Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Well the rain abated this morning...roads had dried up and it didn't look too bad around 10am...so I jumped on the ER and took myself off to the local Kawasaki dealer.

He got the demo out for me, and handed me the keys

The demo had a Micron pipe which had a nice kind of note to it around town, but became rather annoying on the highway. Safe to say I wouldn't bother.

It was deadset easy to ride, felt tight, and was just jolly good fun to be on. Dunno how the seat would be over a couple of hours, but for the test run it seemed fine, with no discomfort...maybe I was enjoying myself too much to care/notice.

What was surprising, was that I didn't really feel I needed a fairing or a screen. Dunno how that oddly shaped bit of plastic works, but it seems to do something

Anyhow, hopefully next week I can bring the XJ up and get a change over figure...

Felix

I wrote a review here too-
http://www.ksrc-au.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2565

have a read and see what you think


cheers

I don't know if there are many differences between the one you rode and the '06...supposed to be different colours, and an engine imobiliser.

Not a real fan of digital speedos, I must say. I like analogue dials. But it is what it is.

I rode the ER over, and in a lot of respects the riding position didn't feel too much different. The gearshift was excellent, I didn't find anything standing out in particular as being annoying, or that I thought might be hard to live with. Ok, the seat was firm, but I didn't notice it being uncomfortable in anyway. You certainly don't slide forward like on the ER, it is nice and flat. It was a really smooth engine, I think my brothers FZ6n would be the only thing I've ridden that is as smooth, but you'd expect that from a very modern jap motor.

The XJ is pretty quick, but the Z is just silly. It may not actually be any faster, but it sure does seem like it. Maybe that was the Micron talking... I like that it doesn't mind too much what gear it is in around town, it seems to cope. I EFI

Really, I am just pinged that it isn't available in green.

Good stuff Felix...

Glad to hear you're staying strong with Team Green

Well team ORANGE perhaps

Only really two other bikes worth looking at, CB900, and FZ6n. No point buying an FZ, as my brother has one. CB...well it'd be ok for Neka...by the way, is Neka MIA?

The main irk that bites me about my Z is when in higher speeds (ie above 110 or so) I am always looking for another gear, as the engine sounds like it is reving high. I am sure there is a technical explanation for this, but I don't know the offical terms

I get a Z750 for a day or 2 every time I have my bike serviced. I love it as a commuter, great fun to ride. I always find my self saying "hey I could really live with one of these" ....then I get the 636 back and I'm like "Z750???? what Z750???"

i loooove my z1000 hehe, but seat sucks ass as you say, got an 11.2 at the drags, still havent mastered my starts. R1 there was doing 10.8 and he was a regular, and it had a pipe, mines stock...
a big dude on a zx12 was doing mid to low 11s too... im impressed...
but yes i keep lookin for another gear even on the 1000

Mate you need a ZRX.
Big and brawny.
Effortless on hwy.
powerfull and very torquey.
Has a screen and heaps of storage.
But you do need to spend a few hun to make it a better bike.
But hey it's cheaper than a z1000.

did I say it's comfy too

If I want big and comfy then I'd go the CB1300S...but that's over $15k...bit too much over my budget. Or I could just spend a bit on the XJ...I am sure there is a well behaved machine under its 23 years of use...but nah, too much to do...and the Z does pretty much what I want.

Go the CB900! Best naked bike bike I reckon mmmmmmmm. I'd have one too but with the blade and the track bike ZX7 I'd be pushing the limits on garage space.

snr

The CB900 is on sale at the mo for $12000 ride away....good value I reckon...and you know how much I like my CB400, Felix! CB900 must be at least twice as good!

bonester wrote:The CB900 is on sale at the mo for $12000 ride away....good value I reckon...and you know how much I like my CB400, Felix! CB900 must be at least twice as good!

Yeah, I dunno...something about the cb900...I would really like to like it, but I dunno...maybe I should take one for a spin next w/end...

I took a hornet 900 out and hated it, really weird front-end which I just couldn't get on with...sorry to all CB900 that I've just offended.

Found the Z750/Z1000 gave me much more confidence in the bends.