The Kawasaki Naked Bike That Makes Every Ride More Fun
Over the years, Kawasaki has earned a reputation for building affordable, high-performance motorcycles. While the Ninja name certainly carries weight, that isn’t where it all started for the brand. It was the now-infamous Z1 naked bike that got the ball rolling, and while that UJM was better known for being a little too powerful for its own good, a long line of affordable Z-bikes followed. Today, one of these Zs serves as the ideal candidate for having serious fun without breaking the bank.
Kawasaki’s Journey From UJM To Hyper-naked
Back when the Z1 came out, it was one of the first motorcycles to feature a dual overhead cam (DOHC) inline-four. This helped it achieve, and we can only assume, surpass its performance targets. It was significantly more powerful than any of its contemporaries, and set a new benchmark for high-performance motorcycles. This became something of a trend for Kawasaki.
Each evolution of the Z model took performance to new heights, something evidenced by the latest Z H2, a supercharged monster of a hyper-naked. Unfortunately, that bike breaks away from another aspect held dear by fans of Z bikes, and that is affordability. While it is easy to argue that it is affordable for what it is, the bike that carries the torch for the working class is the Z model that sits in the middle of the range.
The Kawasaki Z900 Is An Everyday Performance Bike
MSRP: $9,999
At this price point, the Z900 offers incredible bang for the buck. Although it is not the cheapest bike with an inline-four engine, it most certainly is the cheapest bike to make over 120 horsepower. Kawasaki has also thrown a bunch of tech at the model, which only serves to add even more value. Even with the added tech, it is still relatively light for an “almost a liter-class” naked bike, and will happily handle the daily commute to work. Just don’t expect it to be particularly economical; this is a fun motorcycle to ride, and you will undoubtedly want to enjoy it!
An Understressed And Smooth Inline-Four Brings The Firepower
Power: 123 Horsepower
The biggest advantage the Z900 has over all its middleweight rivals is the fact that it has a smooth-running inline-four. Pretty much all the other bikes competing in this space (aside from the Honda CB650R) make use of twins or triples. While those bikes certainly have an advantage in terms of torque delivery, they also all vibrate a fair bit. In terms of top-end performance, none even come close.
Built For The Real World
While the Z900 certainly won’t offer the same level of midrange punch as the twins and triples, it still has plenty to offer. It also offers a wildly different soundtrack to those bikes. If you like the high-pitched scream of an inline-four, it will appeal to you, but not everyone does, and all the effort Kawasaki put into tuning the exhaust will mean very little to you.
The one thing that will appeal to anyone is how reliable it is. Compared to other liter-class naked bikes, this is in a relatively mild state of tune, and after the usual teething issues associated with any new model back when it first came out, has proven to be as dependable as any Japanese product.
The Z900 Offers An Impressive List Of Modern Tech Features
In the past, not much was expected from a budget-friendly offering like this, but with other bikes competing in this space offering so much value, Kawasaki was forced to respond. This response includes an IMU being added to the platform, which means you get features like cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control. It also has cruise control, a quickshifter, ride modes, and a TFT dash with smartphone connectivity. Suffice to say, all the proverbial bells and whistles are present. But that is not necessarily why you would be after a bike like this.
Sporty naked bikes like this need to offer a combination of dynamic handling and daily usability. In this respect, the Z900 over-delivers. Its sporty steel trellis chassis offers dynamic handling, and more than makes up for what is a relatively basic suspension setup. If you want more in this department, the SE model gets an uprated suspension with more adjustability.
But for the vast majority of us, the base model will satisfy our corner carving needs. With a wet weight of 470 pounds, it certainly is not the lightest bike in this class, but that is the price (quite literally in weight) that you need to pay for an inline-four engine. At the end of the day, it is still nimble enough to handle any canyon road, and the commute when called upon.
Sensational Value Is Another Plus
You really do get a lot of motorcycle for the money here. At a time when prices for everything are going up, it is hard to believe you can still get a bike like this for $10k. But this is indicative of where the motorcycle industry as a whole is at. With so much emphasis on adventure bikes, touring bikes, and pretty much anything that can be used for travel, bikes from pretty much every other segment are a hard sell. Most buyers are willing to pay more for a more versatile machine these days, no matter how compromised it really is.
The Z900 also faces some serious competition these days. While it mostly competes with middleweights and has a pretty big performance advantage over those bikes, the gap between this and the liter-class has closed substantially. With the price difference of only $1k between this and a more powerful 1000cc bike, it is hard to imagine buyers won’t be cross-shopping the two models. Choosing this over that bike might come down to something as subjective as design.
With all these Japanese naked bikes offering a different interpretation of what a motorcycle “Transformer” might look like, that is essentially deciding which is the “least worst” option. Subjectively speaking, that honor belongs to the Z900, especially with it in black and white like the bike pictured above. It is such a well-balanced motorcycle, and while it might not offer the versatility of one of those travel bikes, this is going to be the bike that actually makes every ride you take, no matter the distance, that much more fun.
Source: Kawasaki
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