TOPIC:

Hi Folks,
It's time I updated the Home Page. I was thinking that we could add a brief, 500 to 1000 words that correctly describe the history and attributes of our Sixes.

So far I've come up with some history and facts that need to be corroborated and then polished into a smooth flowing article here's my starting point:

Kawasaki’s Z1300 and KZ1300 are liquid cooled 1286 CC transverse straight sixes that were manufactured between 1979 and 1989. The undersquare design used a bore of 62mm and a stroke of 71mm which kept the engine width acceptable. The shaft drive is dependable although it exhibits a tendency to torque jack under heavy acceleration. The engine is silky smooth with a very flat torque curve from 1500 RPM to Redline. During it’s production run, a digital fuel injection system was adopted primarily to improve fuel consumption, but also brought along increased power and torque.
When released, its output was in excess of 120 hp.
The Kawasaki Z1300 was manufactured in several versions, namely: Z1300, KZ1300, ZG1300 and ZN1300. It is the biggest model of the still-ongoing Z series that was started in 1972 with the Z1 (900). In the U.S., the model was equipped with a windshield, suitcase, and a redesigned frame. This new model was called "Voyager". In Europe, the traditional model was still available. The last 200 models (built in America as all Z1300 models were), built in 1989, have been called "Legendary Six", and were equipped with a special logo on the fuel tank to show that to the public. After a ten-year production run, Kawasaki's only liquid-cooled six-cylinder engine bowed out in 1989 after 20,000 KZ1300/Z1300 models and 4,500 Voyager models had been produced.
Cycle World tested the 1979 KZ1300's 0 to 1⁄4 mile (0.00 to 0.40 km) time at 11.93 seconds at 114.79 mph (184.74 km/h) and 0 to 60 mph time at 4.01 seconds.

Please don't hesitate to make corrections and offer suggestions.
Regards
Bill

You're off to a great start.

Why not just put it up, if anyone can make a valuable correction or addition I guess you can still do tghat.

regards,

Holger

Hi Bill
weather you wont to make mention

Kawasaki was not the first manufacturer to make a 6 cyllinder bike, others being first the Benelli 750 Sei in 72 which was followed up with a 900cc upgrade in 79
Honda climbed in with the CBX 1000 in 1978
Kawasaki was however in the handy position of being able to see the other cards on the table and throw in with a trump (or Royal flush not a gambler )
it was the first to be water cooled and shaft driven making it a good tourer with its more friendly ride position, unlike either of the others of which where more sport oriented.

im not sure what happend in the northern hemisphere, but they where raced here in NZ and in Australia.
kiwi, Graem Crosby raced one at Bathurst quite a famous Aussie race in its day.
Arto Nyquist of Finland and Dave Taylor from England where notable for their endeavors aboard the beast
please correct me if im wrong!, i understand that kawasaki knew the zed would not pass the upcoming new emission regs coming in for 83 so had to inject it to try and lower the emission readings, by share chance after they strapped on the injection they found it had increased the HP by 10 taking it to 130HP not a bad by product.
i had been told once this is partly why Honda dropped the CBX in 82.
Good luck with the page bill
Dion