Left : Crosby surrounded by Grand Prix bikes at the 1976-77 Marlboro Series
Right : Graeme Crosby astride his Z1 restoration
CROSBY AND THE Z1 Next year the Kawasaki 900 Z1 will be 50-years old . For those who were fortunate enough to have watched any of the Marlboro Series in the mid-1970s , they , I ’ m sure , will never forget Graeme Crosby ’ s stunning performance on a then new Z1 . He mixed it with one of the most colourful collections of international riders ever seen in this country , including Pat Hennen , Marco Luccinelli , Randy Mamola , Hideo Kanaya , Warren Willing , and Gregg Hansford , most of them riding Suzuki RG500s , and
Yamaha TZs , full Grand Prix bikes . Crosby ’ s performance , on the only four-stroke in the series , was enough to set him up for his international career that followed . Crosby ’ s Marlboro Z1 looked like a stock standard road going machine , but the factory had provided special parts . Kayaba gas / oil rear shock absorbers with remote reservoirs , and controlled rear-wheel movement . Keihin racing carburettors and an oil cooler were added , Krober electronic ignition , and Yoshimura four-into-one exhaust . Inside the engine ; Yoshimura
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