2007–2013 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Reliable Fun, No Frills
Kawasaki built the Z750 around a 748 cc liquid-cooled inline-four making 106 hp at 10,500 rpm and 58 lb-ft at 8,300 rpm, and that pairing tells you most of what you need to know about it. This is a middleweight naked with full-size presence: upside-down fork, 300 mm front discs, a 180-section rear tire, adjustable suspension at both ends, six speeds and a chain. What it does not have is a screen full of electronics. No traction control, no ride modes, and ABS was an option rather than a fixture. In its class, this is the plain-spoken one.
Ridden properly it wants revs, and the four rewards a rider willing to use them, yet it stays civil enough in traffic to commute on Monday morning. Top speed is 143 mph, and 39 mpg from a 4.9 gal tank gives you honest range between stops. Ownership is where it really earns its keep: durable, cheap to run, and easy to modify. The caveat is condition. At 498 lb wet with a 32.1 in seat, it suits a rider who can plant both feet, and the exposed steel frame, swingarm and stock exhaust corrode quickly on a bike that has lived outdoors.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 106 hp (78 kW) @ 10,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 58 lb-ft (78 Nm) @ 8,300 rpm |
| Displacement | 748 cc |
| Engine | Inline-four |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Seat height | 32.1 in (815 mm) |
| Wet weight | 498 lb (226 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.9 gal (18.5 L) |
| Top speed | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 39 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
Two decades of listening to riders talk about their own bikes is what this section rests on: paddock chatter, club nights, and the mail that lands in my inbox from people who actually own one. On the Z750 that talk lands in a consistent place. Owners rate the engine and the way it keeps running; they are far less kind about the parts that carry the load.
The most consistent thread is durability. Owners describe high-mileage examples still going strong on regular maintenance alone, with no major bottom-end work behind them. The four itself draws the same steady praise: tractable at low revs, then a genuine top-end rush once the tach climbs, which is why so many riders call it an all-rounder rather than a compromise. A smaller group brings up the styling, angular and physically larger-looking than the price would suggest.
Suspension is the loudest complaint. Riders say the fork and shock run out of support when pushed, particularly two-up, and the steering turns vague right where they want precision. Brakes draw comparable weight of comment: enough to haul the bike down, short on bite. Beyond that, owners note how bare the bike is next to modern machinery, with ABS an option rather than a fixture, and a few mention rust taking hold on the frame, swingarm and exhaust when the bike lives outside.
Frame and swingarm corrosion
Exposed steel frame components, especially around welds and the swingarm, develop surface rust quickly if not regularly coated with a protectant or kept dry.
Exhaust system rot
The stock exhaust collector and silencer corrode prematurely in wet climates; many owners replace with aftermarket systems or keep the original coated.
Where this Kawasaki Z750 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Z750 is actually built for.
Angeles Crest suits this bike well. You have to keep the revs up to get the best from the four, but the easy steering and real lean clearance let you push without fighting it.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
For Dragon-style corner work it makes a good teacher: predictable, honest, and cheap enough that you actually use it. At 498 lb wet it asks for smooth inputs in the tightest sections.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
A solid fit for Hill Country Saturdays. 39 mpg from 4.9 gallons covers the gaps between towns, and the upright seating stays comfortable long enough to make a full day out worth it.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2004–2006
Superbike DNA, Streetable Package
Compare to the previous model →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 Z750. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2010–2014
Italian V-Twin You Can Actually Use
Roughly $1,000 pricier used than this bike at 13 yr
Competitor · 2010–2015
Reliable Miles, Modest Soul
Roughly $800 cheaper used than this bike at 13 yr
Competitor · 2007–2012
Triple Soul, Razor Handling
About the same used price as this bike at 14 yr
Competitor · 2010–2013
Italian V-Twin With Touring Manners
Roughly $1,000 cheaper used than this bike at 13 yr