Just a few musings about the Kawasaki Z900 now that I've done 15,000 miles on it. #z900 #bikelife #motorbike #150000 #review #bikerevz #bikerevs #bike revs #bike revz
Hi do you have any problem with buzzy handlebar? My current bike is able to put my right hand to sleep because of the high frequency vibrations, making any sort of long journey woeful
I recently came off a restricted licence (Australia) to an open/full. It was a toss up between the MT09 and Z900. Ended up trading my 655cc MT07 and getting a 2023 Z900 and couldn't be happier. Great bike.
Only just got my 600 service last week after 4 weeks of owning and i am totally loving the Z900, nice to be back with Kawasaki after a stint with a GSXR 750. More than enough power for the road with amazing comfort.
I have 22k on my 2021 Z-900. I still love it and haven't found a more inspiring bike to replace it. Short or long trips it's always reliable and gets good mileage.
Great video, but here is a recommendation: Whenever you say how comfortable, roomy, cramped or whatever about a motorcycle, ALWAYS SAY HOW TALL AND HEAVY YOU ARE!!! That way viewers can judge for themselves if this is cramped, just right or too tall.
I really love my Z900. One of the best non-performance mods (imho) was to get a Bagster Luxe seat. This was about half the price of the Corbeau, and came with a much better pillion too. The Bagster seat is more round on the front, but also more flat front-to-back. This allows you to sit farther back on the bike, which feels much better to me. Gratz on 15k miles - am catching up as fast as I can.
Great video! I'm buying a mint 2019 z900 this weekend and there are so many videos saying similar things you did. I'm super excited and I feel confident I made a great purchase.
Thanks for your review! Love my new 2023 Z900. Has everything I was looking for and more. I feel great about the purchase and looking forward to years of enjoyment with it.
I have 7400km on my 2022 Z900 and i would only change it for the Z900 SE. I recently rode a Ducati Monster 797 (2020) & Suzuki GSX-S 750 (2021)and the Z900 beat them easy.
Had mine for a year but was eventually seduced by the Z900RS SE, suspension, brakes and fit for a taller rider all significantly improved. Loved the Z900 though.
Enjoyed this Bike Revs. I bought a GSX 8S. Great bike with good torque. Not the huge power of your Z though. Still have my eye on a Z900 as a possibility. BWT the 8S reuses most of the bike for the V Strom 800DE and there is a GSX 8R coming with a full fairing and high clip ons.
2 days to go and i will of had my anniversary z a year and still love it,i did fit a quick shift on it but found it a bit of a gimmick but at 62 im not really brought up on them so when the shift sensor got stuck i removed it.apart from the mirrors, and tail tidy ive kept it standard,i dont think you can really make it look any better.also i did change the akrapovic end can for the scorpion short red power as its got a slightly deeper sound.
I bought my Z900 brand new in Feb of 2022 and since then I have put 26000kms on the clock. It has been pretty much bullet proof in that time. I only have 2 gripes with it; there needs to be a quicker way to switch traction control on and off (at least as I'm concerned) and the front brakes are too soft. Its not a light bike and I've had a couple of moments where it felt like the bike simply refused to give me everything it had. Said moments also tend to be the same ones where you really need ALL of the braking. I don't know if its the ABS being to intrusive or something more fundamental but I'm leaning towards the former. 2 side notes, the mirrors you have work much better if you run them under the bars and these bikes handle gravel roads far better than they have any right to (for what that's worth..)
Some great comments, thanks. I now have a few things to watch out for and think about. Not sure about the mirrors, I can't get them downwards without them hitting on the tank. I did a vid on it.
Hi Mark, what average on fuel consumption are you getting on your Z900? Mine reports around 19L per 100km, which I feel is either incorrect or excessively high. I do a good mix of riding but always ride in sports mode.
