EICMA 2013: 2014 Kawasaki Z1000

Following the launch of the heavily revised 2014 Ninja 1000 ABS (reviewed here) comes a not-so-surprising, equally revised Z1000 for 2014. Boasting a plethora of performance upgrades the new Z also comes to the party in new Sugomi style.

According to Kawasaki, sugomi “describes the intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness and felt by the viewer. Someone, or something, possessing sugomi inspires awe, leaves an indelible impression, is daunting in stature or ability, and commands respect.” Sounds good to us.

Augmenting its aggressive, sugomi styling is a list of performance upgrades: Some seen on its Ninja 1000 counterpart and some not. In the engine department the Z receives the same revised 1,043cc liquid-cooled inline-Four featuring new intake cams for improved low- to midrange torque, new cylinder connecting passageways for mid- to high-rpm performance, and new ECU settings along with equal-length velocity stacks make for sharper throttle response. Final-drive gearing was shortened while a new taller 6th gear helps maintain highway comfort. The airbox features new atmospheric intakes to enhance intake growl and a new non-woven air filter element.

New one-piece, monobloc, radial-mount front brake calipers are composed of differentiated diameter (32mm upper, and 30mm lower) pistons. While a new ABS pump new has a fluid pressure sensor that allows more precise control of line pressures. Brake pad compound has a higher coefficient of friction for improved stopping power.

Unlike the Ninja 1000, the Z1000 is suspended by a new Separate Function Fork-Big Piston (SFF-BP) fork. The separate function fork features dedicated preload adjustability in the left tube and dedicated damping pistons and adjustability in the right tube, while large-diameter damper piston is much larger than those used in traditional cartridge forks. SFF-BP design offers easy adjustability, by locating all adjusters in the caps at the top of the two fork tubes.

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New, compact instrumentation features a dual element bar-graph tachometer with 0-4,000 rpm indicated vertically along the left edge of the lower display and a larger 4,000rpm+ tachometer filling the entire horizontal upper display. LCD information includes ABS and ECO indicators, digital speedometer, odometer, dual trip meter, clock, instant and average fuel consumption, coolant temperature, and low-fuel warning lamps.

The new increased-capacity fuel tank of 4.5 gallons help bring the Z’s curb weight up to a hefty 487 pounds, six more than last year’s model. Price has also increased, going up by $1,000 to $11,999.

Specs

By Tom Roderick