VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P105
T
here was a time when
Kawasaki's Z-series na-
ked bikes embodied the
company's wild side. Machines
like the Z1000 combined the
company's early Sugomi design
and engineering philosophy
with a raspy inline-four en
-
gine; it was enough attitude to
set Kawasaki apart from the
increasingly homogenized and
frankly boring competition.
Over the last decade, how-
ever, the naked-bike landscape
changed dramatically. As elec-
tronics became more sophisti-
cated, performance increased
enormously, and manufactur-
ers began dividing the category
into two distinct camps.
On one side were the Japa-
nese machines that offered
excellent value and everyday
usability. On the other were Eu
-
ropean liter-class naked bikes
that were essentially unfaired
versions of their respective
superbikes, packed with rider
aids, premium suspension,
and every electronic bell and
whistle you could possibly
want and/or need.
Kawasaki's answer for 2026
is the new Z1100 SE ABS, a
motorcycle that finally fills the
gap between the hugely suc
-
cessful Z900 and the chart-
topping supercharged Z H2 but
still keeps within that Japanese
naked-bike philosophy.
NINJA
THENAKED
Well, kind of. Kawasaki has finally
decided to join the big-bore naked-bike
class with a bike that doesn't scream
on the spec sheet but does so and
more once you
twist the throttle.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MOORE