Z900 has some compromises: Engine derived from the larger Z1000 1043cc engine, but completely proprietary heads, valvetrain, and crankshaft. Smaller bores, same stroke. Arguably the engine feels more lively and linear than the bigger one. I like it more. Sublimely smooth engine in terms of all the i-4 engines on the market today. Forks and brakes are carry overs from the Z800. I've looked into the design and part numbers. Z900RS got the better stuff. Why are we still using axial mounted and sliding-pin calipers today in 2023? While the RS/Cafe models get some upgrades in terms of electronic aids, the Z900 stays cable operated and basic. All the competition moved on. Is that a good or bad thing? What Kawasaki has done with the base Z900 it has done extremely well as there is zero control issues with throttle application and power. But if you wish to have cruise control and a few power modes (a wild hair mode and a rain mode, for instance), they will have to go full throttle-by-wire like the Ninja 1000SX and the cost will go up. I bet that is on the table with a Z900 redesign. MT-09, Duke 890R, Monster 937, F900R are all bikes built for the street, not derived from supersports platforms and modified. Ironically the older Z1000 was derived from the ZX-9R engine and increased to 953cc and it was very compromised in a lot of ways. This new Z900 is a better machine than any of the Z1000 that came before it, while having basically the same power (before the 1043cc engine was used).
@@jamesrowland3857 I have to assume you're speaking of the ZH2? The former 1043cc Z1000 hasn't been offered in most markets for some time. The European market was the last to offer it and they had a Z1000R version with suspension upgrades. I owned an older 953cc version (2008) which had the engine based on the old ZX-9R. Later, I owned the replacement 2017 Z900 with the 948cc engine. That was a very good machine, very smooth, very torquey, very confidence inspiring, a sit-in experience rather than a sit-on-top-of experience.
I’ve put a full titanium exhaust system on mine with a ecu flash. 20k miles and runs like a bullet train. This bike really needs to be opened up, because completely stock this bike is pretty boring.
I’ve done the same thing with rolling the throttle forwards when I had my Z900. You don’t need to go to the dealer or any special tools. All you need to do is go ride it for 20-30 minutes and turn the bike off. When you turn the bike back on again it should be gone.
Have had the same bike for the same length of time and with the same mileage. 😅 Fancy a change but can’t find anything that ticks all the same boxes without getting into higher priced bikes.
Hi do you have any problem with buzzy handlebar? My current bike is able to put my right hand to sleep because of the high frequency vibrations, making any sort of long journey woeful.
What operating temperature do you start riding at? I let the bike warm up to about 105F-110F degrees and ride off. Do you have a theory on operating temperature?
My z900 have 50.500 km on it and I owned it for 5 years now, still runs very strong!
Hi do you have any problem with buzzy handlebar? My current bike is able to put my right hand to sleep because of the high frequency vibrations, making any sort of long journey woeful
whats been your most expensive service cost ?
I recently came off a restricted licence (Australia) to an open/full. It was a toss up between the MT09 and Z900. Ended up trading my 655cc MT07 and getting a 2023 Z900 and couldn't be happier.
Great bike.
Only just got my 600 service last week after 4 weeks of owning and i am totally loving the Z900, nice to be back with Kawasaki after a stint with a GSXR 750.
More than enough power for the road with amazing comfort.
I have 22k on my 2021 Z-900. I still love it and haven't found a more inspiring bike to replace it. Short or long trips it's always reliable and gets good mileage.
Great video, but here is a recommendation: Whenever you say how comfortable, roomy, cramped or whatever about a motorcycle, ALWAYS SAY HOW TALL AND HEAVY YOU ARE!!! That way viewers can judge for themselves if this is cramped, just right or too tall.
Great tip, thanks! I'm only 5'7" and slightly overweight so maybe that's why I never thought to mention it 😂
Don't forget inseam length!
I really love my Z900. One of the best non-performance mods (imho) was to get a Bagster Luxe seat. This was about half the price of the Corbeau, and came with a much better pillion too. The Bagster seat is more round on the front, but also more flat front-to-back. This allows you to sit farther back on the bike, which feels much better to me. Gratz on 15k miles - am catching up as fast as I can.
