The Kawasaki Z900 is easily India’s most popular naked “superbike”, and it received a big upgrade last year. The question that remains is what effect these changes have had, and whether the bike still deserves so much love.
Z900 Design and Quality
The first thing you’ll notice is that the styling has been reworked from every angle. The lighting at both ends gets a significant redesign, and there are fresh body panels around the fuel tank area. The result is a bike that looks sleeker and a little less imposing than before. I know a lot of people will miss the ‘big-look’ of the previous design, but a few other folks I spoke to said that they preferred the fresh new look.
Engine Displacement 948 cc | Cooling Liquid Cooled | Engine Type 4 cylinder |
Max Engine Power 122 bhp @ 9500 rpm | Max Engine Torque 97.4 Nm @ 7700 rpm |
What’s without debate is that the Z900 feels more special. A closer inspection reveals nice details like the new brushed aluminium finish on the smaller tank shrouds. There are also a few high-gloss trim panels that neatly hide the more functional-looking areas of the frame near the rider’s feet. The most impactful change comes in the new 5-inch TFT display. This is not only bigger than the older one, but it’s also more high resolution. The display is now fully controlled by the switchgear, and there are no fiddly rubberised buttons to deal with under the screen as before. Finally, I’m quite fond of the new tail-lamp that looks quite fresh and almost European to my eyes.
Along with design revisions comes a fairly significant change in the rider ergos. The moment I hopped on the bike, it felt like the riding position was more committed than before – it feels like there’s more of a lean down to the wide new handlebar and also like you’re sitting higher up. Sure enough, a new rear subframe has allowed Kawasaki to give the seat more padding, which has subsequently led to a higher 830mm seat height.
While I did eventually find myself preferring the new ergos and the more connected feel they provide, the taller seat is a bit of a downer because the Z900 was always appreciated as being a friendly motorcycle. Another issue is that the bike is now sold as a single seater, and you’ll have to pay an additional Rs 35,200 for a rear seat and pillion footpegs if you want to carry a friend. Although, remember that the bike would have been registered as a single seater.
Z900 Performance and Refinement
The Kawasaki Z900 has always been about its lovely 948cc inline four. There are some significant changes here too, including a move to ride-by-wire throttle, revised camshafts and new mapping. Kawasaki says that these changes have been done with the intention of boosting mid-range performance, and they even claim a 16 percent bump in fuel efficiency. Thankfully, the performance numbers that matter are more or less what they used to be, with a segment-leading 125hp and nearly 100Nm.
I’m happy to report that this engine is still just as beautifully smooth and easy going as it used to be. In fact, you’ll struggle to find a significantly smoother engine, perhaps with the exception of six-cylinder motors on gigantic touring Hondas and BMWs. It’s also happy to chill at low speeds within the city. A pleasantly light clutch, relatively decent turning radius and an almost spooky lack of heat being thrown on the rider make it one of the nicest big bikes to live with in a big, bad Indian metropolis.
For all its sweet-natured willingness to carry a lazy cruise, the Z900 can be thrillingly quick should the mood arise. It’ll hit just about 100kph in first gear at the redline and blast past 180kph in mere seconds should you keep the throttle pinned. The speed is absolutely there when you want it.
Z900 Ride Comfort and Handling
The area that has seen the least amount of change is the chassis. At 212kg, this is still a rather heavy bike, and you’ll feel that when you start to throw it around. Part of this is down to the fact that the stock suspension settings are quite soft, but dialling in some preload and damping (rebound adjustable only at both ends) does make a noticeable difference.
Where the new Z900 benefits in the handling department is that it gets new radially mounted brake calipers that offer better performance than before, and it also has improved Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres. Overall, it can be a sporty and engaging ride, but if you love lap times and want sharp and aggressive riding dynamics, this is not the bike for you.
One area of appreciable improvement is that the new six-axis IMU has resulted in a much more refined traction control system, which doesn’t abruptly cut power like it used to. There’s also a superb up/down quickshifter, and the bike now gets cruise control. As before, you have two power modes and four riding modes, including an adjustable Rider mode. Also, like before, there isn’t a massive difference to be felt when jumping between modes. The overall electronics package feels more sophisticated, but it’s still not as comprehensive as on more premium bikes from rivals like Ducati.
Wheelbase 1450 mm | Seat height 830 mm | Ground Clearance 145 mm |
Kerb Weight 213 kg |
Z900 Price and Verdict
The Z900 now costs Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom), which brings it closer than ever to the soon-to-be-discontinued Triumph Street Triple R. That means it no longer has the same incredible value appeal, but you have to remember that much of the high price is thanks to our new 40 percent GST tax slab and a continuously weakening currency that impacts imported bikes like this.
Nevertheless, I think the Z900 is an improved motorcycle, and it also stands on a long-built reputation for quality and reliability that has been established by its predecessors. It certainly isn’t the bike for those who love all-out attacking a winding road or race track, even though it has gotten slightly more sporty in its intent. However, for those of you looking for a four-cylinder ‘superbike’ that is easy to live with in our challenging riding environment, it still doesn’t get much better than this.
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
Autocar India News Desk
