The 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 is the biggest news in the company's new lineup and the most powerful Z1000 yet. That's thanks to a supposedly all-new 1,043cc inline-four that makes 136bhp and 81lb/ft of torque. There's no official weight for the new bike, but its the first Z1000 with an aluminum frame, so we hope to see a significant drop from last year's hefty 198.2kg (dry) figure. That cast aluminum frame is modeled after that of the ZX-10R in that it passes over the engine to reduce overall width.
The new engine has a bore and stroke of 77.0 x 56.00mm, contributing to strong low- and mid-range power. Air reaches the engine through forward facing ducts leading to a resonator-equipped airbox and then through 38mm throttle bodies. Those intakes and airbox have been designed to maximize intake roar at higher RPMs, which should make up for the lack of sound that's going to come from the new main- and pre-catalyzer-equipped exhaust. It's actual a 4-2-2 system, while big chrome covers give the illusion of four exits, carrying through the character of the 2003 Z1000's pea shooter pipes. Like most modern systems, there's a huge collector under the engine that centralizes exhaust mass and does most of the silencing work.
A new horizontal rear shock also contributes to mass centralization, it doesn't appear to be fully adjustable, but the 41mm USD forks are. The latter are enclosed in a bizarre shroud intended to give the appearance of a girder or Hossack front end. Expect soft, but controlled settings.
Brakes are also high-spec with 300mm petal front discs being gripped by four-piston radial calipers and are powered by a radial master cylinder. The rear disc is 250mm and is gripped by a single-piston underslung caliper.
We think the Z1000's styling is successful in a weird, aggressive way, but like the original bike, there's a little too much plastic cladding in place of high-quality components. Maybe fake girder forks are the new fake beam frames. The whole thing reminds us of a contemporary interpretation of the original KTM Duke's styling, an effect that's emphasized by the orange paint.
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
Ignition: TCBI with digital advance
Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive: X-ring chain
Rake / Trail: 24.5 degrees / 4.1 in.
Frame Type: Aluminum Backbone
Front Tire: 120/70 ZR17
Rear Tire: 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
Overall Length: 82.5 in.
Overall Width: 31.7 in.
Overall Height: 42.1 in.
Seat Height: 32.1 in.
Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gal
Color Choices: Pearl Stardust White, Metallic Spark Black
MSRP: $10,499
Warranty: 12 Months
