History of the Kawasaki Motorcycle Company Police Model

The Kawasaki Motor Company started making Police model motorcycles in 1970 to 2005.  The 900 series was the first in the early 70’s and in the mid 70’s came the KZ 1000 series.  The Kawasaki made it’s mark in the Law Enforcement community in the late 1970’s.  Harley Davidson AMF was having a few bad years with the motorcycles and the Law Enforcement agencies went with the Kawasaki KZ 1000 series.  The motorcycles were very dependable and reliable. The KZ 1000 series was made famous by the TV Show “CHiP’s” in the early 1980’s.  Below are pictures of the KZ 1000 Series.In 1981 the KZ 1000 had a framed-mounted fairing and beginning with the production of the 1979 KZ1000-C2, the radio rack is a floating carrier.  It is specially designed to rotate from side to side to help damp any oscillations of the motorcycle.Kawasaki started it Police Motorcycle in the early 1970’s with the 900 series and ended it’s run in 2005 with it’s last model the 2005 KZ 1000 P-24.  In 2009 Kawasaki started back in the Police Motorcycle scene with it’s 1400 Enforcer.  2010 Police Departments like Mesa, AZ Police started using them.  The 1400 Enforcer is a police concept of the Concourse touring bike.  The Kawasaki KZ1000 Police Motorcycle was designed and developed to meet the special demands of police motorcycle duty.  Like all Kawasaki products, it is the result of advanced engineering, exhaustive testing, and continuous striving for superior reliability safety and performance.

Kawasaki KZ Timeline

DateModel
1978KZ1000 C-1
1979KZ1000 C-2
1980KZ1000 C-3
1981KZ1000 C-4
1982KZ1000 P-1
1983KZ1000 P-2
1984KZ1000 P-3
1985KZ1000 P-4
1986KZ1000 P-5
1987KZ1000 P-6
1988KZ1000 P-7
1989KZ1000 P-8
1990KZ1000 P-9
1991KZ1000 P-10
1992KZ1000 P-11
1993KZ1000 P-12
1994KZ1000 P-13
1995KZ1000 P-14
1996KZ1000 P-15
1997KZ1000 P-16
1998KZ1000 P-17
1999KZ1000 P-18
2000KZ1000 P-19
2001KZ1000 P-20
2002KZ1000 P-21
2003KZ1000 P-22
2004KZ1000 P-23
2005KZ1000 P-24
20091400 EnforcerProbity Cycles

September 21, 2010

Kawasaki Edges BMW at Michigan State Police Motorcycle Test

Kawasaki’s Concours 14 ABS P scored highest in acceleration, top speed and quickest braking. by Paul Clinton

The newest entry to the police motorcycle market turned heads at the Michigan State Police’s annual vehicle testing of 2011 model-year vehicles, running away with top scores in performance and braking.

The Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS P recorded the highest speed of the four two-wheel vehicles tested, reaching 131 mph on the 4.8-mile speedway at the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Mich., on Saturday.

The Michigan State Police’s Precision Driving Unit also tested BMW’s R1200 RTP, Harley-Davidson’s Road King and H-D’s Electra Glide.

With the bike, Kawasaki is re-entering the police motorcycle market after discontinuing the KZ1000P in 2005. It’s a conversion of a civilian Concours 14 with more durable brakes and other police-specific features.

The police Concours 14 also reached 0-60 mph fastest, hitting the mark at 4.5 seconds. The BMW bike, which reached a top speed of 127 mph, came closest in that test with a 4.7-second time.

Because motorcycles are intrinsically more challenging for riders and require specialized skills, acceleration from a dead stop to catch speeders can at times present more perils to the motor officer, according to Sgt. John Steele of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s motorcycle training detail.

“We’re looking for a motorcycle to get up to that [0-60 mph] time frame and do it safely,” Steele tells POLICE Magazine. “You have to look at the big picture.”

Kawasaki’s police bike also reached a dead stop from 60 mph quickest of the motorcycles, needing 141 feet to stop. BMW’s bike, which also arrives with ABS, was close behind, needing 142.9 feet.

Grabbing a handful of brake on a motorcycle can also be perilous, and this is where ABS offers a crucial safety feature to the motor officer. Essentially, the bike instantly calculates a safe braking distance and decelerates the bike at a steady pace rather than locking the brakes.

Look for more in-depth coverage of the testing in our December print issue. And view our archive of Michigan State Police testing from past years.

KZ 1000 Police Brochure
KZ 1000 Police Brochure
KZ 1000 Police Brochure
KZ 1000 Police Brochure
KZ 1000 Police Brochure
KZ 1000 Police Brochure
Kawasaki KZ Police Ad
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A 1979 Calendar