06-27-2019, 05:59 AM
So, after my trip the other day to Lake Berryessa and Skaggs Springs Rd, the Z900 has just shy of 1,100 miles. I consider her fully broken-in now.
Anyway, I can now say for certain that the Z900 vibrates less everywhere than the CB or XSR. The upper midrange RPM does exhibit a bit of vibration in the tank, but so does the CB, which I noted while intentionally looking for it, directly after riding the Z900. They both vibrate about the same between the knees, and neither vibrate at all in the pegs, but the CB vibrates more through the bars and grips, and so does the XSR. What I originally thought to be engine vibration in the bars from the Kawi turned out to be nothing more than my arm, wrist, and hand reacting to the Z's increased forward-lean seating position, compared to the other two. Purely in terms of vibration, there is almost none to speak of, except for a 3,000-wide patch through the knees in the upper midrange.
So, very smooth, indeed.
The motor is almost scary fast as you approach redline. Those last two- to three-thousand RPM see you inhaling sweepers like you're pressing hyperspace in a video game. A lot of it is gearing. The Z only reaches an indicated 82 mph at 11K RPM in second gear. My old GSX-R1000 did 123 mph in second gear, so the Kawi definitely runs out of gear much more quickly.
I wasn't willing to go much faster than that during this ride. In an effort to avoid tickets, I confined the fast runs to the isolated roads up in the mountains, which were too twisty to do any top-speed runs. A couple of times I zinged up into the mid-120s, and that was plenty fast enough for me. With the end of the sweeper looming ahead, I backed off.
So, while I have seen clips of the stock Z900 doing just shy of 160 mph, I cannot confirm this info, firsthand. I probably never will. I won't be taking her to the track, and I no longer have any interest in doing 150+ mph on the street.
In terms of handling, the Z is not as firm as the XSR. With the rebound set softly, it's nearly as plush as the CB. Set firmly, it's roughly equal to the XSR. The cool thing is that changes to this setting really are noticeable from the saddle. In the end, I opted to sacrifice a bit of plushness in favor of having a firmer, steadier front end under hard braking, so I increased the rebound back to the factory setting, which is still plusher than the XSR. Overall, the bike does feel a bit heavier during side-to-side transitions than the XSR, which it is, by forty-three lbs, currently, but it remains easier to ride fast, more confidence-inspiring, and quicker turning. The XSR with its stiffer suspension is a bit steadier under hard braking, especially trailbraking into a fast corner. Less front-end dive.
Once again, this trip netted 43 mpg, which isn't bad, considering that the majority of the day was spent sport riding.
The seat comfort of the Z is the best of the three bikes for me, precisely due to that increased forward lean, which places less weight on my tailbone. I definitely stand up on the pegs and stretch much less frequently on the Kawi than on the other two. Conversely, I need to sit up in the saddle and ride one-handed more often on the Z, in deference to my throttle-side arm and hand.
For overall comfort, the XSR with its Dimotiv bar risers is the best, but I never liked how tall the seat height was on that bike. Extra legroom, for sure, but it always felt like a slightly odd position to me, particularly when riding aggressively in the canyons. The Kawi's riding position is spot-on perfect for such things. Not too aggressive, not too upright. Just right.
One thing I've learned about the Kawi is that I am more prone to dragging pegs on her than I ever was on the Yamaha, or even the CB. If I'm not smooth on and off the brakes during a slow, off-camber turn on the Kawi, sometimes I hit the left peg. Just have to ride her better, is the key.
Anyway, I can now say for certain that the Z900 vibrates less everywhere than the CB or XSR. The upper midrange RPM does exhibit a bit of vibration in the tank, but so does the CB, which I noted while intentionally looking for it, directly after riding the Z900. They both vibrate about the same between the knees, and neither vibrate at all in the pegs, but the CB vibrates more through the bars and grips, and so does the XSR. What I originally thought to be engine vibration in the bars from the Kawi turned out to be nothing more than my arm, wrist, and hand reacting to the Z's increased forward-lean seating position, compared to the other two. Purely in terms of vibration, there is almost none to speak of, except for a 3,000-wide patch through the knees in the upper midrange.
So, very smooth, indeed.
The motor is almost scary fast as you approach redline. Those last two- to three-thousand RPM see you inhaling sweepers like you're pressing hyperspace in a video game. A lot of it is gearing. The Z only reaches an indicated 82 mph at 11K RPM in second gear. My old GSX-R1000 did 123 mph in second gear, so the Kawi definitely runs out of gear much more quickly.
I wasn't willing to go much faster than that during this ride. In an effort to avoid tickets, I confined the fast runs to the isolated roads up in the mountains, which were too twisty to do any top-speed runs. A couple of times I zinged up into the mid-120s, and that was plenty fast enough for me. With the end of the sweeper looming ahead, I backed off.
So, while I have seen clips of the stock Z900 doing just shy of 160 mph, I cannot confirm this info, firsthand. I probably never will. I won't be taking her to the track, and I no longer have any interest in doing 150+ mph on the street.
In terms of handling, the Z is not as firm as the XSR. With the rebound set softly, it's nearly as plush as the CB. Set firmly, it's roughly equal to the XSR. The cool thing is that changes to this setting really are noticeable from the saddle. In the end, I opted to sacrifice a bit of plushness in favor of having a firmer, steadier front end under hard braking, so I increased the rebound back to the factory setting, which is still plusher than the XSR. Overall, the bike does feel a bit heavier during side-to-side transitions than the XSR, which it is, by forty-three lbs, currently, but it remains easier to ride fast, more confidence-inspiring, and quicker turning. The XSR with its stiffer suspension is a bit steadier under hard braking, especially trailbraking into a fast corner. Less front-end dive.
Once again, this trip netted 43 mpg, which isn't bad, considering that the majority of the day was spent sport riding.
The seat comfort of the Z is the best of the three bikes for me, precisely due to that increased forward lean, which places less weight on my tailbone. I definitely stand up on the pegs and stretch much less frequently on the Kawi than on the other two. Conversely, I need to sit up in the saddle and ride one-handed more often on the Z, in deference to my throttle-side arm and hand.
For overall comfort, the XSR with its Dimotiv bar risers is the best, but I never liked how tall the seat height was on that bike. Extra legroom, for sure, but it always felt like a slightly odd position to me, particularly when riding aggressively in the canyons. The Kawi's riding position is spot-on perfect for such things. Not too aggressive, not too upright. Just right.
One thing I've learned about the Kawi is that I am more prone to dragging pegs on her than I ever was on the Yamaha, or even the CB. If I'm not smooth on and off the brakes during a slow, off-camber turn on the Kawi, sometimes I hit the left peg. Just have to ride her better, is the key.