Middleweight Z

MIDDLEWEIGHT Z

What’s this, a ZX-6R-based spinoff of Kawasaki’s new-for-’03 Z1000 nakedbike? Such a machine could compete with the Ducati M620i.e. and Suzuki SV650-not to mention the Honda Hornet 600 in Europe. In this artist’s conception, similarities to the Z are many, from the wind-deflecting flyscreen to the sculpted gas tank and tailsection. The bigger bike’s inverted fork and quad-muffler exhaust are gone, replaced with more conventional components. Question is, with two brand-new middleweight repli-racers already headed stateside and a ZX-9R replacement waiting in the wings, can Kawasaki afford to go naked twice? Let’s hope so. -Matthew Miles