On March 13-15, 1973, Kawasaki rolled its Z1 900 onto Daytona International Speedway’s banked track to prove the new model’s performance and durability. Pumping out 81 horsepower and 54.2 lb-ft of torque, the grand-daddy of all Zs had the first part covered. However, Team Green billed the Z1 as a “touring” bike, so the air-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, 903cc inline-four didn't just need to be powerful, it also needed to go the distance.
To illustrate the Z’s sporty and sensible sides, the manufacturer turned to Yoshimura to prep three race-ready units and Canadian racer Yvon Duhamel to lead the charge. As all speed and endurance attempts go, not everything went to plan, but the team achieved utter success despite the odds.
