1978 kawasaki reviews

I have owned my 1978 1000 LTD since March of 1979. I had a 75 Kawasaki 500 triple cylinder and one day as I was at the Kawasaki dealer getting a tire put on I saw this beautiful black 1000LTD on the showroom floor with only 800 miles on it. I was swept away by the style and beauth of this machine immediatly. I left the dealership with the "Bat Out OF Hell" and never had a desire for another bike since. It now has 28k miles on it and still looks like the day I bought it. I never had a problem with the bike from day one. Just tires and an occasional tune up over the years. I suppose by todays standards it would be considered a relic from the past but everytime I fire it up I still enjoy the rush. Check it out at my page, "BB's Toy Box". http://home.ptd.net/~wcbarret Bill Show less

I have owned my kawi ltd 1000 now for 15 years.It"s been a great bike,but being stock besides the yosh header,it could use the next year"s drilled disks for better braking,and replacing the points would be a good idea,if you are serious about performance.Overall it"s a good bike,but I think it"s time to sell and move on. Show less

Purchased a 1978 1000 LTD new back in '78, and really enjoyed riding around the mountians in the Washington area. Have owned several bikes since the LTD...but my heart is still with the LTD. Have recently been trying to locate a clean LTD on ebay...missed on close to Thanksgiving. Show less

EARLY LTD 1000s ARE A TREAT TO RIDE AND EASY TO REPAIR. THE ONLY DRAWBACK IS THE 3 GAL TANK WITH RANGE APPOX 125 MILES THESE EARLY BIKE ARE QUIET ATTRACTIVE . Show less

The `78 KZ1000 LTD is just what you've heard: a screaming engine that delivers more power than can usually be utilized by a fairly scant chassis. If you're considering a `78, let me suggest the following: 1. Plan to lay down some cash for a decent set of tires. Most of the 1000s I've come across either in lots or in somebody's front yard have old, balding tires that are not suitable for riding further than the nearest bike shop. 2. Parts for older Kawis aren't hard to come by, but can be very expensive (considering what a fairly complete bike might cost). don't buy a bike thinking side covers, chain/sprockets, mirrors etc come cheap. They don't. 3. The KZ1000 is not (yet) considered a collectible bike, unlike its older, 900cc cousins. While the 1000 has begun to appreciate in recent years, it is still not nearly as desirable (or expensive) as an early Z-1 or stock 900. Which brings me to my final point: there are a lot of features on the `78 1000 that were not available on earlier models, like dual front disks. The `78 LTD is a fun ride because it is fast, reliable (if properly maintained) and handles as well in town as it does on the freeway at ninety mph. If you're used to bikes that have a heavier, more solid feel on the road, the speed and slightly unforgiving suspension of the LTD 1000 might well scare the pants off you (or at least scare you back onto your clunky old Honda). If not, you might enjoy riding the fastest production bike of 1978, manufactured just a few years before the Ninja came along and made plastic "hip" again. Show less