1972
Kawasaki Z1 900
Colours used
in this example.
Root-beer brown and orange set the main colour direction. Softer background tones keep the motorcycle in focus.
Suggested pencil shades, not exact factory paint matches. Test colours on your paper before building richer layers.
Deepen brown at the lower tank edge.
Keep the saddle centre lighter than its edges.
Reserve white strips for reflections.
Use light horizontal strokes across water.
Keep coastal scenery softer than the bike.
Look a little closer.
Explore the details from different angles.
Early Z 1 profile
Early Z 1 comparison. The Commons title dates this view to 1972.
Photo: The original uploader was Ligabo at Italian Wikipedia. · Source · CC BY-SA 3.01972 Z 1 museum example
Kawasaki Good Times World display motorcycle.
Photo: Rainmaker47 · Source · CC BY-SA 4.01973 Z 1 comparison
The following model-year label on an early Z 1. Useful for the Candy Brown colour layout.
Photo: User:Z1ocn · Source · CC BY-SA 3.01972 900 Super Four
Museum reference identified by the photographer as a 1972 model.
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0Z 1 engine detail
A separate photograph of the Z 1 E engine.
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0Original factory colours
The Z1 launched in 1972 for the 1973 model year used the familiar Candy Brown and orange scheme shown here. A European catalogue compilation also records Candy Yellow Green as an alternative.
- Candy BrownTank, side covers and tail
- OrangeContrasting tank and tail panels
- Candy Yellow GreenAlternative European bodywork scheme; not shown in this gallery
Screen swatches are a colouring guide rather than exact paint matches.
Candy Yellow Green is listed on the European compilation cover for frame numbers Z1F-000001 to 020000. The 2005 compilation is not an untouched period publication. This is not a claim that every market offered both schemes.
In the photographs
The four complete motorcycles show orange tank panels over dark brown bodywork, which can appear almost black in shadow. This is consistent with the documented original Candy Brown scheme. The separate engine photograph shows alloy and dark fins rather than body paint.
- Orange
- Dark brown
Visual colour guide only. These are not additional factory paint options.
In the coloured example
The example draws on brown and orange but simplifies the factory panel layout and gold lining. Use the photographs for the distribution of dark brown and orange areas.
Make the details count.
Layer root-beer brown gently so the narrow orange stripe stays bright.
Leave parallel white highlights along both visible exhausts.
Use pale sand for cliffs and soften the distant scrub with sage.
Follow your curiosity.
Model history and further reading.