faffi wrote: DuHamel raced a Z1, Spencer a KZ1000, Crosby a Z1 and a Z1-R, Lawson KZ1000 before the ELR and much more. What is the most desirable version in your opinion? Which one would make the coolest modernized streetbike? The obvious ELR? Or the early Yoshi ridden by DuHamel?* Or something else?
Personally, I have a soft spot for the MKII based bike ridden by Lawson.
* yeoldecycleshoppe.wordpress.com/2013/01/...-z1-yoshi-duhamel-1/
Without doubt, all were very good bikes but the top of the tree would be Lawson's 1982 'J' based KZ1000S1. That was a very special bike developed by Mr Muzzy and put together 30 examples to do just one thing - win the 1982 AMA series.
This thing had bits that no other super bike ever saw - aluminium liners with nikasil coating, titanium con rods ( standard wasn't but Muzzy race prepared did ) KR500 brakes with magnesium centres on discs - the list goes on.... and that is why I am making a S1 clone, because it IS the best of the best, no question.
Being an Aussie, of all those bikes you listed, I only saw one - Croz on the Yoshi kwakasaki and that thing was fast ( that he was an absolute lunatic on the thing had nothing to do with that either of course...... ) but I would be betting every one of those would have wanted a Muzzy S1 to ride!!!
Ahhhh, Croz at Bathurst in the driving rain, pulling a mono over the hump in Conrod straight and holding it for what seemed forever, the closest bike behind in a 3 lap race was milessss behind him - none was as crazy as Croz to ride flat out in pouring rain!!! He was GOOD to watch!!!!
Wayne