Test Ride: Kawasaki Z1000

Bondo takes a ride on Kawasaki’s revamped Z1000. Gone are the styling cues to the seventies, replaced by the new Transformer!

After a brief ride aboard Honda’s Euro-only CB1000R naked bike earlier this year, I said it was so stylish that by comparison, Kawasaki’s Z1000 looked like it was ridden through a yard sale and all the crap stuck.

In retrospect, that may have been a bit harsh but there’s no denying that the styling of the Z1000 is different in a “Transformer mates with Alien” kind of way.

It’s humpbacked; it’s all angles and wedges with disjointed clumps of plastic zigging and zagging everywhere. And that’s BEFORE you get to the two gigantic mufflers, which can only be described as … well, indescribable.

The upside is that if you’re riding the Z1000, you don’t actually have to look at it (other than the Manta Ray-like projections jutting out from the rad shroud) and once in motion, the Z really begins to grow on you.

Narrow profile helps get your feet to the ground but position can be a little snug where it matters.

Despite the ungainly profile, the Z is quite narrow at the seat, allowing almost any size inseam to touch ground with both feet. The tubular handlebars have a comfortable rise and pullback, and the pegs seem ideally placed – not too low and not too high.

The riding position is initially quite comfortable, but the hard seat, perched 815 mm from the pavement, slopes forward, causing discomfort to the (ahem) nether regions when they inevitably contact the fuel tank after 20 minutes or so in the saddle.

The adjustable brake lever should fit any sized mitt, while the cable-actuated clutch was a bit on the firm side. Transmission action was impeccable with a short, slick throw and change action was very light.

Clocks are not a hit with Bondo.

photo: Kawasaki

To answer a question that I’m pretty sure nobody ever asked, the oddly-shaped instrument pod adjusts over three positions.

As for the instruments themselves, there’s a digital speedo, a sweeping LCD game-boy tachometer that’s virtually impossible to read (thereby rendering said device useless), a matching LCD fuel gauge and the usual clock and twin tripmeters.

Continuing on the eye-offending theme, the entire pod is done in a kind of Jaundiced Yellow so when wearing sunglasses and a tinted shield, the turn signal indicator lights sort of disappear into the murk.

BAGS OF PERSONALITY

There’s a distinct Transformer theme to the styling.

Okay, if we can move past the reasonable ergos, the styling that’s offensive to the eyes and the goofy instrument package – how does it perform? Pretty damned well, actually.

Short gearing leaves you searching for another one up top.

It’s like finding out that the girl who’s a few rungs from the top of
the attractiveness ladder actually does have a great personality and is a
lot of fun to be around.

The 1043cc motor is very strong with good punch right off idle, but the gearing seems very short. I found myself tooling through town at 60 km/h in sixth gear and continuously reaching for seventh.

On the highway, an indicated 100 km/h equates to 4,500 rpm, but the motor just seemed “busy” to me. Kawasaki says that some vibration was tuned into the motor to give it “character” so that might be it. I did note a bit of buzzing through the bars but the mirrors remained clear at all speeds.

Suspension needed adjustment to get smoothed out. Brakes are excellent.

Turn the 138 horses loose and it accelerates like Jack the Bear. It’s very strong to 6,500 rpm and when you surpass that mark, you better have your ophthalmologist on speed dial because your retinas are about to be flattened.

Even so, when are the manufacturers going to stop pussy footing around with this “detuned for more midrange” crap and just stuff the full 180 horsepower mill from the latest hyperbike into the naked chassis? Then we’d have something.

The aluminum frame and swingarm ties everything together nicely and the frame spars curve up over the engine to keep the overall width down. An aluminum subframe and swingarm keep the weight at a manageable 218 kg (480 lbs).

Suspenders are by Showa and holding up the front we have a set of fully-adjustable, USD 41mm units that are, of course, covered by a set of cheesy plastic scabbards.

A single fully adjustable rear shock is mounted horizontally above the swingarm to keep the delicate damping internals well away from the oppressive heat of the exhaust collector.

Sadly the ABS option didn’t make it into Canada.

The Z has very aggressive steering geometry (rake and trail is almost exactly the same as the ZX6R’s) and initial turn-in is so light, it’s almost a psychic process.

Once into the turn, it holds its line unless you want to change and feels rock solid over bumps. In my early time with the Z, the suspension was a bit jolting over divots and access covers, so I took a turn of preload out front and rear, then a click or two out of the compression damping on the forks and everything smoothed right out.

The dual 300 mm petal-type rotors are squeezed by radial mount, four-pot calipers. Initial bite is quite good with outstanding feel and feedback and it seems odd that ABS is offered as an option in Europe but not here in North America.

SKIN DEEP

If you get the styling, then the Z1000 may just be the bike for you.

Naked bikes are huge in Europe but have always struggled on this side of the pond. But if you’re looking for near-supersport performance and handling without the uncompromising riding position and high-strung nature of a pure sportbike, the Z1000 might just float your boat.

Gone are the four round pipes of the previous generation.

With a list price of $13,199, it’s a tough sell if you compare it to Suzuki’s 1250SEA Bandit, which is only a hundred dollars more and comes with a fairing, ABS, hard bags and a topbox (if you’re not into luggage, the standard ABS Bandit is just $11,799).

Of course, compared to other “naked” bikes such as the Ducati Streetfighter ($17,495), and Suzuki B-King ($15,699), Triumph Speed Triple ($13,250) and Honda’s CBF1000 ($12,999) it’s well within the naked bike ballpark.

The Z1000 might not be the prettiest heifer in the herd but it sure
works well. Just keep your eyes on the road while you’re riding it, and maybe keep them off the bike when you’re not, and things will be just fine.

SPECIFICATIONS