In 1976, Cycle World declared that the KZ1000 was “The Fastest Stocker We’ve Ever Tested.” Production started in 1976, and the KZ1000 was the third in a line of fast, exciting ‘nakeds’ that started with the Z1 and then the KZ900.
The KZ1000 is now something of a cult machine, and popular with both cafe racer builders and restomod specialists. In Japan, there is a whole industry of companies that focus on fettling and upgrading the KZ1000, with AC Sanctuary being the most famous.
Over the years, multiple variants of the KZ1000 were developed by Kawasaki, and the 1980 Z1000H was the first mass-produced fuel-injected motorcycle in the world.
It’s one of the most exciting platforms to build on in the custom world, and if you have tens of thousands of dollars to spare, you can buy a heavily upgraded custom KZ1000 that will hold its own against much more modern machinery.
It’s been too long since AC Sanctuary graced our pages, so this week’s lead bike is an unapologetic Kawasaki KZ1000 from the Japanese masters of excess. We follow that up with a ridiculously potent Simson S51, a fresh club-style Harley-Davidson Sportster 833, and an immaculately restored BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar.
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These four motorcycles prove that performance comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s a rare 1997 Ducati 916 SPS for sale in New York, a 1970s Kawasaki KZ1000 restomod from the legendary AC Sanctuary, and a Honda CB1000 customized by a racing enthusiast. We end off with a sneak peek at Triumph’s upcoming motocross race…
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David Anderson is the raddest custom motorcycle builder that you’ve never heard of. He has zero online presence, and the only two bikes we’ve seen from him were built 12 years apart. But he has a 100% success rate at knocking our socks off. His last project, a Husqvarna street tracker that he built before…
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The thought of a Mad Max-inspired motorcycle typically conjures up a very distinct image. But not every vehicle in George Miller’s dystopian film series was a scraggy death trap, covered in scavenged materials and rust. Cast your mind back to the very first Mad Max flick, and MFP officer Jim ‘Goose’ Rains’ 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000…
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Even if you know very little about Kawasaki’s history, you probably know about the KZ1000R Eddie Lawson Replica. Released in 1982, it…
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Our favorite stories this week run the whole gamut from old school to new, starting with a stunning Ducati breathed on by…
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Anyone who has raced motorcycles or spun spanners in a pit lane will know that track bikes are a work in progress.…
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If there’s any proof that motorcycling is a universal language, it’s the global fame of AC Sanctuary. Set up in the mid…
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A box fresh turbocharged Kawasaki Mystery Ship, a slinky Yamaha Virago cafe racer from Spain, a Henderson Model G converted into a…
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A brutal new Kawasaki restomod from AC Sanctuary, a Crocker Small Tank about to go under the hammer, and a slick Krämer…
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A new Kawasaki Zed from the Japanese restomod kings AC Sanctuary, a retro-futuristic BMW R80 from Holland, and a $30,000 Yamaha WR450F…
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Custom trends will come and go, but the art of the resto-mod will always have a place in the pantheon of motorcycle…
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