You must be a well built big man because you made that bike look small.... Absolute beast of a bike

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

Ай бұрын

No doubt! The heft is ultimately why I sold mine. Cheers!

This was one of the bikes among all the bikes my uncle owned. He had the full dressed black version. The last time I rode with him. We toured Wyoming and South Dakota. I was on one of his KZ900s. We put on 900 miles. I got to ride the 1300 for a while on the trip. Luckily I have dozens of pictures of the trip. He's no longer with us. He crashed in his plane. That yr he was supposed to come home. At the time I owned a 1999 Honda Valkyrie Interstate. He never got to ride it. So the trip was/is very important to me. He loved his 1300 Kawasaki.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Very cool memories, Vince! It sounds like an epic trip on some great bikes with good company. Cheers!

@redtobertshateshandles

6 ай бұрын

Hi Vince, Loved your story. Loved Jon's story about his father. My motorcycle mentor was my 10 years older brother. He let me ride all his bikes and actually gave me a DT250 and a GT750 Suzuki. Great memories. Ride on brothers.

@1vincej1

6 ай бұрын

@@redtobertshateshandles that's awsome! Once the seed is planted its hard to quit. Still ride?

@redtobertshateshandles

6 ай бұрын

@1vincej1 If I don't have a motorcycle, I soon buy one. I just need to have one in the garage. My daughter bought a Royal Enfield 650 GT as transport to work, which I just put a 2:1 exhaust on, and I take it out every week or so. We've had a street legal Yamaha TTR230 dirtbike for over 15 years that the girls rode and I'd blat to work on it occasionally. I have a 76 Husqvarna 250WR project for 30 years. Collecting parts for it. I'm still riding. Just at 60 year old pace nowadays.

@1vincej1

6 ай бұрын

@@redtobertshateshandles that's awsome! Me too 59 yrs old. Lil slower pace. I enjoy wat hing Jon's channel. Brings back memories. I own a 2003 Honda CB750 Nighthawk. 4,300 miles on it. It's fine for my age. Stay safe! Keep the shiny side up!

Great video! I've owned a CBX in the past and, certainly here in South Africa, there was always rivalry between Kawasaki and Honda fans. My bikes better than yours type thing. Being older and wiser now I really appreciate both. Glad we live in a world with these great 6's.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on! The KZ1300 and CBX were interesting offshoots in motorcycling history. Cheers!

It was 1980 and my 21 year old self had moved to Dallas TX. My neighbor was an ex Hells Angels chapter leader from Chicago. He was riding the full touring version and doing wheelies up and down the parking lot with his "old lady" on the back. Bill, if you're out there, you're still my hero.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

4 ай бұрын

Very cool 😎!

I bought Mt 80 kz1300 with 823 miles, have 29000 now, and I'm bringing her back to life now, after 23 years of hibernation.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

4 ай бұрын

Very cool!

I am 60 and I have owned in excess of 30 motorcycles. Number 5 in my bike-ography (it followed a Yamaha FS1-e; Kawasaki KH125; Kawasaki Z250, and a Honda CX500) was a stunning black 1979 Kawasaki Z1300. It was, quite simply, a beast. Oh god do I miss that bike more than any other I ever owned. Massive character, best ever sounding exhaust in standard form, and it pulled like a train on tyres more akin to a pushbike these days.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on. There was nothing like it back in the day. Cheers!

Dad had the VETTER fairing and bags kit ! They were the best money could buy back in the day !

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

Ай бұрын

Yep. I begged him to let me take the bags and fairing off, but to no avail. Cheers!

I remember buying a Z200 with Dad when I was 15 years old. The Z1300 next to it was just frightening to look at - more so because I was a small teen getting a start on road bikes.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

2 күн бұрын

The KZ1300 was frightening to push in and out of the garage as well. But the weight seemed to lessen above 5 mph. Cheers!

The 1982 KZ1300 I owned was one of my favorite bikes of all time. I always wanted to get a carburetor version and install a fuel injected engine from a voyager. I love the smoothness and the sound of the 6 cylinder engine.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on! The sound of the 1300cc six is amazing. Cheers!

