Kawasaki Z750 and Z750S (2004-2012) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule with associated service intervals for the Kawasaki Z750 and Z750S, made between 2004 and 2012.
The Kawasaki Z750 was the smaller of Kawasaki’s stable of naked motorcycles — the smaller sibling to the Z1000 of the time.
The Z750, and the later-released Z750S (same bike but with a small cowl fairing), is powered by a liquid-cooled, 748cc, in-line four-cylinder fuel-injected engine that delivers a smooth linear powerband.
The Kawasaki Z750 was actually the first middleweight to be fuel-injected. That, and its ahead-of-its-time design, makes it a well-favoured used bike. Also the fact that it made a healthy 78 kW (106 hp), putting it on par with most middleweight 600cc-class sportsbikes… but with a much flatter torque curve, and in a chassis that many would now call a “streetfighter” (i.e. naked, but slightly sportier and more forward-leaning).
Kawasaki replaced the Z750 with the Z800 in late 2012 (for the 2013 model year).
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What you need to service your Kawasaki Z750 (or Z750S)
If you’re servicing your Kawasaki Z750 or Z750S, you need some basic motorcycle maintenance tools, as well as the following consumables.
| Part | Kawasaki Z750/S Spec |
|---|---|
| Oil | You need SAE 10W-40 engine oil with API SH or SJ (or newer, e.g., SL or SM) with JASO MA rating, for example, Kawasaki 10W-40 Engine Oil, or another high-grade oil like Motul 7100 10W-40. Don’t over-torque the drain bolt (spec is 30 Nm/22 lb-ft per the manual) — use a torque wrench if you don’t have experience with how much torque is enough. |
| Oil filter | Use a Hiflofiltro filter for easy replacement, part HF303RC. Torque for oil filter is 18 Nm (13 ft-lb). |
| Chain | Maintain the chain with Motul chain paste, a popular chain lubricant. |
| Brake pads | Many riders upgrade to EBC HH brake pads. |
| Spark plugs | NGK CR9EK, torqued to 13 Nm or 9 ft-lb (use a torque wrench). |
| Air filter | Most people replace the OEM air filter with a K&N aftermarket air filter (functionally identical), part number KA-1003. |
| Brake/Clutch fluid | Use Castrol DOT 4 or a similar spec fluid |
| Coolant | Use, as ships with the Z750, 50/50 pre-mix of ethylene glycol-based coolant with anti-corrosion inhibitors, e.g. Valvoline Zerex G05 |
| Grease | Use a lithium soap based grease for all the important greasing points. |
Maintenance Schedule for Kawasaki Z750
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z750 and Z750S.
Maintaining your Z750 is much like maintaining any four-cylinder standard bike. You have a chain, you have an inline-four engine, and you have few body panels. Make sure you
- Regularly lubricate and clean the chain
- Change the oil and oil filter every year or interval, and
- Change the core fluids (brake fluid, coolant) every four years.
The maintenance for the Kawasaki Z750S is broken into three sections: Change/Replacement Items, Engine Related Items, and Chassis Related Items.
Notes:
- For higher odometer readings, repeat at the frequency interval established here.
- Where there is both a time and distance based interval, follow the earlier of the two. E.g. change the oil every 7500 miles OR year, whichever is earlier.
