Kawasaki Z900RS

[Ulvetanna_imp]

On today's ride I met a guy named Rocky. He was riding a Z900. About my age. Bought it last year. Likes it well enough, but said he wished he had waited a year and got the RS. He really liked the CB but not the 17 model. CB drew a big crowd of admirers at the rest stop today. One guy was snapping cell phone pics and another had to tell me about his CB 350F he used to have. lol

VLJ NOT a CB1100RS... a Z900RS!

That sketch was made in 1999 that Ulve posted and the prototype was shown in Tokyo that year. They are NOT building that I can guarantee you.

You can read about that in our history section although the pics are gone

http://www.cb1100forum.com/forum/showthr...p?tid=4403

Think it's pretty clear, but I will reiterate

His name was Rocky..last year he bought a Z900 (naked Kawasaki 900 4 cyl). He likes it well enough. But now that Kawasaki has introduced the Z900RS (retro styled Kawasaki 900 4 cyl), he wished he had waited a year and bought it instead.

further ....

He liked my CB1100 (retro Honda 1100 4 cyl), but did not like the 2017 version of the CB 1100 (slightly less retro Honda 1100 4 cyl). There was no mention of the not available in the U.S. CB1100RS (decidedly less retro Honda 1100 4 cyl) by either of us.

VLJ NOT a CB1100RS... a Z900RS!

That sketch was made in 1999 that Ulve posted and the prototype was shown in Tokyo that year. They are NOT building that I can guarantee you.

You can read about that in our history section although the pics are gone

http://www.cb1100forum.com/forum/showthr...p?tid=4403

Think it's pretty clear, but I will reiterate

His name was Rocky..last year he bought a Z900 (naked Kawasaki 900 4 cyl). He likes it well enough. But now that Kawasaki has introduced the Z900RS (retro styled Kawasaki 900 4 cyl), he wished he had waited a year and bought it instead.

further ....

He liked my CB1100 (retro Honda 1100 4 cyl), but did not like the 2017 version of the CB 1100 (slightly less retro Honda 1100 4 cyl). There was no mention of the not available in the U.S. CB1100RS (decidedly less retro Honda 1100 4 cyl) by either of us. That's just what I initially thought and wrote something to that effect in an earlier reply. But I do see why VLJ got a different impression. So it's all cleared up now, thank goodness. That was the most important thing I had to do all day, dang it. Well, along with trying to explain why Honda won't bring the CB1100 back but will bring in another CB of a different design, which no one will want anyway, but Honda will build just because Honda loves to thumb its nose at convention and tout its preeminence.

That's my answer to VLJ, that's why we have a CB1100, and that's why Honda will never abandon its roots in the inline four.

BMW is the same, why keep making that stupid boxer engine which was originally designed as an airplane motor? Can you imagine the hoops their engineers have to jump through? They do it because they are BMW and they can. And it does work reasonably well.

Ulve
Wow
Last 2 lines of your last post summarized my entire post

Now I am really confused. As long as everyone is happy, I am happy. In fact I try to stay happy even if everyone isn't happy.

However I am annoyed and not happy I can't buy a CB1100RS in America.

I'm reasonably certain that the higher price tag for the RS is the reason Honda didn't bring it to America. Honda is already struggling to sell the best-looking (by a country mile) retro here, in large part because the $12,199 cost of admission combined with relatively modest spec-sheet numbers position the EX beyond the means of all but its most ardent admirers. Now they're faced with trying to sell a less purely beautiful, more expensive version of the same thing, only this version is marketed as a higher-performance alternative, even though it really isn't. Nevertheless, because they gave it Ohlins-look suspension, radial brakes, and lower bars, this bike will be pitted against higher-performance competitors like the Z900RS, the numerous R-Nine-T variants, a couple-few Triumphs, a smattering of Ducatis, and a few other classy-looking, sporty machines.

Lacking similar performance, the RS just isn't going to pan out for Honda, not in modern American showrooms, where UJMs historically go to die.

Instead, yep, they have the CB1000R ready to enter that particular fray, while the CB1100 EX holds down the classic-retro fort.

There's really just nothing in it for Honda, by bringing the RS here. The RS and EX would only cannibalize sales from each other, dividing an already very small niche market.

Now, what doesn't make any sense at all is Honda's decision to ditch both CB1100 models for the U.S. market in 2018. Pairing the EX or even the RS with the CB1000R seems like a no-brainer, since the CB1000R buyer isn't the CB1100 buyer. Those are two very different age groups/types of riders. There is no reason for Honda not to offer both the CB1000R and at least one of the CB1100 air-cooled retros.

It's really not that much money. Any competitor is at least that much or more. Even the Kawasaki is within $1000 or so. And seriously, while the Honda is not as powerful, it's just so much better-looking, and is dramatically more accurate as a sport-heritage or retro machine. You put that RS or EX next to the Z900RS, game over. As far as looks go, anyway. Both great bikes, but the essence, Honda has it.

You can't touch a Thruxton for less than $12K, nor even the lowly RNineT Pure. $12K puts it right in the game.

No, I just don't get it at all. It's really beginning to irritate me because I have no interest in the Z900RS at all, and even LESS interest in any European retro.

I would go for an EX if the CB1100RS was a no-show but I wanna wait and see.

It's really not that much money. Any competitor is at least that much or more. Even the Kawasaki is within $1000 or so. And seriously, while the Honda is not as powerful, it's just so much better-looking, and is dramatically more accurate as a sport-heritage or retro machine. You put that RS or EX next to the Z900RS, game over. As far as looks go, anyway. Both great bikes, but the essence, Honda has it.

You can't touch a Thruxton for less than $12K, nor even the lowly RNineT Pure. $12K puts it right in the game.

No, I just don't get it at all. It's really beginning to irritate me because I have no interest in the Z900RS at all, and even LESS interest in any European retro.

I would go for an EX if the CB1100RS was a no-show but I wanna wait and see.
Looks are subjective. If the Honda was considered broadly to be that much better looking, or with specs and performance that held up to its price, it would sell. It doesn’t. All the money, engineering and joy that Honda put into the bike has been undercut by zero marketing, few accessories, 50- 70 extra pounds, and tepid performance. And that’s from people who LOVE the bike!

Of course we here in the forum don’t really care, but the broader bike public have voted with their wallets. That being said, Honda could easily afford to keep the CB going, even at modest sales levels, if it chose to. I agree, they are looking for the new CB1000R as the main event in this space.


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I just have to say, Capo just stated pretty much exactly my view on the subject. I oughta put that in my signature but the new one I just cooked up is so exceptionally pithy I can't bear to change it just yet. lol.

For 2018 the CB1000R will most definitely be the main event. It doesn't need any competition sitting next to it.

Some kind of CB will return, when America rates it. Even if the USA don't get another CB for a while, I speculate the rest of the world will see a new model within 2-3 years.

I just can't make a move on the bike until I

a) see the new CB1000R in person, and

b) get a chance to really look at the 2017 EX carefully

I don't need a test ride, even. I know it's going to be a great bike. I just don't know what else is coming quite yet.