Kawasaki Z900

[Mick_J]

That's it, I've bought a black Z900.  After most test rides I hand the keys over and go home, next day I usually write a little review and post it and from then on I forget about it.  After riding the Z900 I wrote my little review, posted it and started to look elsewhere.  Over the next few days I found myself looking at reviews of the kwaker, watched a few vids and even started looking at what accessories there were.  I even looked at the Z900 forum to get more information, most unlike me and a bit of a surprise as I really wasn't looking for a four but they fitted my criteria and it would be rude not to at least try.

After my ride on the Yamaha MT09 auto I went back to the Kawasaki shop and blagged another test ride.  The dealer and staff were laughing at me as they thought I made the MT09 look very small, bastards.  Anyway he agreed to let me out on a Z900 but this time with the quick shifter enabled, even though I don't particularly like them I wanted to try it.  Within 500 yards I was sold, the bike just felt great and the best of all the bikes I have tried recently, I immediately felt at home and the quick shifter, wow, it's fantastic, changing gear very smoothly and without the usual lurching on every change.  Although it's a four it has a bit of character with a nice induction roar so it felt different enough from all my other bikes and to be an alternative choice in my garage.  It still revs a bit high for my taste but the word on the Z900 forum is to change the front sprocket to 16 teeth.  So I bought the bike and have already got a number of accessories ready to fit.

Due to the forecast for this week I managed to move the pick up to a day early, so I went in yesterday.  After a coffee and signing all the paperwork I picked up the bike at 9.30.  I checked everything over, adjusting the mirrors and levers to fit me and started it up.  I have always had a high level of mechanical sympathy so run all my bikes in gently, starting lower in the rev range and taking longer.  So I set the bike in rain mode and set off for home, the long way round.  I picked out slow, winding country roads where I knew traffic would be light and just started to get the feel for the bike and familiarise myself with the various controls and menus.  144 miles later I arrived back at home and I have to say the bloke in charge of seats in Japan has no idea what he's doing, my poor arse.  I really enjoyed my slow ride home, I kept an eye out at the clouds and turned away from them as much as I could riding mostly back roads.  The bike felt great proving to be very agile but stable at the same time, inspiring plenty of confidence, the brakes worked really well, getting better as the ride went on and the quick shifter proved to be superb.  So far so good, I'm happy with my purchase, today I will adjust the angle of the levers and fit the accessories I have already bought for it.  I now have three weeks to get the 700 miles up before the first service so I hope I get plenty of dry days in before then.

[Kiwifruit]

Enjoy your new ride Mick, how exciting 

[Mick_J]

Enjoy your new ride Mick, how exciting 

Thanks Col.

[grog]

Yeah, enjoy.

[GSXKING]

When I read Z900 I'd pictured the retro looking one.
I've seen yours but with a compressor. 

[KiwiCol]

Good on ya Mick, happy riding mate.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Nice bike Mick, enjoy

[Phill P]

Very nice, enjoy it 

[Mick_J]

Thanks for that lads, it's my first kwaker but I hope not my last bike. 

[Eric GSX1400K3]

it's my first kwaker

or a Quaker?

[Tony Nitrous]

I find many of the loudest critics of stuff like quick shifters, cruise control etc and other tech are often those with less experience.

Like you I'm a convert. Use it way more than I thought I would and now miss it on other bikes.

[GSXKING]

I've ridden lots of bikes with quick shifters, most notable was BMW S1000RR riding at Phillip Island after WSBK weekend.
I'll just say @ 110kgs I'm no racer. However with up & down shifter assist it made me feel like one. 
All the other rider aides on these bikes also combine for a race like experience at "The Track".
On the street I've found I use upshift on my BMW R1200RT for a quick getaway from traffic lights and congestion occasionally. Rarely ever riding the twistier roads.
When I get back on my GSX1400 I have to reset to full manual mode, no abs and no traction control it's raw.