The rumor mill, that tireless beast, has been grinding out tales of a new Kawasaki, perhaps a revival of the beloved ZRX. The Kawasaki ZRX was a beast, and it would be so cool to see it make it back into the lineup.
But hold your horses, for the tea leaves, as seen in patent filings and type approvals across the oceans, whisper a different truth. It seems the green machine is cooking up a Z1100 SE. That is still a welcome addition to Team Green’s lineup.
It’s Probably a Z1100 SE, But I’m Keeping Fingers Crossed for a New Kawasaki ZRX
Now, a ZRX, a true retro roadster, would warm the cockles of many an old-timer’s heart. And indeed, a cryptic EPA filing code, once tied to those very Zephyr and ZRX models of the ’90s, set tongues wagging. But delve deeper into the paperwork, and the picture clarifies.
This ZRT10G, as it’s known in the bureaucratic tongue, appears to be but another flavor of the upcoming Z1100, the “G” and “H” suffixes likely denoting the base model and its more deluxe “SE” sibling.
Think of it: the Z1100 SE, likely boasting upgraded suspension and those Italian Brembo stoppers, a pattern Kawasaki has favored on other steeds like the Z900 and Versys. This isn’t the steel-framed, classic-proportioned beast of yesteryear, not quite.
The engines of the Versys 1100 and Ninja 1100, stout as they are, sit in aluminum frames that don’t easily lend themselves to that old-school aesthetic without a heap of costly re-engineering.
So, while the dream of a true retro ZRX revival may yet live in some distant Kawasaki sketchbook, for 2026, it seems our ride will be a modern, sharper-edged Z1100 SE.
It’s a solid machine, no doubt, but perhaps a different kind of thunder in the saddle. The winds of change blow ever onward in this motorcycling life, and sometimes, the road takes an unexpected turn.
Source: Cycle World
