Kawasaki Z900RS

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[url=https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2018-kawasaki-z900rs-first-ride-motorcycle-review]Lemmy's take on the Z900RS.

So, everything Lemmy says is right on the money. He's the best writer out there, he rides everything, wrenches everything, and doesn't give a rat whether everyone agrees with him. And the guy can turn a phrase, and admits when he doesn't know how something works. Which brings me really quick to K-TRIC (for anyone who's interested in traction control technology).

When I first got my 2015 ZX-10R, I had no idea how the TC worked. I read up on it (it's the identical system as the Z900RS) as Lemmy described.

What I experienced was that the bike retards timing and fuel based very precisely on lean angle, in a way that is perfectly seamless. The rider does not notice it at all. So, believe it or not, one can roll the throttle on very aggressively whilst on the side of the tire, and the bike just continues to hook up. Kawi has this stuff all figure out for you. It's just very smooth power, it rolls right on up the road out of the turn as you stand the bike up. The rider notices nothing at all.

BUT...if one encounters something truly slippery, like a tiny bit of sand, a slight pavement seam, perhaps a wee spot of oil or diesel or coolant -- even a tiny imperfection in traction -- the CYLINDERS begin to cut out, one at a time. Now, THAT you can feel and the bike is letting you know it's saving your butt.

This last "Hail Mary" action of the K-TRIC feels similar to actual wheelspin but without any. Thus the dreaded high side is kept at bay.

The same thing happens even if the bike is vertical. I rode the ZX-10R through some ice over a mountain pass one winter and tested that feature. Works great.

So basically, K-TRIC will help save a lot of "older guys on retros" from getting into trouble. It works phenomenally well.

Anyone wondering how the ECU knows what lean angle the bike is at without an IMU (that's an onboard gyro, which the Z900RS does not have) will be edified by learning that this is calculated by the ECU comparing wheel speeds. The relative wheel speeds change with lean angle. All these data were crunched and the system works even with different tires, as it recalibrates at every ignition cycle.

Bottom line is that the traction control is a world-class system and works beautifully, and this bike needs it. 110 HP and 73 lbs-ft of torque in that package is real freakin' lively. It tames the bike for the target market, because that engine is a beast, even "detuned".

KHI also seems to have muted the front brakes and enhanced the rear. The front binders seem to be getting lukewarm reviews. The Z900's brakes are superb, with plenty of initial bite and excellent feel. Even though the RS has ABS, I figure KHI rightly reduced the master cylinder to caliper ratio (contrary to Lemmy's guess, stainless steel lines will do nothing to change the brake feel; the Z900 has rubber lines and great brakes. So that's a waste of money and time.)

Those footpegs seem to be much lower than the Z900's and more forward as well. I definitely read "old guy's bike" in that, lol.

It was a cool thing to make the center stand optional; like Lemmy, I too use paddock stands for most maintenance (the swingarm is set up to accept spools), so for riders who already have those stands, the weight savings and perhaps a few bucks shaved off the price are sensible benefits. At 11K dollars, another $400 for the centerstand ain't much. Most owners will likely put many times that figure into accessories anyway.

Lemmy's also right about the D214s, they are not very good. Since most riders want to keep the stock tires if they work well ($400/set is a lot of dough for rubber but it's the going rate for these tire sizes) that's a way to justify the cost of the centerstand.

I think this bike will be a very big hit, even a game-changer for the retro market. BUT...

I would take a pass on it. For classic styling, I'd still go to the CB1100. I looked at and sat on a 2017 EX model and was very, very impressed. Everything I would have "upgraded" was addressed by Honda. The forks are obviously much better, and I understand the shocks also have improved damping and spring rates. That "seamless" tank looks good once you sit on the bike and it does hold more fuel, which I'd want from that kind of bike.

But last and best is the air-cooled mill. 1140cc's of that, no one can touch it. No one has anything else like it. I prefer the inline four design and the CB1100 does it up very well. I'm thinking about the EX; we'll see what happens with the price next year.

My real objection to the Z900RS, though, is that thing is neutered. Why give a bike like that so much motor, light weight, decent egos, and then attenuate the brakes, power, and handling? Already owning and having ridden the Z900 for several thousand miles, I know that everything I enjoy about that bike is massaged right out of the RS version. The Z900 does in fact handle much like a supermoto, it turns on a dime, likes to be steered with the throttle (no traction control, either), and stops very quickly. That is something I greatly valued about the CB1100: it had fantastic brakes.

So we'll see what happens with the new Z900RS, but my money, for another retro, go only two places: the CB1100EX, or a Triumph Thruxton.