How Fast Was The Kawasaki Z1000? A Look At Its Top Speed & Acceleration Times

In May 2025, Kawasaki revealed details about its new Kawasaki Z1100. It'll likely join the Kawi lineup in 2026 and slot in above the current Z900 amongst Kawasaki's fast sport bikes. The current Z900 is properly fast itself, offering an enjoyable ride and a lot of features for the money, but it doesn't quite fill out the liter-bike position some naked-bike riders would like it to. Kawasaki used to be a bike in that spot, though, called the Z1000.

The Z1000 was discontinued in 2017, with the Z900 essentially replacing it in Kawasaki's lineup. But what did we lose? How much power was the Z1000 putting out? The Z1000 had a 1,043cc four-cylinder engine that produced 140 hp and 81 lb-ft of torque (142 PS and 111 Nm). That's a lot of power for a bike that only weighed 487 pounds (221 kg).

In a Cycle World test, the 2014 Z1000 harnessed its 1,043cc engine to rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. The quarter mile took 10.38 seconds at 127.5 mph, while the bike topped out at 147 mph. Having personally done that sort of speed on both full-fairing sport bikes and naked sport bikes, I can tell you that was likely a very windy experience. Naked bikes like Z1000 don't have a windscreen or aerodynamic aids to help cut through the air, so that 147 mph top speed was the result of raw power.

Even though it was one of the most powerful of Kawasaki's Z-Series naked bikes, the Z1000 didn't quite have superbike levels of power. Kawasakis with full fairings, like the track-ready ZX-10R, are where you get that kind of performance. The ZX-10R makes a whopping 196 hp and 83.9 lb-ft, all in a package that weighs less than the old Z1000 at just 456 pounds. But some models in Kawasaki's lineup offer a bit more approachable performance. The current Z900, as mentioned, is probably the best modern equivalent of the Z1000. The Z900's 948cc four-cylinder engine makes a bit less power, at 123 hp and 73.1 lb-ft. That's enough for it to reach an indicated top speed of 245 km/h (or 152.2 mph). So even with less displacement, the latest Z900 is still able to outrun the old Z1000.

The new Z1100 is also bound to be a powerful addition to Kawasaki's growing family of naked sport bikes. Reports indicate that the new Z1100 will likely use the same 1,099cc engine that powers the sporty and comfortable Ninja 1100SX, where it pumps out 134 hp and 83.2 lb-ft. Essentially, that 1,099cc motor is an evolution of the old 1,043 engine that powered the last Z1000, so it hasn't strayed far from its roots. And even though the Z1000 is no longer in the lineup, there are several bikes that can clearly keep up.