1978 Kawasaki KZ1000-Z1R – One Owner – Original Paint & Exhaust – Full Provenance

AN EXTRAORDINARY ONE-OWNER SURVIVOR

This is another lifelong motorcycle love affair—and one I can completely relate to.

John Medeiros purchased this 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000-Z1R brand-new from Burdick Motorcycles, an authorized Kawasaki dealer, on August 23, 1978. He preserved it in absolutely immaculate condition and remained its sole owner for the rest of his life.

Before John passed away, he instructed his wife to contact us when the time came to let his motorcycles go. We purchased several bikes from his collection with the promise that we would thoroughly service and preserve them, then find them the right forever homes. That is exactly what we have done with this exceptional Z1R.

His wife had tears in her eyes when the motorcycle was picked up. It was an emotional moment because John had owned this machine throughout their life together, and it carried decades of memories. We fully understood the responsibility that came with it.

In all our years at Kaplan Cycles and the New England Motorcycle Museum, this is the only one-owner Z1R we have ever acquired. It is also the finest original-paint example we have ever seen.

FULL DOCUMENTED PROVENANCE

This Z1R is accompanied by an extraordinary collection of original documentation, including:

• Original August 23, 1978 bill of sale from Burdick Motorcycles

• Original dealer statement of sale showing the purchase price

• Original Kawasaki warranty registration

• Original clean title, still unsigned on the reverse

• Duplicate title documentation

• Our complete work order documenting the extensive preservation service

The frame identification label remains remarkably clean and legible. These labels are frequently damaged or worn away after decades of cables rubbing against them, but this one has survived beautifully.

The motorcycle was built in late 1977 and sold as a 1978 model, placing it on the doorstep of its 50th anniversary.

A MILESTONE IN KAWASAKI HISTORY

The Z1R was a landmark motorcycle for Kawasaki and one of the defining Japanese performance machines of the 1970s. It was Kawasaki’s first factory-built café racer-style production motorcycle and helped establish an entirely new category of high-performance street bike.

Nearly 50 years later, its profile remains unmistakable. The angular fuel tank, sharp factory fairing, squared-off tail section, triangular side-panel design and low superbike handlebars gave the Z1R a futuristic appearance unlike anything else on the road.

Its performance credentials were equally serious. Kawasaki dominated AMA Superbike competition in 1978 and won the AMA Superbike Championship with the KZ1000 platform, further cementing the Z1R’s reputation as one of the ultimate muscle bikes of its era.

The Z1R featured several significant departures from the standard KZ1000, including 18-inch front and rear wheels, massive drilled brake rotors and a factory four-into-one exhaust system. The smaller front wheel improved steering response and gave the motorcycle a more aggressive stance.

Power came from Kawasaki’s legendary 1,015cc air-cooled, double-overhead-cam inline four, fed by four carburetors. The engine was rated at approximately 90 horsepower, with period performance figures placing it in the 11-second quarter-mile range and capable of approximately 135 mph.

The cockpit is pure 1970s superbike: a 160-mph speedometer, 8,500-rpm redline, fuel gauge, amp gauge and one of the most unusual braking arrangements of the era—a cable-operated remote front brake master-cylinder reservoir designed to provide clearance for the factory fairing.

EXCEPTIONALLY ORIGINAL CONDITION

Everything on this motorcycle remains original except for normal service items: the chain, tires, grips, battery, filters, fluids, fuel lines and carburetor components.

Original equipment includes:

• Original Stardust Silver Metallic paint

• Original white Kawasaki tank badges and factory pinstriping

• Original factory fairing

• Original fuel tank, side covers, front fender and tail section

• Original seat and seat cover

• Original 18-inch wheels

• Original drilled brake rotors

• Original factory four-into-one exhaust

• Original engine, carburetors and airbox

• Original gauges and controls

• Original swingarm, sprocket and suspension components

• Original engine-case and fork finishes

• Original factory shocks, to the best of our knowledge

• Original frame and cycle parts

The Stardust Silver Metallic finish has a subtle blue cast that perfectly complements the twin pinstripes and white tank emblems. The tank is exceptionally clean, with no notable scratches that we can see. The side covers and fairing remain beautiful, and the original clear coat on the fork lowers is still intact—something we almost never see on an unrestored motorcycle of this age.

