A recent filing with a US environmental agency reveals that Kawasaki might just have a monstrous streetfighter motorcycle in the works for 2026, with a larger engine than anything in its own lineup of supernaked motorcycles.
That's from an executive order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) certifying four upcoming Kawasaki models using the Japanese giant's 1,099cc inline-four mill. The document lists a ZR1100HT model code, which, according to Motorcycle.com, denotes a Z naked model by the company's standard nomenclature.
Details from the CARB certification are sparse, so we'll have to refer to the recent Kawasaki 1100 models to get an idea of what to expect. The Ninja 1100SX sport tourer does a healthy 134 hp at 9,000 RPM, and 83.2 lb.ft (112.8 Nm) of torque.
A lighter naked version could put out similar or slightly higher figures, and feel quicker off the line thanks to its lower weight (the Ninja 1100SX is a hefty 516 lb (234 kg). It could also come in well under its faired and feature-packed sibling's US$15,000 asking price.
As you can imagine, the Z1100 would be a step up from the Z1000 that's available in select markets like Australia, Canada, and Thailand. That one weighs in at 487 lb (221 kg), and its 1,043cc engine manages 135 hp and 80 lb.ft (109 Nm) of torque. In Canada, it's priced at CAD 14,499 (about US$10,500).
It's been a while since Kawasaki made a naturally aspirated naked bike above 1,000cc: there was the Zephyr 1100 in the 1990s that was big in Europe and the UK, and the burly ZRX1100 up until 2005.
The company might actually have teased this last October with a shadowy promo video showing glimpses of a naked. A gray engine killswitch on the handlebar, similar to other 1,100cc models, was a strong clue.
If the Z1100 makes it to market, it could present a compelling alternative to Yamaha's aggressive-insect-faced MT-10, which comes in under US$15,000. 2026 can't come soon enough.
Source: California Air Resources Board (PDF) via Motorcycle.com
