Author Description

The winner takes it all It is 1982. Like the year before Eddie Lawson captures the title Superbike champion. His bike is a converted Z1000 J type S1. 1982 was also the end of the seven year 1000cc AMA competition. For safety reasons AMA decided to reduce the maximum capacity to 750cc. His first championship inspired Kawasaki to develop a limited and street legal version of the Z1000 S1 racer. A tank badge bears the number 1 and the signature of Eddie Lawson surrounded by bay leaves. Only the 1982 model is a genuine "Eddie Lawson Replica". It was followed by the 1983 "Superbike Replica" in two colour schemes and a modified tank badge. In 1984 the final version of this model range appeared, fitted with an 1100cc engine, two colour schemes and some other minor changes. After a second production year with an unchanged Z1100 R the chapter was closed in 1985.