Kawasaki Z900RS

[Ulvetanna_imp]

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 agree. A bit off topic, but there was a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News a few years ago who continually wrote articles about which items made his bike Iron Butt worthy. He kept using the term "farkle," which I despise. Anyway, the first article was about his new GL1800 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A few months later he wrote about his new K1200LT and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A year later he wrote about his new FJR1300 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it, and finally a few months later he wrote about his new K1600GTL and all of the aftermarket items he added to it.

I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out how silly this had become. Each bike had purportedly been optimized for superior long range touring but each was always superseded by the next new thing requiring further out of pocket expenditures to somehow improve it. I suggested the contributor would never be happy and should instead reflect inwardly and try to find satisfaction with what he has. They printed my letter but offered no editorial response.

I agree. A bit off topic, but there was a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News a few years ago who continually wrote articles about which items made his bike Iron Butt worthy. He kept using the term "farkle," which I despise. Anyway, the first article was about his new GL1800 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A few months later he wrote about his new K1200LT and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A year later he wrote about his new FJR1300 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it, and finally a few months later he wrote about his new K1600GTL and all of the aftermarket items he added to it.

I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out how silly this had become. Each bike had purportedly been optimized for superior long range touring but each was always superseded by the next new thing requiring further out of pocket expenditures to somehow improve it. I suggested the contributor would never be happy and should instead reflect inwardly and try to find satisfaction with what he has. They printed my letter but offered no editorial response. I am laughing my tail off at this. I just could not concur more fervidly (that means "I'm with ya, buddy" in plain talk).

I really don't like to use terms because they've become Internet memes. "Farkle" is one of 'em. It just isn't very specific, that's all. No offense intended to anyone who farkles.

But then again, isn't that what most of us do? Hardly anyone leaves his or her bike stock. We have to change it up, make it our own. What's the first question anyone asks at the roadhouse?

"What've ya done to it?"

These days, my answer is usually, "I rode it."

People just pursue hobbies with different kinds of vigor. For most people, "farkling" gets them closer to their machine, keeps them in contact with the object of interest, and every change renews the relationship. New grips? Gotta go for a 400-mile ride to see how they work. New seat? Ditto. Change the suspension setting? At least a 200-miler to check that out. Even a shift in tire pressure settings warrants a half-day jaunt up to the Razorback and home.

Motorcycling is a freaking obsession on many levels and I've never seen anyone "outgrow" it.

"It is a dream." Soichiro would be pleased to hear that!

Yeah, I freakin' hate to admit it to myself, but I am trying to find a way to convince my logical mind I can still successfully manage the weight.

Not that I ever dropped my 2013, far from it, really, but it's always a factor. No way could I ever pick ANY bike up now. One hernia surgery, which acted up and got me an ambulance ride a couple of weekends ago, convinced me of that folly. And I could probably use a second for the left side if I'm not careful.

OTOH, since I can't pick up any weight of bike, what difference does the weight make?

The CB1000R looks great, but really, what is that going to do for me that I can't already do with the Z900R? Nothing.

I like the Street Cup but it's no all-day bike.

Methinks the CB1100EX, at a nice discount, might be just the thing for this 60-year-old man. Because it's still the real thing.

I am 70, almost 71, weigh 175-180 and at 540 wet, the CB1100 is my heaviest bike, yet, but only by a small margin.
2014 CB1100 standard, 540 wet
Yamaha XT250 293 wet, picked up 3 times in less than two months
Motor Guzzi V7II 417 pounds
TW200 278 pounds, wet
2012 Triumph Bonneville 495 pounds
2002 H-D Sportster 1200S 537 pounds
2003 H-D XLH883 518 pounds, picked up once (fire road miscalculation)
1976 CB750F 502 pounds dry, picked up once
I do not have weights handy for the CB360, SL350, Cl 350, Cl160, CB160 or CA110, but the three Yamaha enduros were around 230 pounds and picking them up was to be expected!

When I sold the Bonneville in 2013 (medical expenses for daughter #2), my wife thought I was done with motorcycles, so I eased her concerns and started back, a year ago, with an under 70 MPH dual sport. I quickly started running out of dirt roads/trails to explore and ended up taking it on 160 mile highway day rides. I told her when I bought it, that I did not expect to keep it long. It was easy to move around in the garage, but the narrow seat was painful, for distance.

I then found a smoking deal on the V7II, but fueling issues and change of dealer ownership prompted me to trade it for the XT250 and I found a few more trails. I also hoped that I couild take it 220 miles to our ranch, since the last 8 miles is a rocky dirt road and the last 3/4 mile a Jeep trail. (Took the Bonneville there, once, not do do it again) The XT250 would cruise at 70 MPH, although buzzy, hit just over 80 MPH indicated, but not reasonable for a 600 mile round trip to my youngest daughter. I also found myself pushing it beyond my capabilities and dropped it 3 times. Not a good thing when riding solo, in a remote area, with no cell service. The almost upside down in a gully was a bit of a challenge to get it back up, but the bike was designed to be dropped and no damage, other than minor scratches.

