Do I own a 1978, 1979 or 1980 Kawasaki Z1-R? I'm told the Frame/Engine number is the standard way to tell. FACTS: Used Bike was bought as a registered 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R and looks like a 1978 is everyway including engine/frame numbers but Date of manufacturing on the same frame as the frame number says Sept 1979. It's Impossible for a 1978 bike to be made in 1979 unless you own a time machine. Date of manufacturing 9/79 or Sept 1979. The Frame number of mine is KZT00D-0166XX and Engine number KZT00DE-0166XX but 1979 models numbers start at KZT00D-017501. Body parts Small gas tank, 18" front wheel, METALLIC STARDUST SILVER paint, all indicating a 1978 model. What is this? The serial numbers don't show any signs of tampering with so I believe the date may be a misprint or the published frame numbers are wrong. Any other suggersions? It looks like a 78, serial numbers of a 78 but date of a 79. DETAILS: I have a 1978 Kawasaki Z1R, atleast the registration and serial numbers say so but the date of manufacturing is Sept 1979. What goes on here. The serial # of the motor and frame are only a few away and are less then the starting frame #'s of the 1979 model's KZT00D-017501. The bike has all the features of a 1978 like small tank, 18" wheels, Mark I engine (not Mark II) etc. Is the info on the UK site correct, or did Kawasaki make a mistake on the manufacturing date? My bike has none of the features that were changed on the 1979 or 1980 models like 19" wheel and no signs of being altered. Either the bike was made in 9/79 and the serial #'s are wrong or the serial numbers are right meaning it's a 1978 and the Date is wrong and maybe it should have been something like 9/78 but a type-O in printing the VIN on the stearing column of the frame. The US and Canadian websites say the bike was made only in 1978 and 1980 but not 1979. I don't believe I've ever seen a 1979 model Z1-R before and one person told me that less than 300 bikes were made world wide. How can it be a 1979 with serial #'s and features of a 1978? Both the frame number and date of manufacturing is on the frame so it can't be a converted bike like some people did with GPZ bikes to make Eddie Lawson Replicas. I'm wondering that maybe from FRAME NUMBER: KZT00D-000001 to FRAME NUMBER: KZT00D-017501 are Mark I make bikes including most 1979 models and sometime late in 1979 they changed to the NEW mark II models with the changes to the bigger front tire, etc. That would also explain the small production run of 300 bikes for 1979 (they only included Mark II models). This would explain why I have a model made in 1979 but has all the markings of a 1978 model. It is strange that it's registered as a 1978 model and I'm told no 1979 models were sold here except in Germany. What Countries sold 1979 models and are they really the rarest model Z1-R? Info on all Z1-R's made that I could find on the web: Information from UK website [URL]http://www.z-power.co.uk[/URL] 1978 Z1000-D1 Z1R FRAME NUMBER: KZT00D-000001 > ENGINE NUMBER: KZT00DE-000001 > COLOUR: METALLIC STARDUST SILVER. The Z1R was the first Japanese custom 'cafe racer'. The angular styling was not to everybody's taste. Major changes were the four into one exhaust, a cockpit fairing, solid wheels, drilled discs and self-cancelling indicators. The front wheel was reduced to an eighteen inch one and the engine was once again painted in black. The kick-start pedal was considered redundant and fitted as an emergency measure under the seat. A move back to 28-mm carbs increased the power to 90 bhp making this the most powerful Z yet. Poor sales resulted in Kawasaki producing a larger 20-litre fuel tank and a sintered metal brake kit in an effort to increase sales. UK dealers were still selling this model four years later! 1979 Z1000-D2 Z1R FRAME NUMBER: KZT00D-017501 > ENGINE NUMBER: KZT00DE-017501 > COLOUR: EBONY OR LUMINOUS DARK RED For 1979 the Z1R was fitted with the MK11 engine and all it's improvements. A four into two exhaust system was fitted and there was a move back to a nineteen inch front wheel. It was known as the Z1R-II but was not sold in the UK due to poor sales of the D1. Power was up to 94 bhp. 1980 Z1000-D3 Z1R FRAME NUMBER: KZT00D-017801 > ENGINE NUMBER: KZTOODE-017616 > COLOUR: EBONY The only changes worth while mentioning on this model was the graphics and side panel badges. The UK still went without this bike.
