Ride Review: 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS

5.5K

Let’s make this clear, this bike in not a copy of the Z1 classic. What Kawasaki have done is taken a classic bike, implemented modern technology to create a machine that is, in my opinion, one of the best revamps of a bike that many hold dear in their memories of unbridled youth.

Ogling this machine instantly stirs those memories of the movie classic Stone, flared denim jeans, denim cut-off jackets and a rollie hanging from ones lip. Mind you, those white gloves would never appear in my wardrobe… ever.

At first glance the reminiscent duck-bill tail piece and teardrop tank does strike a chord with the classic of the 70s. Even though the exhaust system doesn’t sport the original 4 pipes, the current 4 into 1 system still gives that Z1 feel and appeal.

Starting with the exhaust system, when this modern day beastie fired up and giving a nice twist of the throttle, the note sumptuously played a tune of motorcycling music to my ears. Kawasaki have spent a lot of time and thought, backed by a team of acoustic type technicians on getting this specific note out of the pipe. It sounds divine, and, if I were you, I would toss your music and headphones away as you will want to listen to the song that this bike plays as you twist the throttle up and down.

Another rather nice feature is the headers on this system. Usually with a new bike, after not too many km’s, the headers will discolour. Kawasaki has double sleeved these to keep them nice and shiny for much, much longer. This team has certainly put some effort and thought into this system.

Standing there, bathed in the glorious sunshine, admiring the twinkles of sunlight on this new machine, Mick Brown, principle of Team Moto on the Sunny Coast Queensland, gave me the run down on what makes this machine rather nice to ride. Rather nice is an understatement, but I shall enlighten you all shortly…

Back to Mick and his infinite wisdom. Humourously, red-heads are claimed to steal souls, but after listening to Mick and just how ‘awesome’ this bike is, I think this bike claimed his.

A finger point here and there, mentally taking note of all these modern day features that support and enhance this machine, I was ever so slightly eager to throw my leg over and take this wonderment for a ride.

Surprisingly, standing there alone after Mick left, just me and the bike, a child-like grin crept across my face, just like a kiddie with a great big ice-cream cone, anticipating that first delicious ‘taste’. “This is gonna be good”…giggity.

Grabbing those bars and swinging the leg over, felt like I had literally stepped back in time.

Looking down at the classic style clocks mixed with the modern digital display in between them was actually a smart move. The digital display doesn’t take away from the classic appeal and certainly serves its purpose in giving you all the useful info with a glance of the eye.

The flat bars are 30mm wider than the 70s original plus 65mm higher and 35mm closer to the rider. This compliments the sitting position, giving you a nice straight up and down sitting position, one that I have become quite accustomed to in my older years.

After admiring some more, I turned that key and ignited that bike into life. Giggity… again. Damn, that sound is good. Mick enlightened me that the clutch on this bike is extremely light to use, and he was right. Rolling off into the afternoon traffic I noticed how little effort was needed pulling the clutch lever with each gear change and this is due to the assist part of the assist and slipper clutch on this model. The assist cam reduces the spring load giving the lighter feel. The slipper cam comes into play when you are heavy on the engine braking. Those moments on other bikes when changing down too aggressively and that back wheel locks up for a moment, well the slipper cam certainly knocks it on the head.

Putting my foot up on the pegs as I rolled away did surprise me. With the nice straight up and down sitting position I was expecting was the pegs to be positioned higher than they were. Instead of knees being at expected 90 degree position they sported a more obtuse angle. For me at 5’10” this overall sitting position was spot on.

Mind you, seat height is at 835mm, much higher than I had anticipated. The ridged classic seating style provides adequate padding, but after riding for some time it does become a little uncomfortable. If you need to reduce seat height you can get the Ergo-Fit low seat that drops the height down to 800mm, plus it still sports the same classic ridged design.

Behaving nicely through traffic I was finally freed onto the country roads to test this delight out. Giving the throttle a good firm twist did not disappoint… at all. The 900cc-classic In-Line-Four is tuned for low to mid-range performance giving solid torque, designed for all riders, no matter your riding experience. Teamed with the lightweight trellis frame, this bike was one of the best riding experiences I have ever encountered. Serious. No I wasn’t given money, cake or scotch to say this… this bike handles; in every corner the bike behaved exactly as it should, no surprises. Riding this bike you felt you were part of the machine, as one as you wound your way around the country roads. I could not fault it and I just can’t express how damn impressive this was to ride. I would propose to this bike if I could, I was in love on our first date.

The horizontal back-link rear suspension was something Kawasaki wasn’t going to compromise with a bike of this calibre. I know others are wishing they had kept the twin shocks of the Z1, but seriously why would you put old technology on a new design bike? It might look good, but would you really want to sacrifice handling just for how it looks… not me. And when teamed with the front inverted forks, this all contributes to the excellent handling of the bike, giving you confidence and comfort, especially when you feel the need for a spirited ride.

I couldn’t fault the brakes with the front consisting of 4-piston radial-mount Monobloc calipers; responsive but not harsh or hyper-reactive. ABS is part of this model and behaved as expected with each level.

The cast wheels are a pretty slick feature on this bike, giving the appearance of spoked wheels. I thought this was a clever touch. Retro style round mirrors are another nice feature adding to the whole classic appearance this bike is portraying.

In keeping with the fusion of the old and the new, the classic round headlight encases some very new technology. Hosting six LED chambers, four for low-beam and two for high, produce intense white light which is rather helpful at night.

Now a couple of nifty things — to unlock the seat you need to look under the rear guard to find a covered key lock. Once you have done it a few times you will automatically navigate to where the slot is for the key. Taking the seat on and off was also one of the easiest I have encountered. Majority of the time when I take the seat off a bike, I dread the fumbling tussle ahead of me to try and wrangle the seat back into position, popping it back into place. That guaranteed anxiety provoking experience has now been diminished with this bike. Good!

Once you have taken the seat off you will see another nifty item, a 12 volt charge point nestled within the frame. Turning the seat over you will see this houses the small took kit for the bike, all nicely tucked away. I wouldn’t solely rely on this tool kit if you are embarking on stripping the bike down though…

So there we have it. I want this bike.

I was pre-warned by others who had sampled this bike, it was an experience like no other, each with the child-like smile creeping across their faces. You could see it. You could see that knowing twinkle in their eyes telling you they knew how incredibly impressed and in love you will be by the time you return. And they were right. They were so very right.

Now I implore to you, take this retro-style machine for a ride, take that nostalgic step back to the 70s with our modern day advances and relive a dream that will be brought alive once again in the here and now.

About the reviewer Barb Cook

‘My work also features in Issue One of Driven Women Magazine, on sale now’

 

A big thank you to Team Moto Sunshine Coast Queensland, especially principal Mick Brown for brilliant advice and supplying the Z900RS for test ride and review.

 

Z900RS Specifications courtesy Kawasaki