2024 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
City Electric, Zero Fuss
The Z e-1 is a naked bike built around a battery instead of a combustion engine, and it commits fully to that idea. The air-cooled permanent magnet motor makes 12 hp and 30 lb-ft, sends it through a single speed and a chain, and draws from two removable lithium-ion packs. There is no clutch, no shifting, no idle. ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard. At 298 lb (135 kg), with a 30.9 in (785 mm) seat and a 53.9 in (1,369 mm) wheelbase, it lands in the class as a city tool first and everything else second.
Its character comes from torque, not peak output. All 30 lb-ft is there the moment you roll on, so the bike feels quicker in traffic than 12 hp suggests, and then it flattens and stops at 61 mph (98 km/h). That ceiling defines the buyer: riders whose roads are urban and suburban, who care more about low running costs and simple controls than about range or reach. If your commute touches an interstate, this is the wrong bike, and no amount of charm fixes it. Inside the city, it is honest and genuinely easy to live with.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 12 hp (8.8 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 30 lb-ft (40 Nm) |
| Engine | Electric |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 1-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 100/80-17 |
| Rear tire | 130/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 53.9 in (1369 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.9 in (785 mm) |
| Wet weight | 298 lb (135 kg) |
| Top speed | 61 mph (98 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
NHTSA recall: battery terminal anchor failure
Missing battery terminal anchor may cause the connection between the battery pack and motorcycle to fail, leading to sudden loss of power. Affects 2024 Z e-1 ABS built before October 19, 2023. Kawasaki issued a 'do not ride' notice and recall MC25-03.
Where this Kawasaki Z e-1 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Z e-1 is actually built for.
Honest answer: no. The ride out to the Dragon is longer than this bike's legs, and 61 mph does not work on the roads that get you there. Fine in your city, wrong tool for your weekends.
Made for Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway
For the San Francisco half of your riding this fits perfectly: silent, cheap to run, easy to park. Getting out to Skyline is where it falls down, because anything above 61 mph is off the table.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
Not your bike. Canyon pace and 12 hp never meet, and the freeway run to get up there is closed to you. Consider it only as a second, city-only machine.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Kawasaki Z e-1. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2025
Swap and Go City Electric
About the same used price as this bike at 1 yr
Competitor · 2023
City Torque Done Right
Roughly $3,300 pricier used than this bike at 2 yr
Same Platform · 2024
City Electric, Ninja Soul
~$700 cheaper used than this bike at 2 yr