2026 Kawasaki Z1100 Review
Australia once again has a full complement of Japanese big-bore naked bikes, but not quite in the form tested here.
Rennie rode the Z1100 SE ABS in California, where Kawasaki adds an Öhlins S46 rear shock, Brembo M4.32 front calipers and steel-braided brake lines to its new 1099 cc platform in order to make this SE model. Kawasaki Australia currently offers only the standard Z1100, making this review both an assessment of the new big-bore Z and a look at the higher-spec version Australian riders cannot officially buy.
The engine, chassis architecture, ergonomics and electronics are broadly representative of the Australian Z1100, but the premium suspension and braking components are not. So keep that in mind when perusing this review.
Whatever the badge, the larger story is that Kawasaki has finally filled the considerable gap between the Z900 and supercharged Z H2. The Z1100 returns the company to the naturally aspirated litre-class nakedbike contest with an engine tuned around accessible torque and road-speed acceleration rather than outrageous peak-power figures.
Its 134 horsepower output will not win many dyno-sheet arguments against an MT-10 or a European hypernaked. On the road, however, the way the Z1100 produces its performance proves far more important than the final number.
Over the past decade, however, the naked bike segment has evolved dramatically. Electronics have become vastly more sophisticated, performance has climbed to once ridiculous levels, and the class has effectively split into two camps.
On one side are the Japanese contenders, offering strong value, everyday practicality and impressive performance for the money. On the other sit the European heavyweight nakedbikes, essentially superbikes stripped of their fairings and loaded with cutting-edge electronics, premium suspension and almost every rider aid imaginable.
Kawasaki’s answer for 2026 is the new Z1100, a motorcycle that finally fills the gap between the hugely successful Z900 and the supercharged Z H2, while still staying true to that Japanese nakedbike philosophy.
A note for Australian readers
The motorcycle tested here is the US-market Z1100 SE ABS. Kawasaki Australia currently offers only the standard Z1100, which does not receive the SE model’s Öhlins S46 rear shock, Brembo M4.32 front calipers or steel-braided front brake lines. Australian pricing and the specification table at the end of this article therefore refer to the standard Z1100 rather than the SE evaluated here.
The Z1100 SE ABS gives Kawasaki a true flagship naturally aspirated nakedbike, one capable of competing with the likes of the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP, Suzuki GSX-S1000 and Yamaha MT-10. The BMW S 1000 R, Triumph Speed Triple 1200 and Ducati Streetfighter V4 still operate in that higher-spec hyper-naked space, but Kawasaki is no longer leaving the big-bore Japanese fight to everyone else.
Built around Kawasaki’s enlarged inline-four platform, the Z1100 SE arrives with more displacement, more torque and a more complete electronics and chassis package. At $20,481 ride-away, Kawasaki is clearly aiming at riders who want litre-class nakedbike performance without stepping into the $30,000-plus European hyper-naked category.
That engine is the main event
Kawasaki has increased displacement to 1099 cc, creating an inline-four that produces a claimed 134 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 113 Nm of torque at 7600 rpm. Those numbers will not win many bench-racing arguments against an MT-10 or BMW S 1000 R, but that misses the point of what Kawasaki has built here.
The Z1100 is not trying to be a stripped-down, enlarged ZX-10RR. Instead, Kawasaki has focused on building a broad, usable powerband that delivers strong acceleration in the part of the rev range where road riders spend most of their time.
From as low as 2000 rpm, the engine pulls with authority, but more importantly it does so with very little effort. There is barely a hint of emissions-induced flat spot around 6000 rpm, and the extra displacement over the Z900 gives the 1100 a noticeably stronger midrange. It is less dependent on revs and far more eager to accelerate in almost any gear.
The 1099 cc four-cylinder encourages lazy riding and is an excellent traffic companion as a result. Plenty of times I took off from the lights in second gear without even thinking about it, and the Z1100 happily tolerated my gearbox insubordination, meeting it with all the low-to-midrange torque I needed.
Passing slower traffic is as simple as you would expect from an engine of this capacity. Sixth-gear overtakes at 110 km/h require little more than a twist of the right wrist, making highway merges almost effortless.
Mountain roads become a game of surfing the torque curve rather than constantly hunting for the perfect gear, because in reality, any of the top three gears will do if you are riding below 120 km/h.
The 1100 motor feels like a more mature version of the 900. Kawasaki has long built some of the sweetest road-going four-cylinder engines in the business, and this is one of its finest recent examples.
The Kawasaki’s emphasis remains firmly on beefy mid-range performance. Kawasaki has clearly prioritised point-and-shoot acceleration and rideability over peak horsepower figures, and the result is a motorcycle that feels faster than its spec sheet suggests. More importantly, it is also far more usable.