Hmm, great tip, thanks! And now I'm straight off to go and look at those seats......
Great video! I'm buying a mint 2019 z900 this weekend and there are so many videos saying similar things you did. I'm super excited and I feel confident I made a great purchase.
Thanks for your review! Love my new 2023 Z900. Has everything I was looking for and more. I feel great about the purchase and looking forward to years of enjoyment with it.
I have 7400km on my 2022 Z900 and i would only change it for the Z900 SE. I recently rode a Ducati Monster 797 (2020) & Suzuki GSX-S 750 (2021)and the Z900 beat them easy.
thanks bro..nice review
Gr8 vid. Congrats. Ride safe, god bless.
Had mine for a year but was eventually seduced by the Z900RS SE, suspension, brakes and fit for a taller rider all significantly improved. Loved the Z900 though.
Good choice. At 5' 7" I'm not going to be worried about the taller person options 😂
Great video. I’m think of this for my next bike. I like the idea it is a purpose built naked as you say. I’m off shopping 👍
Enjoyed this Bike Revs. I bought a GSX 8S. Great bike with good torque. Not the huge power of your Z though. Still have my eye on a Z900 as a possibility. BWT the 8S reuses most of the bike for the V Strom 800DE and there is a GSX 8R coming with a full fairing and high clip ons.
2 days to go and i will of had my anniversary z a year and still love it,i did fit a quick shift on it but found it a bit of a gimmick but at 62 im not really brought up on them so when the shift sensor got stuck i removed it.apart from the mirrors, and tail tidy ive kept it standard,i dont think you can really make it look any better.also i did change the akrapovic end can for the scorpion short red power as its got a slightly deeper sound.
I bought my Z900 brand new in Feb of 2022 and since then I have put 26000kms on the clock.
It has been pretty much bullet proof in that time.
I only have 2 gripes with it; there needs to be a quicker way to switch traction control on and off (at least as I'm concerned) and the front brakes are too soft. Its not a light bike and I've had a couple of moments where it felt like the bike simply refused to give me everything it had. Said moments also tend to be the same ones where you really need ALL of the braking. I don't know if its the ABS being to intrusive or something more fundamental but I'm leaning towards the former.
2 side notes, the mirrors you have work much better if you run them under the bars and these bikes handle gravel roads far better than they have any right to (for what that's worth..)
Some great comments, thanks. I now have a few things to watch out for and think about. Not sure about the mirrors, I can't get them downwards without them hitting on the tank. I did a vid on it.
Mark, Completely motorcycles near you is about to put on a z900 se demonstrator. Do a review!!
I just got my z900, only have 170 miles on it so far. Love it.
Great choice, you won't regret it, still loving mine.
Hi, I have a question. How about corrosion? You said you ride all year round and I'm curious if steel components such as the frame corrode.
I own a Kawasaki z 400 2022 and love it. With all the mods on it it's just as fast as a z600. So I'm stepping up to the 900 se
Yeah, I really want the new 2024 SE version but there's only one colour scheme and I don't like it 😫
Hi Mark, what average on fuel consumption are you getting on your Z900? Mine reports around 19L per 100km, which I feel is either incorrect or excessively high. I do a good mix of riding but always ride in sports mode.
wow 15k @ well done mark@@@
valve cover needs to come off for 1st valve adjustment
@@shumble69 is it shim under bucket or something else?
@@shumble69 Never heard that one. My buddy has an '18 with 80k miles, sounds perfect. runs perfect.
Z900 has some compromises:
Engine derived from the larger Z1000 1043cc engine, but completely proprietary heads, valvetrain, and crankshaft. Smaller bores, same stroke. Arguably the engine feels more lively and linear than the bigger one. I like it more. Sublimely smooth engine in terms of all the i-4 engines on the market today.
Forks and brakes are carry overs from the Z800. I've looked into the design and part numbers. Z900RS got the better stuff. Why are we still using axial mounted and sliding-pin calipers today in 2023?
