Kawasaki were quick to cash in on the AMA success of Eddie Lawson and his sit up and beg Zed.
The first replica wasn’t much more that a tarted up Z1000J. It had the all important bikini fairing and stepped saddle, sadly it lack the lime green paint of the number 21 racer, it’s still a mystery why Kawasaki finished it off in white.
Lawson took back to back AMA crowns in 1981 and 1982, it wasn’t until Kawasaki launched the Z1100R that buyers got the opportunity to get the green meanie paint.
Those AMA racers have inspired many a tribute bike, built in sheds worldwide to pay homage to Steady Eddie.
We spotted this stunner at the Stafford show earlier this year.
It’s a lovely mix of old school brutality softened with a few modern upgrades.
The black paint makes the big Zed look even more menacing, lovely!
The big AP calipers hang from some beefy Ohlins forks, the billet looking discs are a fantastic touch lifted from those genuine S1 race bikes.
There’s no shortage of quality components and delicious touches, for example the big Mikuni flat slide carbs and the ZRX1200 swinging arm.
Kawasaki themselves raided the dna from those original Eddie Lawson machines when they built the ZRX1100/1200 models, let’s hope that the new Z900RS will get some ELR treatment in the future.
