Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 (2010-2013) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule with associated service intervals for the Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3, with model years between 2010 and 2013.

The Kawasaki Z1000 is a four-cylinder sport standard first introduced in 2003. It was a “Naked” ZX-9R in 2003, and with streetfighter or standard styling. Originally, the Z1000 used a bored-out engine from the ZX-9R, but the 3rd gen Z1000 made from 2010 has a larger 1,043cc engine that’s all-new and shares little to nothing with its superbike stablemate.

The 3rd gen Kawasaki Z1000 was a huge update for the Z1000. It bore very little in common with the previous Gen 2 Kawasaki Z1000, made between 2007 and 2009. Apart from the engine, the 3rd gen got fully adjustable front forks, a new die-cast welded aluminium chassis (replacing the old steel chassis), and weight that’s 10kg (22 lb) lighter than the previous model — and of course, the new engine.

Kawasaki made the Gen 3 Z1000 until 2013, after which it was replaced by the Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 4.

Kawasaki also at the time sold the Z750, the smaller sibling to this generation of Z1000.

2010-2011 Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 Stock Image
2010-2011 Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3, Black

Generations of the Kawasaki Z1000

The Kawasaki Z1000 has been built in four distinct generations, with style, the engine, chassis items, and technology updating constantly.

The styling evolved with each generation, but largely they had the same streetfighter design — not trying to be retro, but just 100% a fast-looking bike.

SpecGen 1 Z1000Gen 2 Z1000Gen 3 Z1000Gen 4 Z1000
Years2003-20062007-20092010-20132014+
Engine953cc
(Based on ZX-9R)
953cc
(Based on ZX-9R)
1,043cc (all new)1,043cc
Suspension41mm inverted cartridge, rebound & preload-adjustable41mm inverted cartridge, preload & rebound-adjustable41mm inverted cartridge, fully adjustableShowa 41mm SFF-BP, fully adjustable
Front brakes300mm discs, 4-piston calipers300mm petal-style rotors, 4-piston radial calipers300mm petal-style rotors, 4-piston radial calipers310mm petal-style, 4-piston monoblock
Generations of the Kawasaki Z1000

Since 2014, the Z1000 has continued to evolve in that Kawasaki has made constant refinements to fuelling, suspension, and safety equipment, adding things along the way like an IMU with cornering ABS in 2017.

What you need to service the Kawasaki Z1000

Being a naked roadster, servicing the Gen 3 Kawasaki Z1000 isn’t as intimidating as on a bike where you have to pull off all the bodywork.

Apart from basic motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to service the Kawasaki Z1000 3rd gen.

PartKawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 Spec
OilYou need 4.0L (4.2 US qt) of SAE 10W-40 engine oil “with API SG, SH, SJ, SL or SM with JASO MA, MA1 or MA2 rating”, e.g. Kawasaki 10W-40 Engine Oil or a high-spec oil like Motul 7100.
Kawasaki oil grade recommendation
Don’t over-torque the drain bolt (spec is 29 Nm/21 lb-ft per the manual) — use a torque wrench if you don’t have experience with how much torque is enough.
Oil filterOil filter is part 16097-0008, or you can use Hiflofiltro HF303. Torque for oil filter is 17 Nm (13 ft-lb) (which basically means “don’t over-tighten”).
Front brake padsGet double-sintered EBC brake pads for better bite and wear — code FA379HH (same all years so far).
Rear brake padsGet double-sintered EBC brake pads for better bite and wear — code FA192HH (all years).
Spark plugsNGK CR9EIA-9, with a spark plug gap of 0.8-0.9mm (use a spark plug gapping tool), torqued to 13 Nm or 9 ft-lb (use a torque wrench)
Air filterEasiest is the drop-in replacement of the K&N air filter part KA-1111.
Cable lubricantRemember to lubricate your clutch cable (and brake cables if you have them) with a cable lubricant. Protect All Cable Life is a good general-purpose lubricant.
Chain lubricantThe chain needs to be lubricated every 600 km/400 miles (or more, if it gets wet/dirty). Motul chain paste is cheap and well-loved.
Brake fluidSpec is to use DOT-4 brake fluid.
CoolantUse 2.9L (about 3.1 US qt) of “soft water and ethylene glycol plus corrosion and rust inhibitor chemicals for aluminum engines and radiators”, e.g. Valvoline Zerex G05
GreaseUse a lithium soap based grease for all the important greasing points.
Consumables for servicing the Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 motorcycle

Maintenance Schedule for Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3.

It’s a list of maintenance jobs to be done with a time or distance interval — whichever comes earlier.

The Z1000 maintenance schedule appears ina. slightly different format in the manual It has been simplified here, with sections combined.

Notes:

  • For higher odometer readings, repeat at the frequency interval established here.
  • #: Service more frequently when operating in severe conditions: dusty, wet, muddy,
    high speed, or frequent starting/stopping.

