s motor is fuel-injected and bolted to the frame as a stressed member.

Speaking of the frame, gone is the steel design of its predecessor, replaced by a “quick-steering” aluminum unit. Teamed with a three-piece aluminum subframe, the frame bolts to the new motor in four locations, three rigid and one of which is rubber mounted. Kawasaki fitted a secondary balance shaft to keep the Z1000’s mill from rattling too hard, though it promises “on this bike, a little bit of character is designed in.” Similar to the Kawasaki ZX-10R sportbike the frame beams “curve over the engine” for a narrow feel. Steering geometry, at 24.5 degree rake, 4.1 inch trail and 56.7 wheelbase appears virtually identical to the ’08 (wheelbase recorded at 56.9 inches). At 32.1 inch, the seat height is marginally lower (0.2 inch).

Suspension changes include the addition of compression damping to the 41mm inverted fork and its rebound and preload adjustability. The all-new monoshock rear features rebound and preload adjustment.

Nissin calipers up front are swapped out to radial-mount four-piston Tokico pinchers, which grab hold of Kawasaki’s dual 300mm wave rotors through input from the radial-pump master cylinder. A single piston-caliper bites down on a 250mm rotor out back.

Also new for 2010 are five-spoke cast wheels, which replace the 3-spoke units adorning the predecessor. As for the Z1000’s distinctive four-muffler exhaust system, it returns, with wide triangular cans on both sides. Like the previous model, however, each side canister is really a single muffler, with a faux dual-pipe cap retaining the four-can look found on the original Z.