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The Kawasaki Zephyr is a range of retro-styled naked superbikes made in the 1990s in Kawasaki's Z series. All models have transverse air-cooled dual overhead camshaft inline-four engines. There were a number of Zephyr models, in four engine capacities, 400, 550, 750, and 1,100 cc (24, 34, 46, and 67 cu in).

This article does not cite any sources. (December 2011)

Kawasaki Zephyr ZR550

Manufacturer	Kawasaki
Class	Naked bike
Engine	36.8 kW (50 PS; 49 bhp)[citation needed]
Transmission	6-speed manual
Wheelbase	1,435 mm (56.5 in)
Dimensions	L: 2,080 mm (81.9 in) W: 755 mm (29.7 in) H: 1,095 mm (43.1 in)
Weight	179 kg (395 lb)[citation needed] (dry)

The 400 was produced for the Japan market starting in 1989.

Zephyr styling is roughly based on the old Kawasaki Z1, with twin shock rear suspension, a relatively upright riding position and air-cooled power units. The 400, 550 and 750 engines were developed from the old Z400/500/550/650/750/900 series. The 1100 engine is based on the air-cooled DOHC, eight-valve inline-four that traces its roots back through the GPz1100 to the Z1000. It is the only Zephyr built with two spark plugs per cylinder.

The Zephyr started the naked/retro bike boom in the UK and Europe in the early 1990s^[opinion] and for a while moved Kawasaki to the 2nd best selling manufacturer of motorcycles in the UK Market.^{[citation needed]}

The Zephyr Z750 engine reappeared in the late 1990s in the short lived ZR7.

The Zephyr 1100 had a Z1 restyle in its last year of sale including a return to wire wheels. Wire wheels also appeared on the 750. It was replaced in the Kawasaki UK range by the popular Z1100R styled Kawasaki ZRX1100 (1997–2005).

The ZRX series of motorcycles had a great impact on the growing market for retro style motorcycles, particularly in the United States.^[opinion] It was modeled after Kawasaki's superbike championship winning KZ1000R-S1 that propelled Eddie Lawson to Superbike dominance in the early 1980s.

References

На других языках

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[de] Kawasaki Zephyr

Zephyr bezeichnet eine Motorrad-Baureihe des japanischen Herstellers Kawasaki. Die unverkleideten Maschinen (sogenannte „Naked Bikes“) gab es in Deutschland von 1991 bis 2000 in den Ausführungen 550, 750, 1100 cm³, welche optisch an die Z-Modelle aus den 1970er Jahren erinnern sollten. Es waren alles luftgekühlte 4-Zylinder 4-Takter.

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- [en] Kawasaki Zephyr

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[fr] Kawasaki Zephyr

La Kawasaki Zephyr est une moto du type rétro, fabriquée dans les années 1990.

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[it] Kawasaki Zephyr

La Kawasaki Zephyr fu un motociclo quadricilindrico prodotto nel 1990 dall'azienda giapponese Kawasaki e commercializzato nei primi anni dello stesso decennio. Si trattava di una moto di tipo stradale-turistico, senza appendici aerodinamiche (oggi sarebbe definita naked), che ricalcava nelle forme, con lievi accorgimenti estetico-meccanici, le maxi della serie Z, commercializzate con grande successo di pubblico e critica nell'arco degli anni 70. La Zephyr era reperibile in Italia in due motorizzazioni, 750 e 1100 cc., sebbene dalla fabbrica fossero uscite anche le medie cilindrate e anche quella da 900 cc. La 1100, che metteva a disposizione circa 37 Kw di potenza su 6 rapporti, era raffreddata ad aria e presentava un peso a secco dichiarato di circa 180 kg. Lo scarico era un 4 in 2 per entrambe le cilindrate. Tuttavia, nonostante la facilità di guida, dovuta al peso modesto e alla posizione comoda, l'accattivante design vintage e i minimi costi di gestione, la Zephyr non incontrò il favore del pubblico e fu presto accantonata, uscendo di listino già prima della metà degli anni '90, senza essere sostituita da nessun veicolo similare.

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