Previewing in Toronto, Ontario by Appointment. Please contact [email protected] for scheduling.

It was in late 1972 that Kawasaki displayed considerable vision by diversifying away from their successful line of performance two-strokes – personified by scorchingly rapid 500 and 750cc triples – in a move that, to be fair, was partly prompted by the advent of stricter U.S. pollution regulations. That year's introduction of the four-stroke, four-cylinder 903cc Z1 caught virtually everyone by surprise, especially Honda, who suddenly found their swift-selling CB750 facing some genuine marketplace opposition. Up until then Honda's Four had been the recognized leader in the Superbike arena, now here came the Z1 packing an extra 150cc, sporting dual disc brakes up front and fitted with sexy double overhead camshafts as compared to the CB750's solitary cam. Advantage Kawasaki.

Put to use in everything from AMA Superbike racing to cross-country touring to police work, the Z1 established a strong foundation for all the Kawasaki four-strokes that would follow, while spawning a number of derivatives – 900 LTD, KZ1000, Z1R, Z1RTC, etc. – remaining in the market, in its various configurations, until 1984 when the air-cooled design was retired. Today, as so often occurs, it is the earlier examples that stand out from the pack. Forty-plus years down the road few would disagree that the original Z1 is truly a milestone motorcycles.

The Z1 presented here belongs to a large collection of motorcycles located in the surrounds of Toronto. The bike has a little more than 23k miles and shows patina all over, especially on the engine. The bike is in original condition, except for the Kerker 4-1 exhaust, which makes it a perfect candidate for partial restoration or used as-is.