Project Z1000 Photo Gallery

suspension angles

It was with great reluctance that we returned our Z1000 project bike back to Kawasaki. After two years of tinkering in our garage we had transformed the green meanie into an even more potent streetfighter.

We did our best to dial it in at the shop, but the Techlusion TFI already brought in its best stuff through the garage door.

Our Kawasaki Z1000 has not been sitting idle in the garage. We've added an impressive new heads-up display and some new rubber to the green beast.

For our third installment of our Project Z1000 we added some carbon fiber parts, Kevlar brake lines, and the crown jewel - titanium aftermarket exhaust.

The big name in aftermarket fuel-mapping is Dynojet's Power Commander, but for our Project Z we opted for the less expensive Techlusion TFI system.

A little Yankee ingenuity, courtesy of former AMA Motocross champ Gary Jones, snagged us an extra 4 hp by melting a hole through the stock airbox cover.

The craftsmanship of the Italian-made Leo Vince exhaust did not disappoint us, but we needed to make some mods to the Z before the titanium pipes made a significant difference on the dyno.

With the White Brothers' dyno swamped, we turned to former White Brothers Director of Operations, Kerry Bryant, who runs his own shop now, Area P.

Goodridge Kevlar brake lines were a nice performance upgrade to our Project Z bike. The Carbonworks fender didn't make the bike faster or much lighter, but it did make our green monster look even more the part of a burly streetfighter.

The Short Stalk 3 LED turnsignals up front compliment the clean look of the Targa Accessories rear signals and fender eliminator kit.

With its transformation almost complete, our Project Z1000 is due for a suspension overhaul - the subject of our final Project Z installment.

Stopping our Project Z was improved by the addition of Goodridge Kevlar brake lines, which claim to limit line expansion more effectively than braided-steel.

Consider the $750 cost of the suspension work a real bargain, and it's backed up by Race Tech's guarantee - any valving changes will be performed free of charge for 90 days.

We met Race Tech's Paul Thede (right) at a suspension seminar, where he offered his expertise in correcting the Project Z's unbalanced feel.

Project Z - Part 4

The Race Tech crew went to work on the rear shock by swapping out the stock progressive spring for a straight-rate 8.9 kg/mm spring with an accompanying Gold Valve shock kit.

The ti exhaust system added the obvious visual bling, but the bike's appearance was also nicely cleaned up with a Targa Accessories fender eliminator and turnsignal kit,

The Leo Vince titanium pipe housed a nasty growl from the big Zed's mill.

Race Tech modified the front suspension by replacing the stock 0.85 kg/mm springs with 0.90 units, adding their own special blend of oil and fitting a Race Tech Gold Valve kit.

The name's Danger, Duke Danger.

We enjoyed the Laminar Lip on the Z's flyscreen. The practical addition didn't detract from the Z's styling but provided a marked improvement in wind protection.

Our project Zed's wheelbase was stretched out a half-inch longer than the claimed factory spec. Do you suppose a few hundred wheelies might've stretched the chain?

The best thing about the Z1000 is its character. All those Ducati, BMW and Harley snobs who claim that Japanese bikes don't have personality have never ridden the Z.

The Project Z1000's handling improvements after the Race Tech adjustments were well worth the $750 cost. If you look closely you can see Duke grinning.

Parting was such sweet sorrow... When it came time to return Mr. Z, Editor Duke Danger's heart said to give the green meanie a good home in his own personal garage, but the bank balance said otherwise. Here's his standing ovation.

So, through more than 10,000 miles, our Project Z sucked up all the abuse we could throw at it, emerging from our mistreatment without failure of any kind.

We would've been sad to see our Z1000 returned at any time, but it was almost impossible to give back after the suspension tuning that transformed the bike into a much more composed and balanced ride.

The glittering eye candy addition to the Z1000 project bike was the titanium 4-into-1 exhaust system from Leo Vince, which also added a big boost to the Z's audio appeal with a snarling exhaust note.

Weighing just 2.5 ounces with its pair of AAA batteries, the MC2's display unit is lighter than it looks. Faceshield pivoting is not impaired by the installation.

At the center of this picture is the open jaws of the 3M T-clip that makes the task of tapping in to a bike's wiring easy. Just clamp the jaws onto the desired wire - no wire stripping required.

The wheel-speed sensor is attached to the swingarm with a supplied Z-shaped bracket. A magnet attached to the brake rotor triggers it, sending the information to the SportVue's control module under the passenger seat, then wirelessly to the heads-up display.

From the view inside the helmet, the speedo and gear-position indicator are the two most practical displays of information when out on the road.

Two AAA batteries supply the juice required to power up the LED backlighting for those nighttime jaunts.

Our Project Z responded really well to Michelin Pilot Power tires. This picture also shows a few items we'll get into next time, such as the Carbonworks Pro fender, Goodridge brake lines, Leo Vince exhaust and a Race-Tech-modified suspension.

LightWorks Short Stalk LED turnsignals from Lockhart Phillips replace the hideously blocky stock signals for a much cleaner look that matches the stripped-down essense of the Z.

The addition of a Leo Vince SBK exhaust system, Targa fender eliminator kit and Laminar Lip Speed Shield mark the first round of additions to our Project Z.

An extra bit of smoked plastic goes a long way to increasing the nearly-naked Z1000's highway cruising potential. Laminar's Speed Shield does the job well for just $75.

The Leo Vince SBK exhaust with titanium-wrapped muffler uncorked a few more ponies from the Z1000. Peak horsepower is now nudging 130 ponies.

The Targa Accessories fender eliminator kit radically cleaned up the rear end of the Z compared to the bulky plastic contraption as fitted from the factory.