Kawasaki Z900RS

[Django]

I never think about tank flanges/seams or whatever it is the people call them. Didn't notice it on the Z900RS when I first looked at it. (I haven't even bothered to go back and look fort since reading about it, lol.) I didn't notice it on the original CB1100 either. I'm far more concerned about the overall shape of the tank. This is why I'll never warm up to the tank on the new CB1100 EX even though there is no flange/seam. To each their own.

Maybe there are some guys out there that really like the Z900RS but will not buy it because of this, which is fine. I've long felt that it's best to know what you like (not what someone else likes) and purchase accordingly. This is what I try to do, and probably whey I end up hanging on to things like my vehicles for such a very long time. I totally get the appeal of a new bike (or a new car, new truck, etc.). But when I watch guys that go through bike after bike after bike or car after car after car, I wonder if they are every really happy with any of them or if they're just trying to convince themselves that they're happy after each new purchase only to discover that once the excitement wears off, that really isn't the case.

I'm not sure why, but I didn't care for the original 2010 CB1100 tank (2010 - it was actually designed and first sold in Japan). The uneven bottom line of the tank, and boxy look, just does not do it for me. - I don't notice the flange on the RS because the tank looks retro, flange and all, and I like the 69 CB tank better than the 80s versions. - For many people, the RS has one shock that works better than twin shocks (aging backs), and upside down forks, and is light, relatively speaking. But there is no one size fits all. I saw the new CB1100EX in person at a dealer in New Hampshire and it is stunning.

I just noticed on one of the close ups in Lemmy's review (Lemmy is the man!) that the tank has a flange - wasn't that one of the cardinal sins of the 1st gen CB1100s?? Why isn't it an issue here?

I have been reading the comments on the article - Lemmy says he prefers the 1st gen CB1100 quote "To my eye, the first-gen CB1100 with the less-swoopy tank is the perfect reissue of a bike. That said, I know they are reputedly a bit underpowered. Given my fetish for super-old junkers, that might not bug me, but I could see someone else not digging that.

The air-cooling on that bike goes a long way, and the amount of work Honda invested in making the experience similar to that of riding an old CB is considerable; but it also came with a considerable price tag. I suspect that is the bike I would prefer compared to the RS, but most mainstream riders would not." Good ol' Lemmy.

Lots of guys get killed on these retro big motor bikes. They have too much power for the weight/chassis/stopping/tires/brain of an older guy. So I like the torque vs horsepower CB1100. As for power, I bought my old VFR750 because I knew it had been raced and could handle the power it did have and I did 90 mph a LOT on that bike because it would go fast. Traffic was dangerous in clusters so I rode out ahead of the cluster. - I like motorcycles, period. Ninja 250, TU250, Sportster, CB1100, VFR and sport bikes. Here in the USA people drive literally crazy and I need to know the bike will get me out of trouble when I don't expect it; people swerving, cutting out in front, drifting lanes, stopping suddenly, they do it all here.

Lots of guys get killed on motor bikes.

Lots of guys get killed on motor bikes.
Lots of guys get killed.

Btw. when I saw pictures of the Z900RS the first time, I felt in love instantly. But it was more like a flash in the pan. Now I'd rather take the new Kawa 1000 Versys, if I didn't had my CBF.