Kawasaki Tank Art I
Raw, iconic and unapologetically Kawasaki. An original Z1000 half tank, hand sign-written in period-correct style and lit from above. If you know Kawasaki, you know this belongs on your wall.
Let the good
times roll.
The Z1000 was never a subtle machine. It arrived in 1977 with the kind of confidence that doesn’t ask permission — a big, muscular, magnificently over-engineered motorcycle that announced itself and expected you to keep up. The tank alone has a presence to it: wide, purposeful, shaped by function rather than fashion.
This is a half tank from that era, professionally spray-painted in the original Kawasaki red and mounted on a solid wood backboard. What sets it apart from the tank alone is the lettering. Every word — Kawasaki, and the classic “Let the good times roll” tagline below — has been hand sign-written in the traditional manner. No vinyl. No shortcuts. The typeface has been matched exactly to early Kawasaki magazine advertising, because getting it wrong would have been an insult to the source material.
Built into the top of the backboard is an adjustable LED downlighter, mains powered. Plug it in and the whole piece changes register — the warm light catching the curves of the tank, the lettering coming forward. It is worth seeing both ways.
Created by Leigh Kelsey, an established artist with forty years of experience. This is not decoration. It’s a statement — industrial, nostalgic and unapologetically bold.
All angles
Every piece is unique. These photographs show the exact item for sale.
The Details
- TankOriginal Kawasaki Z1000 half tank, circa 1977
- Width60 cm / 24″
- Height105 cm / 41″ (incl. brackets)
- Board thickness15–30 mm / up to 1¼”
- Full depth25 cm / 10″ (incl. tank and light)
- Weight7 kg / 15 lbs
- FinishProfessionally spray-painted in original Kawasaki red
- LetteringTraditional hand sign-writing — no vinyl, no shortcuts
- LightIntegrated adjustable LED downlighter, mains powered
On the Lettering
The sign-writing is the detail that separates this from anything mass-produced. Every letter has been applied by hand using traditional techniques — the kind of craft that takes decades to acquire and cannot be replicated with a vinyl cutter. The typeface was matched exactly to early Kawasaki magazine advertising. If you know the period, you’ll recognise it immediately.
On the Light
The integrated LED downlighter is adjustable and mains powered — plug in and go. It is worth seeing the piece both ways: unlit, it is bold graphic wall art; lit, it becomes something else entirely, the warm downlight catching every curve of the metalwork and pulling the lettering forward. A simple switch changes the mood of a room.
On Placement
At 105 cm tall this is a proper statement piece — the kind of thing that earns its wall. A garage, workshop or she shed is the obvious home, but a living room with the confidence to handle it will do just as well. No courier shipping. Personal delivery by the artist may be possible — just ask.
More Tank Art
One piece. No replicas.
No courier shipping — handled personally, as it should be. Personal delivery by the artist may be possible depending on location. Just ask.