While the RS/Cafe models get some upgrades in terms of electronic aids, the Z900 stays cable operated and basic. All the competition moved on. Is that a good or bad thing? What Kawasaki has done with the base Z900 it has done extremely well as there is zero control issues with throttle application and power. But if you wish to have cruise control and a few power modes (a wild hair mode and a rain mode, for instance), they will have to go full throttle-by-wire like the Ninja 1000SX and the cost will go up. I bet that is on the table with a Z900 redesign.
MT-09, Duke 890R, Monster 937, F900R are all bikes built for the street, not derived from supersports platforms and modified. Ironically the older Z1000 was derived from the ZX-9R engine and increased to 953cc and it was very compromised in a lot of ways. This new Z900 is a better machine than any of the Z1000 that came before it, while having basically the same power (before the 1043cc engine was used).
Thanks for the write up, very interesting info and some great points. That's what this is all about 👍
@@bikerevz Hey you're welcome
@@exothermal.sprocketI'm looking at z1000 perf edition from 2020 as a next upgrade, Are they good bikes?
@@jamesrowland3857 I have to assume you're speaking of the ZH2? The former 1043cc Z1000 hasn't been offered in most markets for some time. The European market was the last to offer it and they had a Z1000R version with suspension upgrades.
I owned an older 953cc version (2008) which had the engine based on the old ZX-9R. Later, I owned the replacement 2017 Z900 with the 948cc engine. That was a very good machine, very smooth, very torquey, very confidence inspiring, a sit-in experience rather than a sit-on-top-of experience.
Thanks for the great review! Why didn’t you like the Ninja 1000 SX?
I found it too big for what I need, it was too tall for my height, I don't like any of the colour schemes and it was just a bit bland!
Do you find the gearbox is Abit shit?
I get bad shifts sometimes just from normal riding
I’ve put a full titanium exhaust system on mine with a ecu flash. 20k miles and runs like a bullet train. This bike really needs to be opened up, because completely stock this bike is pretty boring.
I’ve done the same thing with rolling the throttle forwards when I had my Z900.
You don’t need to go to the dealer or any special tools.
All you need to do is go ride it for 20-30 minutes and turn the bike off.
When you turn the bike back on again it should be gone.
OK thanks, it is a good tip to try before paying up for a dealer reset.
Hello mark I’m 21 and Cheltenham based also and I’m thinking of this bike (35kw version) for my second bike do you reckon that’s a good idea?
It should be fine if you are OK handling a heavy bike. Once you have mastered it, I would think you will be ready for anything!
Have had the same bike for the same length of time and with the same mileage. 😅 Fancy a change but can’t find anything that ticks all the same boxes without getting into higher priced bikes.
Yep, it's a tough act to follow!
every time im at bike meets ,i look around all the other bikes but nothing i see makes me want to change,good thing really as cant afford to change.
Comfort
Power/Performance
Looks
Style
Bang For The Buck
Z 900 The Winner!!!💚💚💚
What do you think about Oxford tank bag? Panners?
Yeah, they are great, I really like Oxford kit, haven't tried the tank bag but you can't really go wrong with them.
Hi do you have any problem with buzzy handlebar? My current bike is able to put my right hand to sleep because of the high frequency vibrations, making any sort of long journey woeful.
Hi, no vibration issues even with bar end mirrors instead of weights.
@@bikerevz thank you sir!
What operating temperature do you start riding at? I let the bike warm up to about 105F-110F degrees and ride off. Do you have a theory on operating temperature?
Yeah thats fine, you can start riding after just a few seconds of warm up, you just need to mind your RPMs while its still cold.
Same - Always wait till the temp displays (seems to start at 105F),
I normally only give it a few seconds to warm up. The start of my ride is down hill so no pressure on the engine.
What about the xrs better looking mt 09? Or stick with the z
Z all the way.
MT09 - ugly - DUKE - ugly - TRIUMPH - ugly - Z900 - Not ugly 😁
Mt09 is the ugliest bike ever made