In 1972, Kawasaki disguised several of their pre-production Z1s as Honda CB750s for testing on American roads. The elaborate deception was a strategic move to prevent competitors from knowing about the new, larger, more powerful 900cc bike that was on its way.
The testing and disguise
The setback: Kawasaki had a 750cc four-cylinder project code-named "New York Steak" in development for the US market, but in 1968, Honda beat them to the punch with the launch of the CB750. Rather than directly compete with an already-announced product, Kawasaki decided to go back to the drawing board and build an even larger, more powerful machine: the 900cc Z1.
The disguise: To secretly test the bike, Kawasaki's engineers put Honda CB750 fuel tanks and badges on the Z1 test mules. They also used gaffer tape to cover the "Kawasaki" engine badges.
The test: Two of these disguised prototypes were ridden across the United States in a grueling endurance test that covered over 20,000 km.
The reveal: The deception was almost foolproof, but not quite. During the test ride, a perceptive motorcycle fan at a gas station famously pointed to one of the bikes and said, "That ain't no Honda".