So, I said farewell to offroad exploring and focused on the street. The CB1100 is everything I wanted. It is not light, but if you back up to the bike and lift with your legs, one person should get it up. Might need to be careful to not let it go over the opposite direction.

BTW, the CB1100 turns tighter than the V7II, which helps moving it around in the garage.

Moral of this story is that I would not be concerened about the CB1100 weight. Just remember to put the side stand down, before getting off! Never done that, but seen it done.

BTW, I fractured my spine in my first M/C crash, circa April, 1963, which does make me careful about lifting.

I am 70, almost 71, weigh 175-180 and at 540 wet, the CB1100 is my heaviest bike, yet, but only by a small margin.
2014 CB1100 standard, 540 wet
Yamaha XT250 293 wet, picked up 3 times in less than two months
Motor Guzzi V7II 417 pounds
TW200 278 pounds, wet
2012 Triumph Bonneville 495 pounds
2002 H-D Sportster 1200S 537 pounds
2003 H-D XLH883 518 pounds, picked up once (fire road miscalculation)
1976 CB750F 502 pounds dry, picked up once
I do not have weights handy for the CB360, SL350, Cl 350, Cl160, CB160 or CA110, but the three Yamaha enduros were around 230 pounds and picking them up was to be expected!

When I sold the Bonneville in 2013 (medical expenses for daughter #2), my wife thought I was done with motorcycles, so I eased her concerns and started back, a year ago, with an under 70 MPH dual sport. I quickly started running out of dirt roads/trails to explore and ended up taking it on 160 mile highway day rides. I told her when I bought it, that I did not expect to keep it long. It was easy to move around in the garage, but the narrow seat was painful, for distance.

I then found a smoking deal on the V7II, but fueling issues and change of dealer ownership prompted me to trade it for the XT250 and I found a few more trails. I also hoped that I couild take it 220 miles to our ranch, since the last 8 miles is a rocky dirt road and the last 3/4 mile a Jeep trail. (Took the Bonneville there, once, not do do it again) The XT250 would cruise at 70 MPH, although buzzy, hit just over 80 MPH indicated, but not reasonable for a 600 mile round trip to my youngest daughter. I also found myself pushing it beyond my capabilities and dropped it 3 times. Not a good thing when riding solo, in a remote area, with no cell service. The almost upside down in a gully was a bit of a challenge to get it back up, but the bike was designed to be dropped and no damage, other than minor scratches.

So, I said farewell to offroad exploring and focused on the street. The CB1100 is everything I wanted. It is not light, but if you back up to the bike and lift with your legs, one person should get it up. Might need to be careful to not let it go over the opposite direction.

BTW, the CB1100 turns tighter than the V7II, which helps moving it around in the garage.

Moral of this story is that I would not be concerened about the CB1100 weight. Just remember to put the side stand down, before getting off! Never done that, but seen it done.

BTW, I fractured my spine in my first M/C crash, circa April, 1963, which does make me careful about lifting. You and I have very, almost eerily, similar histories. I also experience compression fractures to several vertebrae about 30 years ago. I have to be very cautious about that, and now the hernias of course.

I should mention here that I owned a 2013 CB1100 for three years and put a little over 10,000 miles on it, so I am about to become a repeat offender.

I was riding with someone a few months ago who did not put the side stand down quite properly. The person broke two small bones in the left foot, not seriously, but it still required two months and quite a bit of limping around to heal. One thing I noticed about that is that not everyone has developed those dirt biker instinct where they will automatically lift their foot out of the way if the bike starts to fall, and push off. This rider just let the bike fall without making any effort to avoid the falling bike. I imagine most riders would have done the same. After having dirt bikes fall over on me a number of times I learned to jump the heck out of the way. We all discussed that incident in depth and I started triple checking my side stand after that.

At some point if you want to stay healthy you gotta minimize certain risks. However, with respect to the CB1100, I wouldn't be able to pick it up any more easily than any other bike I own. If I drop a bike, I call the Auto Club. It stays where it lays. It's insured and a lot easier to fix than a hernia or blown disk.

I'm even considering getting a satellite GPS locating device (Satellite Messenger) that works anywhere on the planet regardless of cell service. If I dump a bike or get into a problem someone can find me or I can get help from anywhere. These are about $100 or less, but the subscription is $200/year. Then again, how much is your life worth? Cheap insurance.

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 agree. A bit off topic, but there was a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News a few years ago who continually wrote articles about which items made his bike Iron Butt worthy. He kept using the term "farkle," which I despise. Anyway, the first article was about his new GL1800 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A few months later he wrote about his new K1200LT and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A year later he wrote about his new FJR1300 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it, and finally a few months later he wrote about his new K1600GTL and all of the aftermarket items he added to it.

I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out how silly this had become. Each bike had purportedly been optimized for superior long range touring but each was always superseded by the next new thing requiring further out of pocket expenditures to somehow improve it. I suggested the contributor would never be happy and should instead reflect inwardly and try to find satisfaction with what he has. They printed my letter but offered no editorial response.