The six-speed transmission shifts positively and precisely, while the standard quickshifter allows clutchless upshifts and downshifts. The assist-and-slip clutch further improves the experience by reducing lever effort and helping maintain chassis stability during aggressive downshifts, although if you are really leaning on that feature, you might want to smooth out your downshifts a little.
Roomier than the Z900, but not perfect
The 1100 is built around an aluminium twin-tube frame and rides on a 1440 mm wheelbase, which is one of the shortest in the class, behind only the Yamaha MT-10. It is also among the heaviest of the 1000 cc-plus naked bikes, not including the Z H2, with a claimed wet kerb weight of 220 kg.
Despite that, the Z1100 feels well-proportioned once you are on board. Compared to the Z900, which feels overly cramped and is not much fun if you are north of 182 cm like me, the 1100 has a more relaxed rider triangle. There is more room between the 815 mm seat and the footpegs, which allows better blood flow through your legs and makes longer stints far more realistic.
Kawasaki does, however, need to take another look at the seat foam. It gets pretty hard after about 45 minutes. More than once, I found myself standing on the ’pegs just to get some feeling back into my arse during longer test runs, so that is something Kawasaki’s engineers should address.
The steering is neutral and predictable, but it is not the fastest thing in the class. It takes a bit of effort to get it settled into the sort of tight corner you would find on a technical mountain road, but the trade-off is excellent stability when the pace rises.
Kawasaki has resisted the temptation to chase extreme geometry numbers and has instead chosen a balanced package that works well in most environments, especially the regular day-to-day scenarios in which this bike will spend most of its life.
It is also pleasing to discover just how planted the Z1100 feels at speed. Fast sweepers reveal a level of chassis composure that inspires confidence, while rough road surfaces do not upset the bike as much as you might expect.
Suspension strikes a strong balance
A major reason for that composure is the suspension package, which, somewhat surprisingly, has not changed dramatically from the Z900 SE.
Up front, Kawasaki fits a fully adjustable 41 mm Showa Separate Function Fork – Big Piston, while the rear runs an Öhlins S46 shock with rebound damping adjustment and a remote preload adjuster. Although the overall arrangement follows familiar Kawasaki practice, the suspension has been calibrated specifically for the larger and more powerful Z1100.
The suspension strikes an excellent balance between comfort and control. On smooth bitumen, the Z1100 feels taut and precise. On rougher roads, it absorbs imperfections without sending too much harshness through the rider.
The Öhlins shock is impressive, but that is hardly a surprise. Once preload is set for your weight, it keeps the rear of the Z1100 stable when you get hard on the throttle out of slower corners, while maintaining composure as the speed increases. Mid-corner bumps that might unsettle lesser-spec suspension are dealt with without much drama.
The brakes are the weak point
Braking duties are handled by dual 310 mm Brembo front discs gripped by radial-mount Brembo M4.32 monobloc calipers, with steel-braided front brake lines. A single-piston caliper works on a 260 mm disc at the rear.
The hardware sounds suitably premium, but its performance does not entirely live up to that promise. Initial bite is strong, and there is ample outright stopping power, yet the response at the lever feels more abrupt than progressive and ultimately lacks the clarity expected from a Brembo-equipped SE model.
That is unlikely to trouble anyone commuting or riding at a relaxed pace, but it becomes more apparent when braking hard from speed or carrying the brakes towards a corner. The Z1100 stops well enough; it simply does not communicate as cleanly as the component list suggests it should.
For general cruising around town it is not a major issue, but for a premium SE model playing in this part of the market, the brakes should feel better than they do.
Australia does not get this SE model, thus our specification machine is stopped by Kawasaki-branded radial monoblocs made by Tokico.
Better electronics, but still not European-spec
For quite some time, Kawasaki’s naked bikes lagged behind some rivals in terms of electronic sophistication. The Z1100 is aiming to close that gap, but it still does not match the specification level of the European super-naked category.
The Z1100 SE receives a six-axis IMU-equipped electronics suite that includes Kawasaki Cornering Management Function, Kawasaki Traction Control, Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System and cornering ABS. There are also selectable power modes, integrated riding modes, cruise control and an up-and-down quickshifter.
Customisable Rider, Sport, Road and Rain modes provide progressively more restrained throttle responses, and, as I seem to say constantly these days, Road mode is where I spent most of my time. It provided the smoothest throttle response for the mainly around-town riding I was doing.
KTRC offers three intervention levels plus off, while Sport, Road and Rain modes combine predetermined traction-control and power settings. Rider mode allows those parameters to be selected individually.
