AUTO

The Kawasaki Z1100 Awakens Sugomi With Less Peak Power

Kawasaki’s 2026 Z1100 makes 136 PS, six PS less than the last Z1000, shares the Ninja 1100SX engine, and heads into 2027 as a colour change.

Published

6 months ago

April 11, 2026

Harry

Kawasaki’s 2026 Z1100 makes 136 PS from 1,099 cc, 6 PS less than the last Z1000. The European September 2025 Sugomi Awakens note still called the bike a category defining supernaked at the top of the naturally aspirated Z family.

Dealers took stock in October 2025. On 5 September 2026 the 2027 bike appeared with the same outputs and a new SE graphic. The slogan stayed. The peak figure did not grow.

Peak Power Fell Even as Capacity Grew

The last Z1000 used 1,043 cc and claimed 142 PS with 111 Nm. Kawasaki stretched the stroke by 3 mm to 59.0 mm, took displacement to 1,099 cc, and published 100.0 kW, which is 136 PS at 9,000 rpm, plus 113.0 Nm at 7,600 rpm. Torque rose 2 Nm. Peak power fell 6 PS. Curb mass stayed 221 kg.

Bore is still 77.0 mm. Compression is 11.8:1. The four 38 mm throttle bodies are electronic now. Kawasaki said camshaft profiles, valve springs and pistons were revised, and that flywheel mass is greater than on the Z1000. Fifth and sixth gears are longer than on previous litre Z models.

THE Z1100 VERSUS THE LAST Z1000

Peak power: 136 PS at 9,000 rpm, down 6 PS from the Z1000’s 142 PS.
Peak torque: 113 Nm at 7,600 rpm, up 2 Nm from 111 Nm.
Capacity: 1,099 cc, a 56 cc gain on 1,043 cc, from a 3 mm longer stroke.
Curb mass: 221 kg on both bikes, so the extra cubes did not buy a lighter machine.

Kawasaki’s own copy still talks about a powerhouse and about more power where riders use it, in the low-to-mid range. That is the honest part of the brief. The 2014 Z1000 made its 142 PS at 10,000 rpm and felt like a short-geared street thug. This one is tuned to pull from town speeds, then stay civil on a motorway in sixth.

2026 Kawasaki Z1100 SE supernaked 136 PS specs — Kawasaki Z1100 Sugomi Awakens versus Z1000 power

The Same Engine Already Sells in a Tourer

The 1,099 cc inline four is the unit already used in the Ninja 1100SX, which also claims 136 PS. The Versys 1100 carries the same basic motor with a slightly softer tune. European type-approval work treated the naked, the sports tourer and the tall-rounder as one family, which is how Kawasaki kept a litre Z on sale under Euro 5+ without a unique engine programme.

That is why the exhaust is a 4-2-1 into a pre-chamber into a single silencer, not the old Z1000’s twin under-engine cans. Claimed use is 5.6 l/100 km and CO2 is 126 g/km. An 85 kW kit is on the spec sheet for markets that want it. That is not hooligan talk. It is how you homologate one four-cylinder across a Ninja, a Versys and a Z.

The aluminium twin-tube frame, 1,440 mm wheelbase and 41 mm SFF-BP fork also sit close to the 1100SX package. Kawasaki then wrapped the old Sugomi silhouette around that hardware: LED headlights, a finned under-cowl, a 815 mm seat, and Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres in 120/70 ZR17 and 190/50 ZR17. From ten metres it looks like the bike that left UK halls in 2020. Under the tank it is the tourer motor with different clothes.

Cruise Control Comes With a Heavier Flywheel

Electronic throttle valves are the hinge. They bring cruise control and a dual-direction KQS quickshifter as standard, two items the last analog Z1000 never had. A six-axis IMU then feeds KCMF cornering management, KTRC traction control, KIBS combined braking, power modes, and the Sport, Road, Rain and Rider maps. Rain mode on a bike sold as a crouching predator is the tell.

