12-08-2017, 08:11 PM
Someone over on the Hawk GT forum recently posted up their 1989 Honda CB-1 for sale in the classifieds section. If it wasn't for an unfortunate tank ding (but then aren't they all), it would be truly pristine. I've alway considered the CB-1 to be a beautiful bike. A guy I worked with owned one back in the day and it was a joy to look at. The engine is gorgeous — it's jewel-like, and it's got a radiator with hoses hanging off of it (yes, it's a water-cooled engine). I'm okay with that because it's an honest bike. No, hoses are not exactly beautiful. But then neither are cooling fins in and of themselves (not to my eye anyway). However, in the case of an air-cooled bike they're honest and for me that adds to their appeal. Pretty much everything that's bolted on, or otherwise attached to the CB-1 serves a purpose and was seemingly made to look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. I suppose the notable exception would be the short rear cowl. While I find it aesthetically pleasing, it doesn't provide much purpose beyond covering up other things up (subframe, wiring, etc.). I bring up this bike because I feel that it has stood the test of time well from a design standpoint.
As with the CB-1, I don't have a problem with the radiator hoses on the Z900RS, it's a water-cooled engine after all. The "cooling fins" on the other hand are just plain cheesy to me. I know that others will feel differently, but it's always bugged me when designers do that kind of stuff. I feel the same way about the fake "carbs" on the Bonnevilles. Again, cheesy. When Triumph changed the Bonnies over to fuel-injection I wish they would have just created a nice looking fuel-injection system without trying to make it look like carbs. In my mind fake cooling fins and fake carbs are the modern day equivalent of the bogus air scoops that some guys would mount to the hoods of their cars back in high school (usually hastily attached with some corroded machine screws - this brought a whole new meaning to the phrase shaker hood). This kind of thing didn't impress me back then either, lol.
While I personally don't think that the Z900RS looks nearly as good as a CB1100, it's simply not intended to be the same style/class of bike. One of the coolest things about the CB1100 is that it's air-cooled and one of the last of it's kind. But I can still appreciate the Z900RS for what it is. While it's of a different style, in many ways this bike strikes me as more similar to the current Triumph Thruxton. I'm guessing, hoping even, that Kawasaki will sell plenty of these bikes. It would seem that they've done a nice job addressing those folks that want a bike with modern levels of performance and handling combined with standard type styling that doesn't look like a praying mantis, or like something from a Transformers movie. Sure, it might not be totally retro, but I still consider it to be fairly retro looking. I applaud Kawasaki for their "retro-influenced standard". If someone is not going to be riding by on a CB1100, then I'd get a bigger kick out of seeing them zipping by on one of these as opposed to most of the other bikes being produced today.
As with the CB-1, I don't have a problem with the radiator hoses on the Z900RS, it's a water-cooled engine after all. The "cooling fins" on the other hand are just plain cheesy to me. I know that others will feel differently, but it's always bugged me when designers do that kind of stuff. I feel the same way about the fake "carbs" on the Bonnevilles. Again, cheesy. When Triumph changed the Bonnies over to fuel-injection I wish they would have just created a nice looking fuel-injection system without trying to make it look like carbs. In my mind fake cooling fins and fake carbs are the modern day equivalent of the bogus air scoops that some guys would mount to the hoods of their cars back in high school (usually hastily attached with some corroded machine screws - this brought a whole new meaning to the phrase shaker hood). This kind of thing didn't impress me back then either, lol.
While I personally don't think that the Z900RS looks nearly as good as a CB1100, it's simply not intended to be the same style/class of bike. One of the coolest things about the CB1100 is that it's air-cooled and one of the last of it's kind. But I can still appreciate the Z900RS for what it is. While it's of a different style, in many ways this bike strikes me as more similar to the current Triumph Thruxton. I'm guessing, hoping even, that Kawasaki will sell plenty of these bikes. It would seem that they've done a nice job addressing those folks that want a bike with modern levels of performance and handling combined with standard type styling that doesn't look like a praying mantis, or like something from a Transformers movie. Sure, it might not be totally retro, but I still consider it to be fairly retro looking. I applaud Kawasaki for their "retro-influenced standard". If someone is not going to be riding by on a CB1100, then I'd get a bigger kick out of seeing them zipping by on one of these as opposed to most of the other bikes being produced today.