Kawasaki seems to have woken up and remembered how they did business. Occasionally, they would turn the business on its head, move goalposts and reset enthusiasts' expectations. They punched the lights out on everyone with their demented two-stroke triples. Then they tripped up Big Red's superb CB750 with the Z1 (and they're both in this issue as well!). And now, they've rediscovered the art of giving the competition the finger once again.

In 2004, the rumoured two-litre Kwak cruiser became full-blooded reality. The 2053cc engine became the largest production V-twin on the planet from a major marque. Kawasaki claimed 19 kgm at 3,000 rpm and 116 bhp at 5000 rpm, at the crank. All carefully designed to thrill the rider, not overwhelm him. Lord knows that would have been easy. Suddenly, a 1700cc Yamaha Warrior was a pithy middleweight!

To keep the massive motor (imagine the height of a 1000cc single) within the low-slung package, Kawasaki opted for pushrods to power the eight-valve lump. After all, the 10 cm piston was travelling a full 12 cm! Overhead cams couldn't have been squeezed in. The single-pin crankshaft keeps the V-twin beat intact, while twin counterbalancers and rubber mounts dampen vibration. On the bike, you sense that the massive engine's turning over, but don't get numb from the vibes.

A semi-unit five-speed transmission completes the cruiser look and uses a Harley-style belt drive system. Kawasaki used a dual throttle valve fuel injection system to ensure that on-off throttle transitions remained sweet, despite the excessive variations in torque flowing through. And then they bolstered the system with an adapted 'cush drive' on the output shaft to further smoothen the power delivery.