This motorcycle has never been dropped and has never been cosmetically restored. The original engine cases and covers are in excellent condition, with no visible oil leakage from the base gasket, head gasket or engine cases. The original swingarm paint, wheel finishes, foot pegs and sprocket are remarkably well preserved.

THE ORIGINAL EXHAUST

The factory exhaust deserves special attention.

Most Z1Rs lost their original exhaust systems almost immediately. Owners commonly installed Kerker systems because they sounded incredible, reduced weight and were closely associated with the superbike era. As a result, surviving original Z1R exhaust systems are extremely difficult to find—especially in this condition.

This motorcycle retains its original factory four-into-one exhaust. The chrome is the finest we have ever seen on a Z1R. The underside is exceptionally clean, the heat shields appear nearly new and even the bottom frame rails remain beautifully preserved.

Finding a Z1R with its original paint, original cycle parts and original exhaust is almost unheard of.

COMPREHENSIVE MECHANICAL PRESERVATION SERVICE

When this motorcycle arrived, we performed an extensive top-to-bottom mechanical recommissioning and preservation service. Our goal was not simply to make it run; we wanted it fully dialed in and operating as closely as possible to the way it did when John first brought it home.

The mechanical service included:

• Installed a new fully charged battery

• Installed a battery-tender lead

• Removed and thoroughly cleaned the airbox and intake tract

• Installed a new air filter

• Removed the carburetor assembly

• Split the carburetor rack

• Ultrasonically cleaned the carburetors

• Cleaned every jet and internal passage

• Installed four new float needles

• Installed new fuel-inlet tees

• Set all four float heights

• Installed four new float-bowl gaskets

• Resealed the intake-manifold boots

• Reinstalled and professionally synchronized all four carburetors

• Lubricated the throttle and clutch cables

• Flushed the front brake master cylinder

• Rebuilt both front brake calipers

• Filled and bled the front braking system with DOT 5.1 fluid

• Rebuilt the rear brake master cylinder

• Vapor-blasted and ultrasonically cleaned the rear master cylinder

• Rebuilt the rear brake caliper

• Filled and bled the rear braking system with DOT 5.1 fluid

• Drained the engine oil

• Installed a new oil filter

• Filled the engine with Spectro 10W-40 motorcycle oil

• Removed and internally cleaned the fuel tank

• Steam-cleaned, power-washed and acetone-cleaned the inside of the tank

• Rebuilt the fuel petcock

• Rebuilt the remote fuel-lever mechanism

• Cleaned and restored the fuel cap

• Installed new 1/4-inch fuel line and an inline fuel filter

• Filled the tank with VP 94 ethanol-free fuel

• Installed and adjusted a new drive chain

• Set the tire pressures to 36 psi

• Tested the complete electrical system

Everything operates properly. The engine starts easily, idles smoothly and pulls hard without hesitation or abnormal vibration. The carburetors have been synchronized to perfection.

This motorcycle feels remarkably tight and smooth—very much like a properly preserved, nearly new machine. Unlike many modern superbikes, the Z1R also has a comfortable, usable seating position. It is a motorcycle you could proudly display, take to a concours event or ride across the country.

The tires were installed by the previous owner only a few years ago and appear to have approximately 30 miles on them. They still retain the molding “hairs” and appear to be in excellent condition.

CONCOURS-LEVEL ROTISSERIE DETAILING

After completing 39 hours of mechanical work, the motorcycle was sent to our professional detail department for a full rotisserie-style preservation detail.

The work was performed under the direction of our lead detail specialist, John Lee, who has been with us for more than 20 years. John has completed concours-level preservation work on motorcycles valued at more than $300,000, including an exceptionally rare four-cylinder Henderson.

The motorcycle was carefully steam-cleaned, hand-washed and detailed throughout. The drive chain was cleaned, and the original exhaust was meticulously cleaned and polished.

The aluminum engine cases were carefully cleaned using Pro 40, but they were not polished. We deliberately avoided altering or removing the original factory finishes.

