This is a collection of 7 examples of the 1978 Kawasaki Z1R TC, the world’s first turbocharged production motorcycle. It also includes an additional three ZR1s, one of which has been converted to run on a supercharger.
In the 1970s, and well into the 1980s, turbocharging experienced a major explosion in popularity, driven by vehicles like the Porsche 930 that helped glamorize the concept of exhaust-driven forced-induction.
Above Video: This short episode from Cycle Drag shows a surviving Kawasaki Z1R TC and they tell the story of the bike, and its place in motorcycle history.
The Kawasaki Z1R-TC Turbo
Kawasaki released the Z1R TC in 1978, but it wasn’t purely a Kawasaki motorcycle. The Japanese factory sent stock Z1Rs over to the USA, where they were modified by the Turbo Cycle Company, which was run by former Kawasaki executive Alan Masek.
Once they arrived at the US factory the stock exhaust and carburetor were removed, new collectors/headers were fitted along with an ATP turbo, an adjustable wastegate, an open exhaust, and a Bendix carburetor.
A boost gauge was also added to the instrument panel, along with a new set of decals, and a pile of legal paperwork (including a liability waiver) that had to be signed by any prospective owner before they were allowed to buy a Z1R-TC off the Kawasaki showroom floor.
Turbocharging gave the Z1R-TC 130 hp (at 8500 rpm), an obscene figure for the late 1970s, made all the more challenging by the fact it was perhaps a little under equipped in the suspension and brakes department.
These first year bikes were legendary for requiring skilled riders, and the engineering wasn’t quite as polished as it could have been. But owners quickly realized that their new bikes were capable of sub-11 second quarter mile times at 125+ mph – that is until the clutch exploded or they tank-slappered themselves into the fence.
The Kawasaki Z1R TC was based on the Z1R, with a turbocharger and a series of other upgrades applied to increase power up to 130 bhp – an astonishing figure for the late 1970s. Image courtesy of Kawasaki.Kawasaki and the Turbo Cycle Company worked to resolve the teething issues with the ’78 model, and the ’79 Z1R-TC was a more refined motorcycle with a new 4-into-1 collector, reduced turbo lag, a lower wastegate pressure setting, and a few other small improvements.
In 1980 new emissions legislation was created in California that banned modifications to exhaust systems, and as the Kawasaki Z1R-TC was having its entire exhaust and intake system modified by a third party company it would never have been legal. Production ended at the close of 1979, 500 or so examples had been sold and today they’re considered rare and rather interesting – if a little intimidating to new riders.
The Collection Of Kawasaki Z1R TCs Shown Here
This collection of Kawasaki Z1R TCs appeared on eBay within the past few days and it’s attracted no shortage of attention – both for the rarity of the motorcycles themselves, and for the not-insignificant asking price of $385,000 USD for the lot.
These motorcycles are being offered for sale by collector Johnny Bohmer who notes in the description that only 90 of so of these motorcycles are known to still exist, as many were crashed or converted into drag racing motorcycles and subsequently scrapped once the engines blew.
The collection includes 7 original examples of the Kawasaki Z1R TC, as well as two Kawasaki Z1R TC clones, and a supercharged Kawasaki Z1R “Blower Bike.”
Here you can see the motorcycles in the collection, with that unusual supercharged Kawasaki Z1R “Blower Bike” in front.The eBay listing goes into plenty of detail about each of the bikes, including the unusual supercharged Kawasaki Z1R “Blower Bike.” It makes fascinating reading and it’s well-worth your time if you have an interest in unusual historic motorcycles.
If you’d like to read more about them or enquire about buying them you can visit the listing on eBay here out of West Palm Beach, Florida and the description explains that the buyer will be responsible for pick-up or shipping.
Images courtesy of eBay Motors + Johnny Bohmer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