The 5 inch TFT adds turn-by-turn navigation and phone pairing, including voice commands, through Kawasaki’s RIDEOLOGY THE APP MOTORCYCLE. The app listed Z1100 support in version 3.8.2 on 21 October 2025. Riders can pull logs, service reminders and display settings on the phone. They can also have call and mail notices on the dash. Kawasaki says not to use the app while riding.

THE AIDS THE OLD Z1000 NEVER CARRIED

Cruise control: Holds a set speed so the right hand can rest on long rides.
Riding modes: Sport, Road, Rain and a manual Rider map, plus separate power modes.
IMU suite: Lean-sensitive traction, KIBS braking and KCMF cornering software on a 6 DOF unit.
KQS: Clutchless upshifts and downshifts from a contactless sensor.
Bars: 22 mm wider and 13 mm further forward, which Kawasaki says lightens the steering feel.

The factory’s own cruise copy is blunt about what the new Z is for.

Once activated, the rider does not have to constantly apply the throttle. This reduces stress on the right hand when traveling long distances, enabling relaxed cruising and contributing to a high level of riding comfort.

Kawasaki Europe, Z1100 product copy

A heavier flywheel, taller high gears and a Rain map point the same way. Sugomi in 2014 meant a fierce silhouette and a snappy four with almost no electronics. Sugomi in 2026 means that silhouette plus a motorway button.

Britain Pays £1,600 More for the SE

UK launch pricing put the base Z1100 at £11,099 in Ebony and Metallic Carbon Gray. The SE opened at £12,699, a £1,600 step. Northern Ireland dealer Coleraine still shows the £12,699 UK SE list price with 20% VAT, delivery and prep included, and government charges on top.

Both bikes share the 310 mm front discs, 260 mm rear disc, 120 mm of fork travel and 136 mm at the rear. The SE is where Kawasaki spends the extra money, and it is also where the costly Brembo and Öhlins edge sits.

WHAT THE SE ADDS

Front brakes: Brembo radial-mount monobloc calipers, Brembo discs and steel braided lines.
Rear shock: Öhlins S46 with a remote preload adjuster.
Finish: Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray with Metallic Matte Carbon Gray, gold fork stanchions and green wheels.
USB-C: A 5 volt handlebar socket that is standard on the SE and an accessory on the base bike.

Heated grips, a single-seat cowl, frame sliders and a taller smoke meter cover sit on the options list for both. The 2027 Performance pack on the European site adds an Akrapovič carbon exhaust and those styling bits as a bundle. If you want the old Z1000R flavour, you are paying for Brembo, Öhlins and a socket, not for more power. That is the same pattern already visible when you weigh power and style at a high cost against the base bike.

What the Z1100 Is Up Against

Inside Kawasaki the real supernaked flagship is still the supercharged Z H2, claimed at 200 PS and 137 Nm from 998 cc. The Z1100 is the top naturally aspirated Z, which is a quieter job. Yamaha’s 2026 MT-10 is listed at 165.9 PS and 112 Nm. BMW’s S 1000 R sits around 170 hp. Honda’s CB1000 Hornet is claimed at 157 hp and 107 Nm. Those figures are why the Z1100’s peer group on the road is the Hornet and Suzuki’s GSX-S1000, not a 200 PS hypernaked.

NAKED RIVALS ON PAPER

Model	Peak power	Peak torque	Capacity
2026 Kawasaki Z1100	136 PS	113 Nm	1,099 cc
Last Kawasaki Z1000	142 PS	111 Nm	1,043 cc
Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX	136 PS	113 Nm	1,099 cc
Kawasaki Z H2	200 PS	137 Nm	998 cc
2026 Yamaha MT-10	165.9 PS	112 Nm	998 cc

The interesting trade is already happening at that Hornet number. At least one rider who had come up through an MT-09 SP and a CB1000 Hornet SP took delivery of a Z1100 SE in late May 2026 and said so in public. People are not defecting from 136 PS to 157 hp. They are leaving 157 hp for this shape, this midrange, and the Öhlins rear on the SE.