- #: Service more frequently when operating in severe conditions: dusty, wet, muddy,
high speed, or frequent starting/stopping. - The service intervals in miles were adjusted to be more even (the original pattern was 4, 7.5, 12, 15, whereas the kilometer spacings were even — see the screenshot below)
Change/replacement items — Kawasaki Z750
| mi x 1000 | 7.5 | 15 | 22.5 | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | Every |
| Air cleaner element (KA-1003) | X | More often when riding in dusty / rainy conditions | |||
| Engine oil # (Motul 7100) | X | X | X | X | year |
| Oil filter (HF303RC) | X | X | X | X | year |
| Fuel hoses | X | 4 years | |||
| Coolant (Zerex G05) | X | 3 years | |||
| Radiator hoses and O-rings | X | 3 years | |||
| Brake hoses | X | 4 years | |||
| Brake fluid (front and rear) (Castrol DOT 4) | X | X | 2 years | ||
| Rubber parts of master cylinder and caliper | X | 4 years | |||
| Spark plug (CR9EK) | X | X | X | X |
Engine related items
| mi x 1000 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | Every |
| Air cleaner element – clean / replace (KA-1003) | X | X | |||||
| Valve clearance – inspect | X | ||||||
| Throttle control system (play, smooth return, no drag) – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Choke operation – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Engine vacuum synchronization – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Idle speed – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Fuel leak (fuel hose and pipe) – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Fuel hoses damage – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Fuel hoses installation condition – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Coolant level – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Coolant leak – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Radiator hose damage – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Radiator hoses installation condition – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Air suction system damage – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Evaporative emission control system – function (California model only) (e) | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Chassis maintenance – Z750
| mi x 1000 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | Every |
| Clutch operation (play, engagement, disengagement) – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Drive chain lubrication condition – inspect | 400 mi / 600 km, or more often if chain gets dirty / wet | ||||||
| Drive chain slack – inspect | 600 mi / 1000 km | ||||||
| Drive chain wear – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Drive chain guide wear – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Tire air pressure – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Wheels/tires damage – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Tire tread wear, abnormal wear – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Wheel bearings damage – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Brake fluid leak – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | year |
| Brake hoses damage – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | year |
| Brake pad wear – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | More often if riding aggressively |
| Brake hose installation condition – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | year |
| Brake fluid level – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | 6 months |
| Brake operation (effectiveness, play, drag) – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | year |
| Brake light switch operation – inspect | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Front forks/rear shock absorber operation (damping and smooth stroke) – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Front forks/rear shock absorber oil leak – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Uni-trak rocker arm – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Uni-trak tie rods operation – inspect | X | X | X | ||||
| Steering play – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Steering stem bearings – lubricate | X | 2 years | |||||
| Lights and switches operation – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Headlight aiming – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Side stand switch operation – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Engine stop switch operation – inspect | X | X | X | year | |||
| Chassis parts – lubricate | X | X | X | year | |||
| Bolts and nuts tightness – inspect | X | X | X |
Tyre size and tyre pressure for the Kawasaki Z750/S
The Kawasaki Z750/S has the following tyres and tyre sizes standard.
The Z750 ships with Bridgestone BT012 tubeless tyres. But you can use whatever tyres you think are appropriate (typically a modern sport-touring tyre).
| Wheel | Tyre size | Tyre pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W) | 250 kPa/36 psi |
| Rear | 180/55 ZR17 M/C (73W) | 290 kPa/42 psi |
About the Kawasaki Z750
The Kawasaki Z750 is a standard sport bike from Kawasaki, powered by an inline four-cylinder engine. It’s the predecessor to the Kawasaki Z800, and later the Z900.
The Kawasaki Z750 is a smaller Z1000 (of its generation). And the Z750S is a Z750 with a small fairing. (The Z750S wasn’t available in all markets, however.)
You could look at the Kawasaki Z750 as less bike… but many look at it as a more appropriate amount of bike. The lower power and higher gearing mean you get to shift more, which to some is the joy of motorcycling. Not for everyone, sure!
The Kawasaki Z750 (from 2004) and Z750S (from 2005) are powered by a liquid-cooled, 748cc, in-line four-cylinder engine with fuel injection. The engine makes a peak power of 78 kW (106 hp) at 10500 rpm, and peak torque of 78 Nm (57 ft-lb) at 8300 rpm, with quite a lot of torque down low.
Final drive is via a six-speed box and chain.
Both bikes competed with the Honda Hornet 600, though considering they were similarly priced, the Z750 was a favourite.
The engines have a bore of 68.4mm and stroke of 50.9mm, double overhead cams with 16 valves, and a four-into-one exhaust system.
Kawasaki updated the Z750 in 2007, retuning the engine for less vibration and more low-end torque, and changing the front suspension to a USD fork and the front and rear disc brakes to petal rotors.
There was also the Z750R launched in 2011, which had upgraded suspension and brakes, and slightly updated styling.
Being the lower-spec naked variant of a sport bike, the Kawasaki Z750 has lower-spec suspension. The front fork is a non-adjustable 41mm inverted cartridge fork, and the rear shock is a uni-track shock that’s adjustable for rebound and preload (7 settings). So a common upgrade to the Z750 for those who want to ride it seriously are improved fork springs and oil, and an upgraded rear shock.
Front brakes are 300mm discs and 2 piston calipers.
Reference — Manual for the Kawasaki Z750/S
The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the 2006 Kawasaki Z750S, which is to browse here. It has the same schedule as in other years of the Kawasaki Z750.
