Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 1 (2003-2006) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule with associated service intervals for the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 1.
The Kawasaki Z1000 is a four-cylinder motorcycle introduced in 2003 with streetfighter or standard styling. It used a modified engine from the ZX-9R and was bored out by 2.2 mm resulting in bigger displacement, more low-RPM torque, and only a slight power loss of 4 bhp from the original ZX9.
The original Z1000 was revolutionary in its design, using something called “Sugomi”.
It was replaced in 2007 by the Gen 2 Kawasaki Z1000, which used largely the same engine (though tuning had evolved), but with a few different external components.
Originally published November 10, 2020, but significantly updated since.
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Kawasaki Z1000 Service Intervals
The Kawasaki Z1000 has 3500 mile / 6000 km service intervals. At every service, check the spark plugs and go over a standard inspection checklist.
Every 7500 miles / 12000 km, change the oil and filter, clean the spark plugs and air filter, and do the same checks as above.
The valve clearance major inspection service interval is every 15000 miles / 24000 km.
Aside from that, make sure you change the coolant and the brake fluid periodically.
Maintenance Schedule for Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 1
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 1.
Notes
- For items marked “check”, adjust or replace as necessary.
- The following is the list of maintenance operations to be done on this motorcycle with a time or distance interval — whichever comes earlier.
- For higher odometer readings, repeat at the frequency interval established here
| mi x 1000 | 4 | 7.5 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | Every |
| Standard inspection checklist (see below) — Perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Engine oil — change | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | More often if riding in dust / rain | |||
| Oil filter — replace | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Spark plugs — clean and gap | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Valve clearance — check | ✓ | ||||||
| Engine vacuum synchronization — check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Air cleaner element — clean / replace as necessary | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | More often if riding in dust / rain | |||
| Idle speed — check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Brake fluid — change | ✓ | 2 years | |||||
| Brake master cylinder cup and dust seal — replace | 4 years | ||||||
| Brake caliper piston seal and dust seal — replace | 4 years | ||||||
| Radiator hoses, connections — check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Coolant — change | ✓ | 2 years | |||||
| Front fork — check for leaks, smooth operation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Steering stem bearing — lubricate | ✓ | 2 years | |||||
| Swingarm pivot — lubricate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Rear shock absorber — check for leaks, smooth operation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Nut, bolt, fastener tightness — check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| General lubrication — perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Standard inspection checklist
Do the items in this checklist according to the schedule above.
| Kawasaki Z1000 standard inspection checklist |
|---|
| Air suction valve — check |
| Throttle control system—check |
| Evaporative emission control system (if fitted) — check |
| Brake hose, connections — check |
| Brake light switch — check |
| Brake pad wear — check More often if riding aggressively |
| Brake fluid level — check Check more often — Monthly if possible |
| Fuel hose, connections — check |
| Clutch — adjust |
| Steering —check |
| Drive chain wear — check Check more often if riding in dust / rain |
| Tire wear — check |
Maintaining Your Chain on the Kawasaki Z1000
It’s important to maintain your chain on the Z1000, as on any chain-driven motorcycle. Use a good-quality chain lubricant like Motul chain paste, or a Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.
Kawasaki recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule:
| Chain maintenance item | Every |
|---|---|
| Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary (Motul chain paste) | 400 mi / 600 km |
| Check drive chain slack, adjusting if necessary | 600 mi / 1000 km |
Notes:
- Do these items (checking/adjusting slack, and checking/applying lubrication) more often if you ride your Z1000 in dusty or rainy conditions.
- Always lubricate the chain after washing the motorcycle.
Tyre size and tyre pressure for the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000
The 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000 has the following tyres and tyre sizes standard (tubeless type):
| Wheel | Tire size | Tire pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W) | 250 kPa/36 psi |
| Rear | 190/50 ZR17 M/C (73W) | 290 kPa/41 psi |
About the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 1
The Kawasaki Z1000 is a super naked, with a motor from a superbike powering a naked sport bike. It was one of the first motorcycles to help usher in the generation of fast naked bikes, rather than just “standard” sportbikes like in the 80s and 90s.
The engine in the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000 came from the ZX-9R, but in traditional Kawasaki style was bored out by 2.2mm for more displacement, which allowed Kawasaki to tune the engine for torque without sacrificing much top-end power.
The result is a 953cc inline four-cylinder engine, fuelled by 38mm throttle bodies with sub-throttle valves for smoother operation. the engine makes max power of 127 hp / 93 kW at 10000 rpm, with peak torque of 71 lb-ft / 96 Nm coming at 8000 rpm.
The engine doesn’t rev significantly into five digits, as you might expect from a liter-class sport bike. But that’s not how you ride bikes like the Z — this motorcycle lives in the midrange!
One special thing about this early Zed (or Zee, for some) is that it has a lot of character. “Lacking in refinement” is another way of putting it, but I choose the former! When at idle, the engine has a nice growl to it that opens up to a roar in high RPMs. Modern bikes can sometimes sound muted and tame in comparison, even though they match up in power specs.
The fuel injection on the Z1000 is quite well-tuned, even for an early bike. Fuelling is smooth and there are no flat spots. They got it right the first time!
The only fly in the ointment of the Z1000’s engine is that there’s not quite enough mid-range, especially down low. Below 3500-4000 rpm you distinctly feel like you’d expect more of a bike of this class. So Kawasaki didn’t really finish the job in making a street motor out of the superbike engine.
Front suspension is an inverted 41mm fork adjustable for preload and rebound damping — same adjustability in the rear shock.
The brakes are 300mm discs gripped by four-piston calipers, which are very effective, and work well with the simple suspension to give a lot of confidence when cornering
The 2003 Kawasaki Z1000 also came in orange, a striking colour scheme that remains quite unique.
Reference — Manual for the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000
The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000, which is available at Kawasaki’s website here.
An archive copy of the manual is below — the 2006 version.
