Retrobike

Z ROD STREET AND STRIP

“I WANTED TO SHOW THAT A BACKYARD FELLA COULD STILL BUILD SOMETHING THAT LOOKS ALL RIGHT”

ENTHUSIASTS who know their early Kawasakis will pick this Z1 for a highly-modified hot rod in an instant, but it’s those who don’t who give owner Anthony Anderson the most satisfaction. “It amuses me, the comments people make,” Anthony says. “One fella told me I’d done a wonderful job restoring it. Another tried to convince me that he knew of one that was exactly the same. Probably the best was this very rough-looking guy who walked up and said, ‘I don’t even bloody like motorbikes but I like that!’”

For the record, the only stock parts on this bike are the fuel tank, side-covers, ducktail, mirrors, indicators, handgrips and seat cover — just enough to give that stock-at-first-glance appearance — and even most of those are reproductions. Look twice and the suspension and brakes are anything

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Retrobike

Retrobike4 min read
100hp Mito
Although never selling in big numbers Down Under, Cagiva’s Mito was one of the longest-lived and biggest-selling machines ever produced by the company. From 1989 until the increasingly stringent emission laws killed off the two-stroke road bike in 20
Retrobike1 min read
Retrobike
EDITOR Nigel Paterson DESIGNER Kate AtkinsonVALUED CONTRIBUTORS Alan Cathcart, John Downs, Kel Edge, Jamie McIlwraith, Russ Murray, John Rooth, John TurtonADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Mitch Newell 0402 202 870, mnewell@umco.com.au; David Strong 0411 424 072
Retrobike5 min read
All Sprung Out
Motorcycle suspension is absolutely crucial to a bike’s ride and handling, probably second only to having a decent set of properly inflated tyres. If you’ve got an older bike, there’s a really good likelihood the shocks and fork springs are sagged-ou

Related Books & Audiobooks