LETTER OF THE MONTH

W Remembering The Z1

ow…How time flies! Seems like just a few years ago I was in Japan sleeping on a Tatami mat and eating fish with rice. Your article was candid and thorough about the birth of the Z1. The first U.S.

cross-country road trip with three bikes, with a chase van and a rental car with the Kawasaki engineering staff, is a chapter worth telling. It was quite an adventure, hosting the engineers and test rider on their first trip to America. We put Honda decals smiles when they heard the translation of our very positive evaluation of what they had created.

OH 43147. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

Randy Hall

It’s always a treat to hear behindthe-scenes stories by folks directly involved in a project, Randy, so thanks for sharing. —Ed.

Just received the Z1 issue and have to take issue with one statement you made about the bike being the “first superbike.” The Z1 was not the first superbike; the Honda CB750 was. As touted by everyone and their brother, and all the magazines, to boot. True, the Z1 outperformed the CB750 and was more daring and on the prototypes fuel tanks to try to hide the bike’s identity, along with ugly slime green/blue Honda copy paint job. It fooled some gas-stop lookers, but quite a few said, “That’s not a Honda!” Got stopped a few times by the local and state highway cops. Mostly curious about what brand it was. The good times did roll for Kawasaki because of the Z1! I’m glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it along with many other talented engineers, test riders, marketing staff and forward-thinking management. George Hamawaki, Alan Masek and my boss Sid Saito at KMC, along with advice from Don Graves and Paul Collins, made the concept a reality. But they could not have brought the Z1 to market without the guidance of Sam Tanegashima and “HP” Otsuki at KHI in Japan. Thanks for doing such a great job in bringing back all the memories.

Bryon Farnsworth

Thanks for the help on the story, Bryon! —Ed.

innovative, but it was NOT the first Superbike. BTW, I have two CB750s, a Z1 and a KTM RC8R, which leaves both bikes in the dust.

Todd Haeckel

Lots of ways to slice the whole CB750 vs. Z1 thing, Todd, but it’s probably safe to say that this 50-yearold argument isn’t going to be settled anytime soon! —Ed.

I had been on the fence about getting a 50th Anniversary Kawasaki Z900 until I saw the cover of your February issue featuring the original Z1. That to me was a sign to buy one! So thanks, folks! Now I need to sell a bike to make room for it.

Scott Bunn, Charter Life Member Doylestown, Ohio

Happy to help spend your hardearned bucks for you, Scott! – Ed.

Arkus-Duntovs and maybe the gods will forgive you!

Rob Herrington

My Dad used to always tell me to slow down, not hurry, and to measure twice and cut once. I guess I should have listened more closely! —Ed.

Even More Automotive Messiness

The Z1 50th Anniversary issue is killer, including John Stein’s fine job in highlighting the Harley Sportster’s 65th anniversary. But in stating that the Sportster is “literally America’s most historic vehicle,” John is forgetting the Chevrolet Suburban, which has been in continuous production since the 1935 model year. And the Jeep Wrangler’s lineage and visual profile extend, unbroken, back to the first civilian CJ jeep in 1945—and to 1941 for the WWII original.

Lindsay Brooke

AND FINALLY, SOMETHING POSITIVE!

I’d guess not many consider the challenge you folks face each month putting the magazine together while trying to integrate the massively wide variety of stuff in the motorcycling world — but the February issue does

OF HONDAS, FORDS AND CHEVYS

At the risk of appearing to pick fly poop out of pepper, and being a Ford Blue Oval fan, I have to point out that the truck pictured in the February issue’s Last Page article on Honda’s Pico Blvd. roots is a Chevrolet Apache, not a Ranchero (which is a Ford product). Other than that it was a great article, and right on point as to how Mr. Soichiro Honda would be received in most of today’s workplaces!

Keith Campbell

To the Editor: Your authenticity and qualifications as a four-wheel gearhead are in serious jeopardy. Chevy Ranchero? For penance, say six Louis Chevrolets and five Zora a pretty good job. In it you have news (new Triumphs and Harleys, Government Relations bits, small club and racing features, AMA awards, etc.), old stuff (the Z1 and Sportster history pieces), off-road racing elements (the Baylor Bros.), plus columns, Back In The Day and AMA Garage – and sometimes even a Malcolm’s Moments feature. It’s a good mix of almost-always compelling stories, so keep up the good work.

C. Miller Columbus, Ohio

Thanks for the note, and especially for mentioning what we feel is the key to the magazine’s popularity and success of late: a mix of almost-always compelling stories. When you boil it all down, stories about motorcycle people, and good storytelling craft in how you portray and communicate those stories to your readership, has always been key to the best sort of motorcycle magazine experiences, and we focus on that as much as we can. We’re hoping off-road fans will like the on-road stuff (and vice-versa), that non-racers will enjoy the racing stuff (ditto), and that boomers will enjoy the more youth-oriented grist (ditto again). If it’s on two wheels, as the late Bruce Brown epitomized so well in On Any Sunday, it’s gotta be good, right?! —Ed.