Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Winds of change!

I always fancied a Kawasaki Zephyr when they first came out in the early 1990s, which in turn began when I first saw a Z1, but couldn't afford either of them at the time when the bug had bitten…

Strangely, it was the 550 I thought was the best looking due to its close-pitch cylinder finning as opposed to the 750; the 1100 had not been released at that point, so that was my only choice. Fast forward to 2013 and I saw by chance – an 1100 Zephyr for sale on eBay, which piqued my interest again. Also by now I was able to afford one. So I started looking for an 1100, which was now my preferred model.

Yes, it was a case of ‘biggest is best’, and on balance it’s the better looking model. Despite scouring every motorcycle media known to man I couldn’t find anything

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