Built to be classic...
Based on the original king of cool - the Kawasaki Z1, the new Z900RS has been taking the market by storm with riders worldwide now joining the retro-volution. A fantastic blend of classic and modern design combined to make something utterly breathtaking. Here at Laguna Motorcycles, we thought this ride deserved more attention!
We gave a Kawasaki Z900RS to our Parts Advisor, Reece, for a full week to allow an in-depth experience and review. Will it be a dream bike in his eyes or just a good piece of motor marketing?
Scroll down to see his review...
What's the verdict?
How was the engine, power and torque?
"The engine is smooth and quick at the lights as there's shed loads of torque to play with. Obviously there are more powerful bikes out there, but it goes when it needs to and you will not end up wanting more power. There's lots of passing power for motorways! The engine sounds pretty good even when idol, but I'm a bit of a noisy boy so I prefer a louder note - so add a cheeky Yoshi on there and it would be golden. What I quite liked is that you could poodle around in 4th gear and it'll do what it needs to but if you wanted to give it some beans, just twist the throttle and hold on tight!"
How was the handling, brakes and riding position?
"The Z900RS has a great riding position. I was taking it out daily for hours at a time and didn't get any aches, pains or discomfort. There was no overstretch on reach to the handlebars which I liked and it has a comfortable seat height for the average individual. In addition to the handlebars, the footpegs were in a nice position allowing me to lean where I wanted to without any stress or scraping of metal. This bike is nimble, agile and quite light. It felt a lot like a sports bike without the fairing. Personally for me - for comfort more than anything, I would swap the tyres over for some Michelin Road 5's."
What technology does it have and was there anything you found useful?
"The bike doesn't have lots in regards to technology but I think that's what makes it. It could feel like an odd combo throwing unnecessary technology onto a classic looking bike. Kawasaki has obviously tried to keep that retro flavour going through the entire model, which you can clearly feel the moment you sit in the saddle. I have more experience on older bikes, so even traction control was one step forward for me. Being able to amend that where need be was quite a treat."
What modifications would you make to this motorcycle?
"As I said earlier, I like a loud motorcycle so my personal preference would be to install a Yoshimura Cyclone Stainless Steel slip on. It's an exhaust that would fit the retro character of the bike whilst giving it that little more 'beast' appeal. Due to minimal fairing, I would install fork and engine protection just for peace of mind and maybe a radiator guard too.
I think if I was being extra picky I'd install a tail tidy but there's nothing wrong with its current indicators - that would just be an added extra."
How would you rate the Kawasaki Z900RS overall?
"Right from the get-go this is a beautiful bike that performs well and carries a substantial sounding growl. The engine is ideal for any sort of rider, from the everyday commuter to new riders combined. Whoever you are you're bound to get a thrill somewhere. I personally love the style of the bike - the colours sparkle amazingly and the mixture of the analogue dial and LCD display works great. Rest assured if you often carry a pillion passenger, my partner found the seat comfortable and the pillion pegs are in an ideal place.
Regarding the power of the 'RS, taking off at the lights was more than fun, in addition to the tremendous amount of overtaking power it has for the motorways. It has quite an aggressive throttle response, which in my opinion adds more character.
I rode the Candy Tone Blue colour option for the week and am still working through the photos I took of it, it's gorgeous. I think this bike should sit in the £10k-£13k bracket and even there it would be great value for money.
All round, a fantastic motorcycle and yes I would consider getting one in the future."
More on the ride...
Z900RS
(This story features the Candy Tone Blue option)
Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke in-line four
Max power of 82kW @8,500rpm
Max torque of 98.5Nm@6,500rpm
Inverted forks with rebound and damping adjustability
Horizontal back-link, gas-charged shock with rebound damping and spring preload adjustability
Lightweight, high-tensile steel
This motorcycle is available on the
Kawasaki 5.9% APR Representative offer*
(PCP or HP)
*Finance provided by Kawasaki Finance, a trading style of Black Horse Ltd, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff, CF10 5BH. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. A guarantee may be required. T&Cs apply.
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