Kawasaki Z900RS

[Guth_imp]

I really like the CB1100, and I like what I'm seeing and reading of the Z900RS, but for different reasons. When all is said and done, I expect there to be far, far more Z900RS's out on the road than CB1100s. While it is "retro-styled", the Z900RS is a truly modern motorcycle by many different measurements or definitions. The CB1100 on the other hand is truly a "retro" motorcycle. There is a big difference between these two. People who purchase the CB1100 are giving up quite a bit in terms of outright performance as defined by the standards of the displacement class it falls into. Honda said from the very beginning that this is not what the CB1100 is all about. If you go back and watch any the original promotional videos for the CB1100 or read through the bike's history you'll see that Honda was focused on the experience that this bike would provide the rider with and that experience was not defined by performance figures. They almost made the point that it was defined by it's lack of outright performance. The older Honda CBs from decades ago are actually more of a competitor to the CB1100 than the Z900RS is. Like the Triumph Thruxton, the Z900RS is competing more with todays true sportbikes. The Z900RS might be "wrapped in retro clothing" so to speak, but that is not nearly the same thing as truly retro. There is room in the world for both types of motorcycles.

To me, one of the most intriguing stories currently in the automotive world is the Aston Martin "DB4 Continuation". The DB4 was originally produced back in the late 50's/early 60's. Recently Aston Martin decided to reproduce an extremely limited (25 or so?) number of DB4s for track use only (these are not road legal cars as they certainly would not meet today's safety standards). Aston Martin built everything involved in the car themselves just like they did back in the day. I believe these cars were priced somewhere just shy of 2 million dollars each. That kind of money could buy a LOT of supercar , or a lot of performance by today's standards. Cars that could no doubt blow away the DB4 Continuation, and they could still be used on the street. But driving those cars doesn't provide nearly the the same experience as driving the DB4 Continuation. Which is why there are people willing to dish out that kind of money for one of the DB4's. This kind of experience does not come cheap if you want it provided in a package that is "new" and not an antique.

While no CB was ever as elusive as a classic Aston Martin, much like the DB4 Continuation, the CB1100 is more about reproducing an experience that is more akin to something previously experienced and not what we have grown accustomed to today. Honda provided as much of this as possible while still making a motorcycle that is safe to be used on the road today. This is a totally different objective than what Kawasaki is trying to accomplish with the Z900RS. Someone could certainly enjoy both the CB1100 and the Z900RS, but more than likely for very different reasons.