Kawasaki brought the Z1000 back to life, but Roaring Toyz gave it some much-needed finishing touches
From the August, 2010 issue of Super Streetbike
By Dave Sonsky
Photography by John Zamora
Wouldn't it be nice if bikes came straight from the factory already hooked up? At a quick glance it's obvious that the stock Z1000 just needed a few tweaks to be a mean streetfighter, so why didn't Kawi just do it in the first place? It must have known that Roaring Toyz would finish the job... Bob Fisher, owner of Roaring Toyz, knows about riding bikes fast and getting them set up to perform their best. As a current racer in AMA events he's not just a bling king, and when he first set eyes on the Z1000 he knew just what to do: "I rode it for a while and ended up falling in love with it. I like standard bikes with their comfy seating position, but usually they're underpowered with dumbed down suspension. Not this thing! I wanted to keep all of its characteristics so it could still perform and be a killer in-town hooligan bike. With the mild stretch and fat rear tire it's awesome for bumping light to light!"
The tricky task for Roaring Toyz was that there wasn't a single existing aftermarket part for the bike when it was delivered. The crew had to measure and fabricate every component, including the full exhaust that was pieced together with Brock's and Hindle tubing. A two-over swingarm holds PM wheels, while up front some slick Eurocomponents controls finish off the aggressive streetfighter stance. While the end result isn't exactly a budget build, it certainly is on the reserved side, which is why we hope Kawasaki is taking notes and will produce a Limited Edition version based on this custom beast.
2010 Kawasaki Z1000
Front end: Performance Machine "Judge" wheel, Roaring Toyz brake lines
Rear end: Roaring Toyz swingarm, Performance Machine "Judge" wheel, Roaring Toyz brake rotor, radial caliper and lowering link
Motor: Brock's/Hindle custom exhaust, Power Commander V
Chrome: Sport Chrome (sportchrome.com)
Paint: Roaring Toyz
Accessories: Vortex rearsets, Eurocomponents hand controls, Roaring Toyz grips, mirrors, bar ends and kickstand
Builder: Roaring Toyz (roaringtoyz.com)
Front end: Performance Machine "Judge" wheel, Roaring Toyz brake lines
Rear end: Roaring Toyz swingarm, Performance Machine "Judge" wheel, Roaring Toyz brake rotor, radial caliper and lowering link
Motor: Brock's/Hindle custom exhaust, Power Commander V
Chrome: Sport Chrome (sportchrome.com)
Paint: Roaring Toyz
Accessories: Vortex rearsets, Eurocomponents hand controls, Roaring Toyz grips, mirrors, bar ends and kickstand
Builder: Roaring Toyz (roaringtoyz.com)