I agree. A bit off topic, but there was a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News a few years ago who continually wrote articles about which items made his bike Iron Butt worthy. He kept using the term "farkle," which I despise. Anyway, the first article was about his new GL1800 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A few months later he wrote about his new K1200LT and all of the aftermarket items he added to it. A year later he wrote about his new FJR1300 and all of the aftermarket items he added to it, and finally a few months later he wrote about his new K1600GTL and all of the aftermarket items he added to it.

I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out how silly this had become. Each bike had purportedly been optimized for superior long range touring but each was always superseded by the next new thing requiring further out of pocket expenditures to somehow improve it. I suggested the contributor would never be happy and should instead reflect inwardly and try to find satisfaction with what he has. They printed my letter but offered no editorial response. I am laughing my tail off at this. I just could not concur more fervidly (that means "I'm with ya, buddy" in plain talk).

I really don't like to use terms because they've become Internet memes. "Farkle" is one of 'em. It just isn't very specific, that's all. No offense intended to anyone who farkles.

But then again, isn't that what most of us do? Hardly anyone leaves his or her bike stock. We have to change it up, make it our own. What's the first question anyone asks at the roadhouse?

"What've ya done to it?"

These days, my answer is usually, "I rode it."

People just pursue hobbies with different kinds of vigor. For most people, "farkling" gets them closer to their machine, keeps them in contact with the object of interest, and every change renews the relationship. New grips? Gotta go for a 400-mile ride to see how they work. New seat? Ditto. Change the suspension setting? At least a 200-miler to check that out. Even a shift in tire pressure settings warrants a half-day jaunt up to the Razorback and home.

Motorcycling is a freaking obsession on many levels and I've never seen anyone "outgrow" it.

"It is a dream." Soichiro would be pleased to hear that!

Yeah, I freakin' hate to admit it to myself, but I am trying to find a way to convince my logical mind I can still successfully manage the weight.

Not that I ever dropped my 2013, far from it, really, but it's always a factor. No way could I ever pick ANY bike up now. One hernia surgery, which acted up and got me an ambulance ride a couple of weekends ago, convinced me of that folly. And I could probably use a second for the left side if I'm not careful.

OTOH, since I can't pick up any weight of bike, what difference does the weight make?

The CB1000R looks great, but really, what is that going to do for me that I can't already do with the Z900R? Nothing.

I like the Street Cup but it's no all-day bike.

Methinks the CB1100EX, at a nice discount, might be just the thing for this 60-year-old man. Because it's still the real thing.

I am 70, almost 71, weigh 175-180 and at 540 wet, the CB1100 is my heaviest bike, yet, but only by a small margin.
2014 CB1100 standard, 540 wet
Yamaha XT250 293 wet, picked up 3 times in less than two months
Motor Guzzi V7II 417 pounds
TW200 278 pounds, wet
2012 Triumph Bonneville 495 pounds
2002 H-D Sportster 1200S 537 pounds
2003 H-D XLH883 518 pounds, picked up once (fire road miscalculation)
1976 CB750F 502 pounds dry, picked up once
I do not have weights handy for the CB360, SL350, Cl 350, Cl160, CB160 or CA110, but the three Yamaha enduros were around 230 pounds and picking them up was to be expected!

When I sold the Bonneville in 2013 (medical expenses for daughter #2), my wife thought I was done with motorcycles, so I eased her concerns and started back, a year ago, with an under 70 MPH dual sport. I quickly started running out of dirt roads/trails to explore and ended up taking it on 160 mile highway day rides. I told her when I bought it, that I did not expect to keep it long. It was easy to move around in the garage, but the narrow seat was painful, for distance.

I then found a smoking deal on the V7II, but fueling issues and change of dealer ownership prompted me to trade it for the XT250 and I found a few more trails. I also hoped that I couild take it 220 miles to our ranch, since the last 8 miles is a rocky dirt road and the last 3/4 mile a Jeep trail. (Took the Bonneville there, once, not do do it again) The XT250 would cruise at 70 MPH, although buzzy, hit just over 80 MPH indicated, but not reasonable for a 600 mile round trip to my youngest daughter. I also found myself pushing it beyond my capabilities and dropped it 3 times. Not a good thing when riding solo, in a remote area, with no cell service. The almost upside down in a gully was a bit of a challenge to get it back up, but the bike was designed to be dropped and no damage, other than minor scratches.

So, I said farewell to offroad exploring and focused on the street. The CB1100 is everything I wanted. It is not light, but if you back up to the bike and lift with your legs, one person should get it up. Might need to be careful to not let it go over the opposite direction.

BTW, the CB1100 turns tighter than the V7II, which helps moving it around in the garage.

Moral of this story is that I would not be concerened about the CB1100 weight. Just remember to put the side stand down, before getting off! Never done that, but seen it done.

BTW, I fractured my spine in my first M/C crash, circa April, 1963, which does make me careful about lifting.

I am 70, almost 71 60, almost 61 here.

Almost exactly a decade apart. Keep riding.