The bike shop 55 miles away, in the 70's and 80's was a Kawasaki dealer. Now it is just a shop and used bike dealer. He still has a brand new , never cranked, never sold KZ1300. Enjoyed the video Jon and RIDE SAFE OUT THERE.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Wow, I wonder what that would be worth today? Cheers!

@henryhawk978

6 ай бұрын

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 if I don't forget, when passing by the shop, I'll stop, and get a picture, and send it to you.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@@henryhawk978 That would be great! Thanks, Henry!

@henryhawk978

6 ай бұрын

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 I just spoke to one of the guys at that shop. he said it is a 84 Voyager. They still have it, and it's never been cranked.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@@henryhawk978 Right on!

Being an apprentice for a guy who owned a Suzuki shop and a Kawasaki shop, I've had a bit to do with the 1300. Actually helped the mechanic pull out the engine and replace the main bearings of an early bike. One later bike had a weepy diff plug, which the owner whinged about continually. The dealership threw resources at it, but three different mechanics couldn't fix it. It was really a non issue anyway. A few of us at the dealership were weedy little guys but rode the 1300 without a problem. I could put them on the centrestand easily. They just demanded respect until they were moving. For a small guy they are just too heavy to be a daily rider. I think Jons review is 100% spot on with everything. I think that if you owned one, it would fall over eventually. Supremely comfortable and plenty powerful, smooth etc. Hard on tyres, however there's no chain and sprocket costs. Brakes were pretty good from memory. Pretty wide so Jons dads cornering experience is no surprise really. Great Japanese quality. A very niche bike. I like them but they're huge. I just thought about tiny Japanese test riders and workers assembling these things. 😂 They must have big balls. No wonder they were hard to defeat in WW2. 😂 The Z1000J remains my favourite big air cooled four.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on, thanks so much for sharing your experiences! Cheers!

i remember when they debuted.i thought they were huge in physical size.didnt see many on the streets at the time though.perhaps for size & cost reasons.nice review jon.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thank you! No doubt about it, they were big and heavy. Not bad once they were rolling, but beastly to push around. Cheers!

@redtobertshateshandles

6 ай бұрын

In the Kawasaki dealership I worked at we didn't sell many. Usually, big, reasonably fit guys bought them. I think two of them still have their bikes. One had personalised number plates IW , so I'll never forget him. I think I saw him recently. He also bought the early model and later model. A guy I later worked with still has his late model 1300.

Oh yeah, now this is a bike I have always wanted and I'd still love one!

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

A couple of more things that came to mind: My brother had a fully equipped touring Z1300. It once started to go when he attempted to lift it onto the center stand on a not-so-level surface, and the bike began to fall over, but he managed to catch it by the handlebars. To his bewilderment, the bike continued to drop slowly on its side, while my brother held the bars steady. Turned out my brother was strong enough and the bike heavy enough to bend the handlebars. After removing the fairing and bags, he also loved to slide the bike out of 90-degree city corners, spinning the rear tire in first gear under control. What I remember best about my own, a later 1984 DFI naked, was that it never ran quite right at lower revs, and that it vibrated badly enough at 4000 rpm to put my hands to sleep within a mile. It didn't blur the mirrors or anything, but the very fine, high frequency vibes got to me. At any other rpm, it was not a problem.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I completely understand about the bike continuing to slowly go over and I believe you about the bent bars. I didn't ride a Dfi bike, but the carburated version was smooth throughout the rev range. The early fuel-injection systems weren't always that great. Cheers!

My ultimate bike.... I would love to own one... They are the best that kawasaki have to offer even nowadays

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

Ай бұрын

They were big and bold and powerful and different. I've seen them used by several stunt riders - those were real men! Cheers!

Your pops had great taste in motorcycles!

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

3 ай бұрын

He does. I'll let him know you said that. Cheers!

I have a '79 that I found in an abandoned house. All original with only 1200 miles on it. I need to finally get around to restoring it, such a fascinating bike, and you're definitely not joking about dropping the thing just trying to move it around...

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

2 ай бұрын

Right on! Good luck on the restoration. Cheers!

Great review Jon! Always wanted one. It does not yet get the love the CBX has lately gotten, but it is a truly unique piece of motorcycle history. Love it !