Kawasaki USA put the contradiction in one line when the US site went live in October 2025: raw emotion paired with refined electronic rider aids.

SUGOMI AWAKENS

Aggression meets control. Emotion meets instinct. The 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 is built to connect rider and machine beyond just specs. The art of Sugomi is reawakened.

Awaken the 2026 #Z1100 at https://t.co/eGhjN1naK8. #SugomiAwakens #GoodTimes #Kawasaki pic.twitter.com/HYfCVHJtjw

— Kawasaki USA (@KawasakiUSA) October 30, 2025

That pairing is the product. The 136 PS four will not win a spec-sheet fight with the MT-10. It will sell to people who missed the Z1000’s face and will accept a tourer motor, a Rain map and cruise to get it back.

For 2027 Kawasaki Changed the Paint

SUGOMI TO THE 2027 PAGE

2014: Sugomi arrives on the Z1000 as the fierce LED face and crouching silhouette.
2020: Kawasaki pulls the Z1000 from the UK; Europe follows as Euro 5 closes the analog four out.
25 September 2025: The Z1100 and Z1100 SE are unveiled at 136 PS with IMU electronics and cruise.
October 2025: UK dealers begin taking the bikes, with the SE at £12,699.
5 September 2026: The 2027 model is posted with the same outputs; a trade note adds Candy Flat Blazed Green on the SE graphic, while the base stays Ebony and Metallic Carbon Gray.

The 2027 Z1100 supernaked listing still calls the bike a crouching predator and the new leader of the naturally aspirated Z family. The 100.0 kW figure is unchanged. The 113.0 Nm figure is unchanged. Seat height is still 815 mm, the tank is still 17.0 litres, and ground clearance is still 125 mm. Kawasaki did not spend a year chasing the MT-10. It spent a year selling the bike it already homologated with the Ninja 1100SX.

Sugomi did wake up, just not as a 142 PS street fighter. It woke up as a 1,099 cc Z with cruise control, a heavier flywheel and a 2027 colour chip.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Sugomi Mean on Kawasaki’s Z Bikes?

Kawasaki uses Sugomi for the mix of a sharp, crouching silhouette and a ride that is meant to feel intense at the bars. Company language has also described it as the intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness, visible in the LED face, the short tail and the distinct side profile first shown on the 2014 Z1000.

Does the Z1100 Make More Power Than the Old Z1000?

No. Peak power is 136 PS at 9,000 rpm against the last Z1000’s 142 PS at 10,000 rpm. Torque is the figure that rose, from 111 Nm to 113 Nm, and European papers also list an 85 kW restricted kit at the same 5.6 l/100 km consumption.

What Extra Parts Does the Z1100 SE Get?

The SE adds Brembo radial-mount monobloc front calipers, Brembo discs, braided lines and an Öhlins S46 rear shock with remote preload. It also ships with a handlebar USB-C socket as standard, gold fork stanchions, green wheels and the Graphenesteel gray paint; the base bike can add the socket as an accessory.

Is the Z1100 Engine Shared With Other Kawasakis?

Yes. The 1,099 cc, 77.0 x 59.0 mm inline four with 11.8:1 compression and 38 mm bodies is the same basic engine as the Ninja 1100SX at 136 PS, with the Versys 1100 using a slightly softer tune of that motor rather than a unique Z-only design.

How Much Is the 2026 Kawasaki Z1100 in the UK?

Launch pricing was £11,099 for the base bike and £12,699 for the SE. One official dealer listing for the SE includes 20% VAT, delivery and preparation in that £12,699 figure, with government charges extra, and a 17.0 litre tank at 5.6 l/100 km is about 303 km on the claimed cycle.