[AMCN] Kawasaki Z1100 for 2026

Ninja 1100SX-based roadster coming soon

Kawasaki is coming full circle for 2026 with plans to launch a new Z1100 four-cylinder roadster that will be based on the Ninja 1100SX – a bike that itself is a descendant of the old Z1000 that was discontinued several years ago. The demand for a powerful, affordable naked roadster has been highlighted by the success of the Honda CB1000 Hornet, and while Kawasaki already has the Z900, powered by a 123hp 948cc four-cylinder, the new Z1100 will fill a gap in the range above that.

The bike’s existence for 2026 has emerged from a new filing with the California Air Resources Board about its emissions equipment. It shows that the machine – which is codenamed ZR1100HT – shares the same engine as the Ninja 1100SX and the Versys 1100, both new additions to Kawasaki’s range for 2025 with an upsized, 1099cc version of the 1043cc four that powered the previous Ninja 1000SX and the Z1000SX that spawned that bike back in 2014.

With the same engine as the Ninja 1100SX and Versys 1100, the Z1100 is expected to match those bikes in terms of power – 100kW – and the CARB document shows it’s also in the same ballpark when it comes to weight, listing a figure of 370kg, although that’s a number that’s intended to include the bike, fuel, luggage and a typical rider. In reality, a kerb weight close to the Ninja 1100SX’s 234kg is likely.

While the name Z1100 isn’t used, the internal code ‘ZR1100HT’ can be translated to mean that. The old Z1000 was internally coded as the ZR1000H, and the final ‘T’ is simply a letter used on 2026 Kawasaki’s to denote the model year (‘S’ is used on 2025 bikes).

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