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thank you! The inline six is an outrageous motorcycle engine. I was surprised to see BMW bring it back. Cheers!

@QuickShiftMoto1

6 ай бұрын

@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 Me too, but it is a strong competitor to the Gold Wing that the RT never was. The GW pretty much owned that market of super sized tourer until the K1600 arrived. I have ridden both , the K1600 and the 1250 RT and am undecided which I would chose. I would probably lean towards the RT unless you ride two up a lot then the K1600 is more comfortable. for the pillion. Always great to see your reviews! Thank you.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@QuickShiftMoto1 Thank you. I have a friend with the BMW six who has offered to let me review it. I will try to take him up on the offer once the weather gets nicer. I'm a big fan of the 1250 RT, so it will be an interesting experience. Cheers!

@QuickShiftMoto1

6 ай бұрын

@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 That will be a cool review! I prefer the RT in all aspects but the six is an intoxicating engine! BTW. Performance is identical between the two, except for fuel consumption. The RT gets a solid 10 mpg BETTER than the K1600.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@@QuickShiftMoto1 I believe that.

Hellishly strong bike. But I was surprised that my friend's KZ1300 suffer bad valve recession, though at about 200,000 miles !!

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

That's quite a few miles!

Great review as always Jon. I hear other KZread's say you don't need a Liter Bike... I disagree. Buy what you love and enjoy it for as long as you have them. Ride safe. Cheers

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, Rick! I agree. I rarely use a liter bike's full potential. I like them for the relaxed power they make at low to medium rpm. Though it's fun to unleash them every now and then 😉. Cheers!

My first bike was a Z250 Scorpion and I always remember seeing the Z13 in green sitting in the shop when I went to pick up my bike this was back in the early 80s now I have the K1600GTL you can't beat the sound on an inline especially when it has 6 pots, good memories.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Very cool! I would love to try out the K1600. Cheers!

Nice job. I forgot about the fuel injection models. What a sound!! Back then I was more interested in going around corners fast on my 1974 Norton Commando 850 with a Druin supercharger on it. I should have had that instead. Maybe I would still have it. It was hard to kill. The Norton was not. (and I did)

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on! A supercharged Norton sounds finicky but fun! If you enjoyed the corners or even straight-line speed, however, there were better choices than the KZ1300 (GS1000E, for example). The KZ1300 was a touring bike. Cheers!

@tonyciriello6872

6 ай бұрын

@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 Yes. After that poor Norton expired I got the 83 GS1100E. Awesome bike I should have kept.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@tonyciriello6872 Well, the GS1100E is about as good as it gets for a standard style bike of the time. Cheers!

great vid Jon , brought back a lot of great memories . Thx for sharing

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Guy on my drag race team had one ! We callec it the "BRUISER" !

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

Ай бұрын

They were beastly bikes!

A side by side comparison between a KZ1300 and CBX (with both in mint condition) would be awesome .

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on, I would love to do that review if I get the chance! Cheers

@richardwoodhouse8397

6 ай бұрын

Kaplan motorcycle museum

Good morning Jon ☕️. I've always been intrigued by the inline 6 cylinder, but have never ridden one. Great video! Your narration is easy to listen to and I appreciate the editing. Enjoy your weekend. Eric in NC

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Good morning Eric. Thank you. I really appreciate the feedback! Cheers

That's the bike I most regret that I sold. Mine was a 1980 equipped with a Shoei touring fairing and bags that made it look almost like a Voyager.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

17 күн бұрын

Very cool! It was a smooth bike. Cheers!

Yes, that was a great story good to hear a personal history of ownership from back in the day, I had a pilion ride out UK on a maroon coloured one of these when I was about 13y am no 59y I never got over the tourque and became a biker to this day passed my test on kh250 at 17y and have had hundreds of different bikes but kawasaki holds a soft spot for me, my curent stable zx14 p.s, H2, busa gen2+3, cbr1100x6, bandit 1200n gen1😅

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Nice, Richard! Sounds like we've experienced many of the same bikes. I've yet to ride the H2, but I've owned the others you mentioned. I try to stay away from the hyperbikes these days since I can't seem to behave on them 😉. Cheers!