The limitation is not a lack of traction-control adjustment, but the fact that wheel-lift control is incorporated within KTRC rather than being independently adjustable. Riders who want the front wheel completely unrestrained must therefore switch traction control off as well. It works, but it is a less sophisticated arrangement than the independently configurable systems fitted to several European rivals.
Cruise control is standard, but it will not operate above around 125 km/h. That proved a little frustrating during testing on California freeways, where traffic often flows faster than that, although it will be less of an issue on Australian roads. Either way, long highway sections are significantly less fatiguing thanks to the system, and every sporty road bike should have cruise control by now. At least Kawasaki includes it in the price.
A relatively small five-inch TFT display provides access to the various settings and allows you to pair your phone through Kawasaki’s Rideology app. That gives you turn-by-turn navigation, ride information and vehicle data. You also get a USB-C charging port, which might be the ugliest but most practical thing on the whole motorcycle.
Value is not quite the knockout punch
When it first landed in Australia, the Z1100 was a tick over 20k ride-away, but generally now sells for just under that marker to compete with the likes of the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP and Suzuki GSX-S1000. It is, however, still a long way south of Ducati Streetfighter V4 money, and the specification sheet, premium components and overall refinement help justify the price to a point.
On paper, the Z1100 is heavy and relatively modestly powered by modern litre-class standards. On the road, neither weakness defines the experience. What stands out is the broad, effortless thrust of the 1099 cc four, the stability of the chassis and the ease with which the Kawasaki settles into a rapid rhythm.
The Z1100 is not a Japanese answer to a 200-horsepower European hypernaked, nor does it need to be. It is a fast, mature and highly usable road motorcycle that prioritises accessible performance over theatre and specification-sheet supremacy.
The brakes should provide better feel, the seat needs more support, and the electronics do not offer the same granular adjustment as the class leaders. Even so, Kawasaki has built a compelling big-bore nakedbike around one of the most enjoyable road engines in the category.
The greater frustration for Australian riders is that the SE tested here is not part of the local range. The standard Z1100 still returns Kawasaki to an important corner of the market, but the Öhlins and Brembo-equipped version feels like the model that should be leading the charge.
The following specifications are for the standard Z1100 sold in Australia. The Z1100 SE ABS tested in this review is not currently offered by Kawasaki Australia and differs primarily through its Öhlins S46 rear shock, Brembo M4.32 front calipers and steel-braided front brake lines.
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2026 Kawasaki Z1100 Australian Model Specifications
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Maximum Power
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134 horsepower (100 kW) / 9,000 rpm
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Maximum Torque
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113 Nm (11.5 kgfm) / 7,600 rpm
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Engine Type
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4-stroke In-Line Four
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Displacement
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1,099 cc
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Bore x Stroke
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77.0 × 59.0 mm
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Compression Ratio
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11.8:1
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Valve System
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DOHC, 16-valve
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Fuel System
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Fuel injection: ø38 mm × 4
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Ignition
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Digital
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Starting
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Electric
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Cooling
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Liquid-cooled
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Lubrication
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Forced lubrication, wet sump
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Transmission
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6-speed, return
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Primary Reduction Ratio
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1.528 (81/53)
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Gear Ratio – 1st
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2.600 (39/15)
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Gear Ratio – 2nd
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1.950 (39/20)
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Gear Ratio – 3rd
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1.600 (24/15)
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Gear Ratio – 4th
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1.389 (25/18)
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Gear Ratio – 5th
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1.217 (28/23)
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Gear Ratio – 6th
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1.069 (31/29)
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Final Reduction Ratio
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2.800 (42/15)
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Clutch
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Wet multi-disc, manual
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Final Drive
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Chain
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Frame
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Twin-tube, aluminium
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Front Suspension
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ø41 mm inverted fork (compression & rebound damping + spring preload adjustable)
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Rear Suspension
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Horizontal Back-link, gas-charged shock (rebound damping + spring preload adjustable)
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Front Wheel Travel
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120 mm
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Rear Wheel Travel
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136 mm
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Rake
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24.5°
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Trail
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101 mm
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Steering Angle (L/R)
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29° / 29°
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Front Tyre
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120/70ZR17M/C (58W)
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Rear Tyre
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190/50ZR17M/C (73W)
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Front Brakes
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Dual semi-floating ø310 mm discs with radial-mount, monobloc, opposed 4-piston calipers
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Rear Brake
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ø260 mm disc with single-piston caliper
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Dimensions (L x W x H)
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2,055 × 825 × 1,085 mm
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Wheelbase
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1,440 mm
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Road Clearance
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125 mm
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Seat Height
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815 mm
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Curb Weight
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221 kg
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Estimated Dry Weight
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201 kg
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Fuel Capacity
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17 litres
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