The kickstand and center stand were the only painted pieces refinished. Because these components naturally contact the ground, they showed normal wear. Both were cleaned, sanded and refinished in the correct original appearance.

No paintwork was performed on the tank, fairing, side covers, front fender, tail section, frame or any other original painted component.

50 HOURS AND MORE THAN $8,500 INVESTED

The complete mechanical recommissioning and preservation detail required 50 hours of professional shop labor.

At our rate of $150 per hour, the labor alone represents $7,500. With the required parts and materials, the completed service totaled approximately $7,900. Transportation to our facility added another $650, bringing our recent investment to approximately $8,550.

This was a labor of love and a commitment we made to John’s widow: preserve the motorcycle properly, make it mechanically right and find it a worthy next caretaker.

HONEST COSMETIC DISCLOSURE

This motorcycle is an extraordinary original survivor, but it is nearly 50 years old, and we want to disclose every imperfection we observed.

The original seat cover has one small, professionally executed repair that may not be noticed unless pointed out. There is also one tiny chip along the lower portion of the bodywork and a very small beauty mark on the front fender.

Correctly matched touch-up paint is available, and these minor marks could easily be addressed. However, we deliberately left them untouched because this motorcycle is original only once. We did not want to apply touch-up paint or alter any of its surviving factory finishes.

Please carefully review all photographs and the video for a complete representation of its condition.

AN IRREPLACEABLE KAWASAKI MUSCLE BIKE

We searched current listings and recent offerings through eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Bring a Trailer and Mecum. We found nothing currently available that compares with this motorcycle’s combination of one-owner provenance, original paint, original exhaust, documentation and preserved condition.

There may be another Z1R somewhere that is equally nice, but it is not being offered for sale today.

Junior and I discussed keeping this motorcycle because we believe examples like this will become increasingly difficult—if not impossible—to replace. Great original Japanese muscle bikes are following the same trajectory as the American muscle cars many of us grew up admiring. Values continue to rise because the supply of genuine, documented and unrestored examples can only decrease.

Restored motorcycles can be recreated. A documented, one-owner survivor with its original paint, finishes, exhaust and paperwork cannot.

We believe this motorcycle could be worth as much as $50,000 in the right collector auction because of its provenance, originality and extraordinary condition. We also would not be surprised to see the finest Z1Rs trading for $60,000, $80,000 or even $90,000 as truly exceptional examples become increasingly scarce.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

If you have been searching for the finest original 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000-Z1R currently available, your ship may have just come in.

This is more than a motorcycle. It is a documented piece of Kawasaki history, preserved by the same devoted owner for nearly five decades and professionally recommissioned for its next caretaker.

We will offer it with a reserve substantially below what we believe it could command at a major collector auction. The bidders will ultimately determine its value.

May the best bidder win.

Thank you for looking, and God bless America.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY FROM KAPLAN? WHAT DO YOU GET?

“You are buying from the Kaplan Cycles Family. We are not just another big auction house. We are family-owned and operated and have been buying, servicing, and selling motorcycles since 1975. You will work directly with Ken Jr., Ken Sr., and/or one of the 30+ experts on our team. We provide museum-quality, white-glove concierge service from start to finish. Every motorcycle we sell is inspected, serviced, and supported by our team, and we stand behind it after the sale. You’re not on your own — we back what we build and what we sell.

With over 17,000 units sold and still 100% positive feedback, we are the best stress-free buying experience you can have. From the first call to delivery at your door, we will handle it all — because vintage motorcycles deserve support, and so do you.

With every bike we curate you get:
• museum-level inspection & preservation services
• every machine is professionally evaluated, serviced, & rotisserie detailed
• all critical systems are checked, adjusted, or renewed
• you get professional setup, tuning, and delivery prep
• done by the best experts in the industry — we ride and restore every day
• you get post-sale phone support
• you get white-glove, insured, always-enclosed shipping to your door anywhere in the country

You’re buying from Kaplan Cycles at the New England Motorcycle Museum, one of the largest vintage motorcycle collections in North America. Free museum tours and tickets are included with every bike sold. With every bike you purchase, a portion of the proceeds is used to support, continue, and improve the 501(c)(3) nonprofit New England Motorcycle Museum.