If a couch and a motorcycle had a powerful baby together. It would grow up to be a Z1300.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

@user-tc9ss6vv6i

6 ай бұрын

And then became the VK2 muscle cruiser

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@user-tc9ss6vv6i I've owned the Vulcan 2000 as well and plan to review it in the future. Cheers!

@user-tc9ss6vv6i

6 ай бұрын

@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 look forward to that own VK2 for 2 yrs. Future classic?

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@@user-tc9ss6vv6i Maybe.

Thanks! Sounds like you got the sound from the Z1300 racing around Spa ;)

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

😉 Good ear!

Nice job I remember the 1300 back in 1979 but went with the 1000ltd. Still have it. But the 1300 I seen was a dresser. To much money. I did pick up a 1200 voyager in 1990. Its a 1997 still has carbs. Love it i ride it more then the 1979 ltd. Its my fishing bike I can put all my gear in it and take off and easy on gas. About 42 miles to the gal. But it comes in at over 900 pounds. But u can set flat footed on it. Unlike the Gold wing. Thanks for sharing.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on, Gary! Kawasaki went the simpler route with the Voyager 1200 4-cylinder after the complexity and higher weight of the Voyager 1300. I haven't ridden the Voyager 1200. But it sounds like a nice bike! Cheers!

Hola Jhon. Muy buena tu historia con el 1300.. Recuerdo cuando trabajaba en la agencia Kawasaki había un compañero que tenia un 1300 /81 (carter grande) el andar era hermoso pero tambien su "peso" !! La calidad de la moto era superior * me atrevo a decir que fue el punto mas alto que hizo Kawasaki)comparada con el CBX (mas sport)eran distintas , a pesar de tener las 2 un 6 cilindros en linea. Un gusto como siempre recibir tus videos. Saludos Ricardo

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

¡Gracias Ricardo! Estoy de acuerdo, a pesar de que ambas motocicletas tenían la misma configuración de motor, no competían entre sí. La CBX era una Superbike, la KZ1300 era una turismo. ¡Salud!

@redtobertshateshandles

6 ай бұрын

Si. 👍

Would love to heve one of these. I only had a KZ 1000 and a KZ 650. Both were rad dependable bikes. Great show. Awsome sound.I bet the price of these bikes are going up, and up?

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Price depends on year, mileage, condition, location, etc. And they are complex if you're doing a restoration on one. Cheers!

Hey Jon, thanks for posting, well done. I had the full touring package one summer, I remember it had a clumsy key/ security system, but it sure liked the interstate, I believe there was some issues with the cam chain tensioner mounting bolts stripping out.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Interesting. Thankfully, I didn't experience that issue. Cheers!

Had an 86 voyager very big very heavy never got comfortable with the weight also had 79 kz1000 shaft drive that was a very nice ride thought it was pretty quick until i challage a vrod on the interstate at 55 found out quick i was on an antique

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on! I have a 1979 KZ1000 Shaft in the garage, and I love it. It feels quick until I ride any of my vintage 1100s. The 1980 GS1100E was putting out 1/4 mile times over 1 second quicker than the KZ1000 or KZ1300. In fact, the GS1100E is slightly quicker than the V-Rod! Cheers!

Going back in my memory, the original Gold Wing was meant to compete with the Z1/KZ900, but Honda created a touring legend instead. Think about it...the Harley Electra Glide's vibration and reliability are legendary, albeit for the wrong reasons. The BMWs, while relatively vibration free thanks to the boxer twin, were far more reliable than the Harleys. The Z1/KZ900 was seen as a dragster, not a good touring bike. The GL1000 changed everything. Far more powerful than anything else, and smooth thanks to the boxer four, it made Craig Vetter rich. What Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha didn't get at the time is that the boxer four was a better touring motor. Kawasaki created the liquid-cooled 1200 cc inline four for the Voyager, Suzuki created a 1400 cc V-four for the Cavalcade, and Yamaha created a 1200 cc V-four for the Venture. Honda said "I'll see your V-fours, and raise you two cylinders." They haven't been seriously challenged for the top touring spot in a generation. Still, that era saw a lot of unique motorcycles.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

I agree. The boxer motor has a huge advantage in keeping the weight low in the bike. Kawasaki's KZ1300 inline six-cylinder was smoother than the Goldwing's flat 4-cyl, but it was a super-tall engine with a large fuel tank on top of it (the Goldwing's tank was under the seat). The low center of mass of the Goldwing was it's true genius. Cheers!