Kawasaki Z1000 — Items to change/replace

Note the schedule below is every 12,000 km (7,500 miles).

km x 100012243648
mi x 1000Every7.51522.530
Air cleaner element # – replace (KA-1111)every 18000 km (11250 mile)
Engine oil # – change (Motul 7100)year
Oil filter – replace (HF303RC)year
Fuel hoses – replace5 years
Coolant – change (Valvolene Zerex G05)3 years
Radiator hoses and O-rings – replace3 years
Brake hoses – replace4 years
Brake fluid (front and rear) – change (Castrol DOT 4)2 years
Rubber parts of master cylinder and caliper – replace4 years
Spark plug – replace (NGK CR9EIA-9)
Kawasaki Z1000 — Change/replacement items

Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 — Engine & Chassis Maintenance

Note the schedule below is every 6,000 km (3,750 miles).

km x 100061218243036
mi x 1000Every3.757.511.251518.7522.5
Valve clearance – inspect
Throttle control system (play, smooth return, no drag) – inspectyear
Engine vacuum synchronization – inspect
Idle speed – inspect
Fuel leak (fuel hose and pipe) – inspectyear
Fuel hoses damage – inspectyear
Fuel hoses installation condition – inspectyear
Coolant level – inspect
Coolant leak – inspectyear
Radiator hose damage – inspectyear
Radiator hoses installation condition – inspectyear
Evaporative emission control system – function (California model only)
Air suction system damage – inspect
Clutch operation (play, engagement, disengagement) – inspect
Drive chain lubrication condition – inspect #600 km (400 mile)
Drive chain slack – inspect #1000 (600 mile)
Drive chain wear – inspect #
Drive chain guide wear – inspect
Tire air pressure – inspectyear
Wheels/tires damage – inspect
Tire tread wear, abnormal wear – inspect
Wheel bearings damage – inspectyear
Brake fluid leak – inspectyear
Brake hoses and pipe damage – inspectyear
Brake pad wear – inspect #
Brake hose and pipe installation condition – inspectyear
Brake fluid level – inspect6 months
Brake operation (effectiveness, play, drag) – inspectyear
Brake light switch operation – inspect
Front forks/rear shock absorber operation (damping and smooth stroke) – inspect
Front forks/rear shock absorber oil leak – inspectyear
Uni-trak rocker arm – inspect
Uni-trak tie rods operation – inspect
Steering play – inspectyear
Steering stem bearings – lubricate2 years
Lights and switches operation – inspectyear
Headlight aiming – inspectyear
Side stand switch operation – inspectyear
Engine stop switch operation – inspectyear
Chassis parts – lubricateyear
Bolts and nuts tightness – inspect
Kawasaki Z1000 Engine & Chassis maintenance items

Tyre size and tyre pressure for the Kawasaki Z1000

The Kawasaki Z1000 has tubeless tyres. The manual specifies these tyre sizes and tyre pressures as standard.

TyreSizeBrand(s)Tyre pressure
Front120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W)DUNLOP D210F J
PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO K
250 kPa/36 psi
Rear190/50 ZR17 M/C (73W)DUNLOP D210
PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO K
290 kPa/42 psi
Tyres and tyre pressures

About the Kawasaki Z1000 (Gen 3)

The Kawasaki Z1000 Gen 3 was the best naked sports bike to come out of Japan at the time, and helped redefine naked sport bikes as being high-end sport bikes, similar to their supersport siblings.

Kawasaki built in the Gen 3 Z1000 one of the early streetfighters — a superbike in a superbike chassis with superbike components, just without the punishing riding position.

Earlier streetfighters always tended to skimp a bit on components. You’d get a basic motor from a superbike, but always end up with a worse suspension, chassis, and brakes. Not the latest Zed (or Zee).

The third gen Z1000 has a 1043cc liquid-cooled inline-four engine with more displacement and a re-tuning that gave it ample torque all over the rev range, meaning effortless acceleration in almost any situation.

The star of the show for the Gen 3 Zed is the new motor. The new engine’s bore and stroke of 77.0 x 56.0mm (with an increased displacement of 1,043cc, up from 953cc from the Gen 1-2) let engineers offer a better balance of peak power and low and mid-range flexibility that’s much more suited to a naked bike.

The new engine makes 100 kW or 136 hp. The longer-stroke engine is tuned to make a lot more mid-range — so between 4,500 rpm and 10,000 rpm the power is very ingressive. It’s not quite as “instant on”, but a gearing change could improve that. Importantly, the power curve is incredibly linear, thanks to the very flat torque curve (that does get a little bump around 7,000 rpm).

A common complaint of earlier Gen 1 and Gen 2 Z1000 models was that the suspension was too soft and not adjustable. Kawasaki took these complains seriously for the Gen 3, and so the Gen 3 Kawasaki Z1000 has stiffer suspension that’s fully adjustable for preload, rebound damping, and compression damping. Hooray!

The new Z1000 also got a new lightweight aluminum frame (replacing the old steel subframe), digital instrument panel, bodywork, and engine.

A quick word on the bodywork — the Gen 3 Z1000 was really nice to look at. It was before Kawasaki started calling their design language “Sugomi”, but it already had elements of that design language in there — aggressive, powerful looking.

The Z1000’s rear suspension design puts the shock unit and linkage above the swingarm, where it’s less exposed to exhaust heat, and helps with mass centralisation. Seeing the horizontal monoshock helps contribute to the Z1000’s overall aggressive appearance. The shock has stepless rebound damping and spring preload adjustability.

The Z1000’s 300mm front petal-style brake discs are gripped by opposed four-piston radial-mount calipers. The front brakes are controlled by a radial-pump front brake master cylinder. Compared to superbikes or other high-end streetfighters, the Z1000’s brakes lack bite a bit, but they’re adequate for the power and weight of the bike.

Manual for the Kawasaki Z1000

Maintenance Schedule Screenshot From Manual 2012-2013 Kawasaki Z1000.
User manual screenshot for the 2012-2013 Kawasaki Z1000

The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the 2012-2013 Kawasaki Z1000. You can browse manuals (but not download them) here.

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