You don’t just win an auction — YOU are creating & helping to preserve motorcycle history, and you become part of our family, a Kaplan Cycles client for life.

We do not take new clients off the street.
We do not service bikes purchased elsewhere.
We only take new exclusive clients who purchase a motorcycle from us.

You get a guided purchase experience with, and from, the experts who care about the bike as much as you do. If there’s a problem, you don’t get ghosted. You call us — you will have our cell phone numbers — we will answer your call on weekends, and we will help make it right.

Auction platforms = listing only. No support. No accountability.

Kaplan Cycles = we stand behind what we sell.

You are buying museum-curated provenance. That means:
• expert evaluation
• documented condition
• professional presentation
• long-term preservation mindset

You’re not just buying a motorcycle — you’re buying a curated piece of motorcycling history.

From the #1 family in this business — Kaplan Cycles & the New England Motorcycle Museum.

Sincerely,

Ken Kaplan Sr.
12/28/2025”

AUCTION TERMS:

All motorcycles & vehicles are sold as-is where-is.

Kaplan Cycles guarantees all motorcycles are as-described. Please read the entire description and watch the entire video before bidding.

A non-refundable deposit is due immediately on purchase. PayPal or Credit Card is accepted for the deposit.

Cash (In-Person), Card (+3% fee), or Wire Transfer are our only accepted forms of final payment.

Full payment must be made within 7 days of auction close.

Your motorcycle must be picked up within 30 days of auction close. 

Exceptions are made only for international buyers OR buyers who have ALREADY made transport arrangements with a third party.

If a motorcycle is purchased and left here for longer than 30 days without written permission from Kaplan Cycles it will be resold. In the case of a re-sale, the owner will be entitled to a refund less storage fees ($25/ day beginning 30 days from auction close) ONLY if the motorcycle was paid in full on-time within the auction terms.

We always describe our motorcycles as accurately as possible.

You are purchasing a classic motorcycle. Even in cases where a bike may be in good running/ operating condition, new problems & idiosyncrasies can arise over-time from sitting or regular use.

If you have an issue with the motorcycle you’ve received, contact us within 24 hours of delivery and before leaving feedback so that we can address your concerns.

It is important you have at least a basic mechanical knowledge before purchasing and operating a classic motorcycle.

Due to our backlog, we cannot perform any additional service work or modifications on your motorcycle after the sale (ie; adding a light kit, different tires, etc.)

We respond quickly between the hours of 9am and 5pm EST, Monday - Friday

For our fastest service please call Ken Kaplan Jr directly at 860-471-0192

We will not charge out-of-state buyers sales tax.
Out of state residents will pay sales tax with their DMV. 

We are not a registering dealership. You will receive only the documents required to register your vehicle in your state.

In our listings, title status is always listed directly below the main description.

In some cases we will sell motorcycles without title or registration. In these cases we guarantee all motorcycles sold are free and clear. We will always provide a route to obtaining title. Generally in these cases, the motorcycle will be sold at a discount to accommodate expenses involved.

Documents are mailed via USPS priority mail with a tracking number. Please allow up to 14 days after payment in full for your documents to be processed and mailed.

Keys will be shipped with the motorcycle.

Warranty:

All Motorcycles sold "as is, where is" and Kaplan Cycles does not warranty any motorcycle sold. No express warranty and/or implied warranty are made by Kaplan Cycles. No statements by us give an implied warranty.

SHIPPING:

SEND US YOUR ZIP FOR A SHIPPING QUOTE!
WE WILL MAKE ALL ARRANGEMENTS!

We have the best shipping contacts in the nation who will provide the FASTEST transport times, have a perfect track record, and are always insured and ENCLOSED! All motorcycles are shipped WHOLE (roll-on, roll-off). We do not offer a pallet or crate service.

International shipping specialist contacts are available! They will assist in ground freight, customs clearance, and ocean freight to your country. International buyers will be required to work directly with our third party shipping contacts.

We strongly recommend you insure your motorcycle at the time of purchase.

PICKUP:

We require a 24 hour notice prior to pick-up. Please call us at 860-454-7024 during office hours Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm EST.

We will provide ramps, a dock for loading, and assistance to load for free.