3 -2 Barrel Carbs is interesting and unusual i am guessing. The Race Track audio sounds like something from V-12 Ferrari, or something similar from the tracks of Europe ! I can relate to the story about the Weight, my Honda is 675+ and its plenty of weight to try and control, pushing it around in the garage.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

Very cool bike thanks for sharing

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

2 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@TheShelby04

2 ай бұрын

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 I bought a kz 1000 st few months ago so it will soon be back on the road. Thank you for your video s. Really enjoy them.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

2 ай бұрын

@@TheShelby04 Awesome! I have a whole playlist of my KZ1000 ST on the channel. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing it. Cheers!

beautiful beautiful bike😊

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

4 ай бұрын

Right on, Robert!

Beautiful

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

One of kawasakis better ideas over the honda cbx was the three carbs instead of six.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

2 ай бұрын

I agree. I've worked on the Kawasaki 3 carb setup, and it was pretty easy compared to the nightmarish setup on the CBX. Cheers!

Nice bikes 👍😊

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

Doug Domokos (wheelie King) was a sight to behold on one of these. Not a pretty bike by any stretch and these days, is 1300 a mid weight? 😊

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Yep, several stunt riders performed amazing feats on the KZ1300! Having owned one only reinforces my respect for those riders! Cheers

gd vid jon id have that old kaw.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, David!

Seems to me you had / have a great dad 👍

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

5 ай бұрын

Yep, he is an awesome dad!

I had the Dfi version from 1988. I sold it after only 8 months. Creamy smooth and quick on the straights but too fat for twisties. The front forķs were air assisted but hopelessly too soft and bottomed out on poor roads. It's too wide to filter in traffic (lane splitting) and even gentle riding gave poor MPG.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience! I think the Dfi bikes got worse mpg than the carburated bikes. I think for most riders, the heft of the KZ1300 and the physical size would get old pretty quickly. Cheers!

I remenber mine, mosltly good memories except the one where i have to do slalom between 30 cows on the hyway. Not the fastest responding motorbike.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

3 ай бұрын

Dance of the Kaws! 😉 I'm glad you made it through the cows and lived to tell the tale. Cheers!

I went and looked at the KZ 1000 shaft. How does the suzuki GS-1100e stack up against these 2 bikes?

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Both the KZs were available with the full touring fairing and bags. So, if you use them as dedicated tourers, the Kawasaki's have an edge. And the KZ1300 is super smooth. However, for any riding other than dedicated highway work, the GS1100E works better. It's lighter, faster, quicker, better-handling, etc. and just as comfortable. Cheers!

@valuedcustomer5022

6 ай бұрын

@@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538 it wont let me post the link but did you see the V12 Kawasaki Z2300 cc ?

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

@@valuedcustomer5022 I've seen it. Millyard is a crazy genius!

I've had 2xVoyager 1300 touring bikes. I agree they are so heavy and ungainly when slow, but on the highway at speed they are glorious. I was surprised when I races a 1200 Gold wing and he left me behind. Always thought my Kawasaki would be faster as Kawasaki prides itself on fast, I'm a 100cc bigger than the Honda but slower. Bummer.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

Ouch! Weight is the enemy of performance and even that powerful inline six couldn't overcome the Voyager's mass. But, it was never designed as a racer. It was always designed as a tourer. Cheers!

I'm 64 never owned one but have rode them. Slow heavy pigs.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

6 ай бұрын

The KZ1300 was never designed as a supersport. It was a touring bike and faster than most other tourers. While the six-cylinder sounds racey, you can't get away from the fact that it's a 709 lb motorcycle without fairings. Cheers!

Looks Kawasaki compared to a triumph Bonneville for the time

LOL you really need to abbreviate the name of the bike your focusing on in the video. YOU must have said KZ1300 500 times during this video and you do the same in every one of your videos.

@jonsmotorcyclerescueandrev3538

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. If there's a shorter name for a bike, I'll gladly use it! With that said, I'll try not to use a bike's name so often in future videos. Cheers!