Kawasaki Z1300 Six-Cylinder Motorcyle Free Papercraft Model

Do you like hearing the sound of a two-cylinder motorcycle exhaust?

Well, it is guaranteed that you will tremble if you hear the roar of the exhaust sound of a six-cylinder engine.

Not shaking out of fear, yes, but shaking with joy because her voice is so beautiful!

There are already several manufacturers that make six-cylinder motorcycles such as the Benelli Sei 750/900, Honda CBX1000, to the Kawasaki Z1300 which is also known as the KZ1300.

This six-cylinder motorcycle from Kawasaki was launched in 1979 and was produced until 1989 only.

In the 1970-1980s era, there was indeed a technological war from each motorcycle manufacturer, friend, that's why they competed to make motorbikes with "magic" machines.

Not wanting to be left behind with the Benelli Sei 750/900 and Honda CBX1000 which came out first, Kawasaki also fought in the arena of 6 cylinder engine motorcycles.

When the Benelli Sei and Honda CBX were considered 'two-wheel madness', Cycleworld magazine immediately labeled the Kawasaki Z1300 a 'two-wheel locomotive'.

But the Kawasaki Z1300 is not made to serve the Honda CBX1000 which is designed as a sports machine.

Kawasaki chose to make the Z1300 a touring bike and was stronger for long trips.

The engine specs are six cylinders with a total capacity of 1286 cc with a piston size of 62 mm and a piston stroke of 71 mm, aka over stroke.

What's unique is that even though it uses the DOHC system, it only has two valves per cylinder, so there are only 12 valves in total.

It's the opposite with today's motorbikes like the Yamaha R15 or NMAX which are SOHC but instead have four valves.

The maximum power that can be sprayed from this 'locomotive' engine is 120 hp with a maximum torque of 118 Nm.

Let me illustrate, the Z1300 engine is almost as big as the compressor tube you usually see at a tire patch.

How much does it weigh? Oh, I can't imagine picking it up if it falls... 322 kg!

But with such a big weight, this bike is still light enough to reach speeds of 200 km / h.

As a motorcycle designed for long trips, the Z1300 is superior to the Honda CBX1000 or Benelli Sei because it uses a radiator.

In addition, the Z1300 already uses an axle drive system.

In 1984, Kawasaki launched an injection version of the Z1300 under the name ZG1300 / Z1300G and had a power increase of 10 hp to a total of 130 hp.

Especially for the United States market, there is even a version that is equipped with full touring equipment options such as half-fairing, windshield, side bags, and a reinforced frame and is sold under the name Kawasaki Voyager.

Unfortunately, the era of the motor with a six-cylinder engine did not last long.

Besides being more expensive, a six-cylinder motorcycle is guaranteed to be more troublesome to maintain because it has more engine components.

Then the development of technology makes four-cylinder motors that are considered 'normal' have a performance equal to or even better than a six-cylinder engine.

Automatically people at that time thought, why buy something expensive and difficult to maintain if an ordinary motorbike runs okay too.

Then did the era of mass production motorcycles end with the discontinuation of the Kawasaki Z1300 production in 1989?

No really, until 2018 there is still the BMW K1600 series which of course is not discussed in this article, just wait for the next article!

Below, you can download Kawasaki Z1300 Six-Cylinder Motorcyle free papercraft model template and instruction:

Kawasaki Z1300 Six-Cylinder Motorcyle Free Papercraft Model