Nyteknik
Bannad
Trodde jag kände till alla turbomodeller från Japan. Tydligen inte. Den här tillverkades redan 1978 och effektökningen ska varit 80 –> 140 hk. Frågan är dock om det går att kalla den japansk om man läser texten nedan.
[YOUTUBE-ID]NnYvft6Uoow[/YOUTUBE-ID]
”The year was 1976. Kawasaki was preparing to introduce a replacement for their aging but extremely successful KZ900, or ´Z1´. Designers had penned a new model, the KZ1000 -D1, or simply… ´Z1-R´. With its bold angular lines, a sport fairing, increased displacement, a four into one exhaust system, and cast alloy wheels, designers felt they had hit the mark, and introduced the bike to the world as a 1978 model. It was available only in a unique Stardust Silver Metallic paint. Unfortunately, sales figures were disappointing.
Figuring that the new turbocharged Z1R-TC would beef up Kawasaki’s image as a muscle bike company, they set and waited for the sales reports to come in. Improved, but hardly earth-shattering. Even though these bikes boasted unbelievably impressive performance, the Z1-R just wasn’t the success that they had hoped for. About 250 of these Stardust TC’s were built. The sales team came up with one more idea. They thought the Stardust Silver paint may not have been the best choice for such a high performance bike.
Around this same time, American Turbo Pak (ATP) had established itself as a successful vendor of turbocharging kits for the KZ900, as well as other popular bikes. When fitted with the ATP performance kits, these ´super bikes´ were tearing it up on both street and at the strip, and were the first motorcycles to break the 10 second ¼ mile barrier.
Alan Masek, former marketing exec for Kawasaki, presented an idea to pick up the slow Z1-R sales. He proposed to fit some of the new Z1-R bikes with the ATP turbocharger kits, which would then bring some badly needed attention their way. Kawasaki agreed. Turbo Cycle Corporation was born, and Masek began the fitment of ATP kits to new, crated Z1-R’s right in Kawasaki’s California warehouse! Kawasaki set the retail price of these bikes at a staggering $5000! (The equivalent price of 3 new Honda 750F Super Sport bikes!) And… they would come with NO factory warranty! Only a select few dealers would ever see one.
In 1979, California passed a law banning the modification of a factory exhaust system. The TC conversions were stopped, and there were to be no more Turbo Cycle bikes manufactured. Only about 250 Molly TC’s were ever produced. They likely remain the rarest production Japanese bike ever built.”
http://www.behanclassics.com/id11.html
[YOUTUBE-ID]NnYvft6Uoow[/YOUTUBE-ID]
”The year was 1976. Kawasaki was preparing to introduce a replacement for their aging but extremely successful KZ900, or ´Z1´. Designers had penned a new model, the KZ1000 -D1, or simply… ´Z1-R´. With its bold angular lines, a sport fairing, increased displacement, a four into one exhaust system, and cast alloy wheels, designers felt they had hit the mark, and introduced the bike to the world as a 1978 model. It was available only in a unique Stardust Silver Metallic paint. Unfortunately, sales figures were disappointing.
Figuring that the new turbocharged Z1R-TC would beef up Kawasaki’s image as a muscle bike company, they set and waited for the sales reports to come in. Improved, but hardly earth-shattering. Even though these bikes boasted unbelievably impressive performance, the Z1-R just wasn’t the success that they had hoped for. About 250 of these Stardust TC’s were built. The sales team came up with one more idea. They thought the Stardust Silver paint may not have been the best choice for such a high performance bike.
Around this same time, American Turbo Pak (ATP) had established itself as a successful vendor of turbocharging kits for the KZ900, as well as other popular bikes. When fitted with the ATP performance kits, these ´super bikes´ were tearing it up on both street and at the strip, and were the first motorcycles to break the 10 second ¼ mile barrier.
Alan Masek, former marketing exec for Kawasaki, presented an idea to pick up the slow Z1-R sales. He proposed to fit some of the new Z1-R bikes with the ATP turbocharger kits, which would then bring some badly needed attention their way. Kawasaki agreed. Turbo Cycle Corporation was born, and Masek began the fitment of ATP kits to new, crated Z1-R’s right in Kawasaki’s California warehouse! Kawasaki set the retail price of these bikes at a staggering $5000! (The equivalent price of 3 new Honda 750F Super Sport bikes!) And… they would come with NO factory warranty! Only a select few dealers would ever see one.
In 1979, California passed a law banning the modification of a factory exhaust system. The TC conversions were stopped, and there were to be no more Turbo Cycle bikes manufactured. Only about 250 Molly TC’s were ever produced. They likely remain the rarest production Japanese bike ever built.”
http://www.behanclassics.com/id11.html
Bifogat
Last edited:
