Spanish custom bike builder Japan Legends has a kit for the Kawasaki Z900RS.
It turns the bike into an old school half-naked superbike.
It definitely looks better than the stock Z900RS and Z900RS Café.
The Kawasaki Z900RS is the manufacturer’s modern-retro model; the successor of the legendary Z-1 but it may lack character to some folks.
Yes, the Z900-based inline-Four has a good kick and howling top-end but the bike is still styled in the UJM (universal Japanese motorcycle) format. The Honda CB1100R, (discontinued) CB400, the ol’ Kawasaki Zephyr 750 and 1100, among others have all used that same “template.” The Z900 RS Café looks better with the headlamp cowl but some scorned it as looking like the BMW R90S, instead.
Photo credit Visordown.com
So, why not let Spanish custom bike builder Japan Legends spice up your Z900RS with a special kit they are building? Now Z900RS owners can transform their bikes into a Japanes classic sportbike.
Visordownpublished the pictures of a kitted-out bike which looks like the ol’ school ZXR-750H1 superbike. Additionally, the bike is resplendent in the classic Candy Apple Green, white and blue paint scheme. The only things missing are the iconic washing machine (intake) hoses that lead from the upper fairing into the top of the fuel tank.
The kit is a half-naked type, which exposed large parts of the engine.
The Kawasaki Z900RS Café caters to the classic café racer look.
Changes are cosmetic while everything is shared with the naked Z900RS.
However, the riding experience was rather different.
“Café racers” originally bikes modified from stock which owners bring to cafés to show off. There were no Starbucks in the 60s and 70s but restaurants and cafés such as Ace Café were the haunt of modified motorcycle riders. That’s in London, but we have plenty of mamaks here, intead. However, are bikes the Kawasaki Z900RS Café factory fads to milk the nostalgia?
First off, the Z900RS Café is the factory café racer variant of the Z900RS modern classic. Kawasaki calls the latter the soul successor to one of the most iconic bikes of all time, the 1972 Z1.
Conversely, the Z900RS Café is the tarted-up version with a headlight cowling, windscreen, forward handlebar and stepped-up seat. Kawasaki has (officially) called it the soul successor to the Kz1000R which dominated the AMA Superbike series in the hands of Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, John Pace and of coure, Eddie Lawson.
1982 Kz1000R
The Z900 RS Café shares everything else including the engine, suspension, chassis and electronics. The 948cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve engine produces 110 bhp at 8,500 RPM and 98.5 Nm of torque at a low 6,500 RPM.
The new handlebar puts the rider in a sportier riding position, hence more weight on the front wheel.
Firing up the engine let loose stirring “vroom” from the exhaust. To recap, Kawasaki made the exhaust system to mimic the note from the Z1. It even has that sound of a tuned inline-Four… “vroom… pause… vroom… pause”. Blipping the throttle returns a howl mixed with a growl.
The clutch take-up and throttle are still “eager.” Well, that’s a diplomatic way to say snatchy. You have to be vigilant otherwise the bike will just take off with your brain still sitting in the parking lot.
However, the sportier riding position lent a much better control over the front wheel. On the “standard” Z900RS, the front went light with hard acceleration.
Similarly, charging into corners was much easier on the Café. Now it’s not just sweeping corners but also those pesky sharp ones at intersections.
The suspension felt harsh and uncompliant at first, but it turned out that the previous tester had dialed in all the wrong settings. Imagine riding a bike with close to the forks adjusted to full compression damping and full rebound damping!
If that’s not enough, the rear shock had its preload set to the lowest (which gave the bike a low rear and high front akin to a cruiser). The shock’s rebound damping was also almost fully dialed all the way out. WTF!
Readjusting the suspension yielded a bike that’s easy to flick into corners and maneuver around traffic. Unfortunately, the rear suspension still hopped over sharp bumps. However, that wasn’t meant to say the bike’s suspension was bad. Instead, it as what we’ve always said that some Malaysian roads can be kidney-busting.
The inline-Four based on the naked Z900 is tuned for low-down and midrange torque, hence it shows especially when riding in heavy traffic. Filtering through at 60 km/h in fourth gear still leaves plenty of acceleration.
Blasting away was just a small throttle’s movement away, leaving everyting else to reverberate in the exhaust’s howl and burnt hydrocarbons.
Bad points? The fuel tank is old school as per the Z1 so it’s plenty wide between the knees. The uptick, though, it’s easier to grip it with your knees during hard braking and cornerning.
So, is the Kawasaki Z900RS Café merely a prettied-up bike? Well, depends on how you look at it. In our books, however, the revised riding position has made the bike much better. The snatchy throttle took lots of concentration at first, but you grow to manage it.
But its looks were definitely a head-turner. The headlamp cowling, plus the classic lime green paint with white stripe gave it that real old school Kawasaki look.
Just wished I had a Bell classic full-face and bomber leather jacket when I rode to Starbucks…
It’s priced from RM 72,372 (basic selling price inclusive of 10% SST).
Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) has officially previewed the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe here in Malaysia.
The preview was held at The Gasket Alley PJ in conjunction with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Kuala Lumpur 2018.
KMSB has priced the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe at RM72,372 (recommended sales price with 10% SST).
In conjunction with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Kuala Lumpur 2018, Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) took the opportunity to preview their latest upcoming machine to the modern classic crowd which is the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe. The preview was held in at Tiga Supply Co. located at the heart of The Gasket Alley, Petaling Jaya. (more…)
Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) telah memperkenalkan motosikal terkini mereka, Kawasaki Z900RS 2018.
Tawaran moden klasik terbaru ini dijana oleh enjin empat selari 948cc yang sama seperti motosikal Kawasaki Z900 ABS 2017.
KMSB telah menetapkan harga bagi motosikal Kawasaki Z900RS ini pada harga RMM69,900 bagi skema warna Special Edition Orange dan RM67,900 bagi edisi standard berwarna hijau dan hitam (harga asas beserta GST).
We can expect the Kawasaki Z900RS and Z900RS Café in 2018.
Both bikes are truly modern bikes.
They’re set to take the market by storm.
We mourned the loss of the Kawasaki W800 modern retro. Here was a bike that looked properly retro: The engine had the bevel drive cover on the outside of the engine block, and beautifully polished aluminium accented cooling fins; the “bread loaf” seat; peashooter exhausts; twin rear shocks; even the front brake disc looked retro.
Then Kawasaki launched the W800’s replacement during EICMA last month. Called the Z900RS and Z900RS Café, they rocked the motorcycle fraternity.
Here are some of the features we are looking forward to.
Heritage
Back in 1972 (for model year 2013), Kawasaki unveiled the monster bike which cemented the Japanese manufacturer’s name as a premiere brand. It was the Z1.
The 900cc, inline-Four was the first air-cooled engine which featured double overhead camshafts (DOHC) and produced 82 bhp to propel the bike to 210 km/h. It was the fastest production bike of its time. It also went to dominate sales and Motorcycle News name it as the Best Bike of the Year four years in a row.
The Z1 went on to spawn the Kz900 which in turn gave birth to the dominant Kz1000-S1 which gave rise to GP greats Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, and Wayne Gardner.
It was also the bike in the popular TV series CHiPs.
Kawasaki had revived the inline-Four modern classic in the vein of the Z1 before. Remember the Zephyr 400/750/1100 in the 1990’s?
How about the later ZRX1100 (1997 to 2005) and ZRX1200 (2001 to 2008), modeled after the mighty Kz1000R-S1?
They were surely beautiful, showing just eternally beautiful was the Z1’s form. However, these were fairly heavy.
The Z900RS on the other hand, weighs only 214 kg, ready to ride. Additionally, it features fully adjustable forks and a rear shock that’s derived from the ZX-10R superbike. A new, lightweight trellis frame holds it all together. The Z900RS is given a sporty rake angle of 25.4 degrees and trail of 88.9, ensuring agile handling.
Z1 Styling Cues
Oh yes, they’re all there.
The ducktail back end, oval rear light, machined engine fins, textured metal tank, side panel badges, cam covers, bread loaf seat, the instrument panel, and gauges that use the same fonts. Even the needles rest at the same angle as the original.
The new upper frame accommodates the seat and tear-shaped fuel tank. The two-tone orange and metallic brown paint are faithful reproduction of the original.
If you want a more racer-esque feel, opt for the Z900RS Café, which has a bikini fairing, lower handlebars and humped seat.
Let’s not forget the new 4-into-1 double-wall steel exhaust system, which most owners of the K1 modified to and mimics the Kz1000’s. Anyone know if Kerker still makes exhausts?
Torque!
Horsepower is useful for the track. Out here on the mean streets, it’s torque that rules.
While the Z900RS’s engine shares the same architecture as the Z900 naked sportbike’s, it’s tuned for more low- and mid-range grunt for the real world.
It means that you don’t have to shift like you’re auditioning for Riverdance when you need to overtake other vehicles and while riding at low speeds.
Practicality
Judging from how the bike looks, its spec sheet and reviews from overseas media, the Z900RS and Z900RS Café are both practical for the daily commute and weekend mountain road riding. It also looks like it has a more pragmatic riding position for all day comfort.
The way we see it, we could attach soft luggage on both sides (since it’s a monoshock) and tankbag without ruining the looks of the bike.
So there you go. We’re sure to discover many other great (and not so great) features of the bike when it arrives in Malaysia. Oh, that may be in the second quarter of 2018.
Tahun 2018 telah menandakan kembalinya motosikal moden klasik Kawasaki dengan pengenalan motosikal Kawasaki Z900 RS dan Z900 RS CAFE RACER.
Selepas bertahun lamanya motosikal Kawasaki W900 menjadi satu-satunya pilihan rangkaian ‘Heritage’ mereka, Kawasaki telah muncul dengan dua motosikal moden klasik yang dinanti-nantikan untuk tahun 2018.
Kedua-dua motosikal Z900 RS dan Z900 RS CAFE RACER dijangkakan untuk tiba di bilik pameran di seluruh dunia bermula awal tahun hadapan.
2018 has marked the return of Kawasaki modern classic motorcycles with the introduction of the 2018 Kawasaki Z900 RS and Z900 RS CAFE.
After years of having the Kawasaki W900 as their only heritage option, Kawasaki returns with two of the most anticipated modern classic bikes for 2018.
Both the Z900 RS and Z900 RS CAFE are expected to show up across showrooms worldwide early next year.
The past decade has shown that Japanese company Kawasaki proving itself as one of the major powerhouses of the world when it comes to manufacturing motorcycles. Not only do they have one of the most diverse selection of motorcycles that’ll cater to any motorcycle enthusiast but also some of the best the world has ever seen. (more…)
Ingin memiliki motosikal retro yang berkuasa? Kawasaki Z900RS CAFE 2018 boleh membantu anda.
Pesaing terbaru dalam kancah motosikal cafe racer dari Kawasaki ini didatangkan dengan rekabentuk serta kemasan grafik yang cantik sekali, yang akan memikat para penggemar motosikal retro dan juga motosikal moden.
Enjin empat selari 948cc-nya itu mampu menjana sehingga 110hp dan 99Nm tork dan lengkap dengan pelbagai kelengkapan elektronik.
Looking for a powerful retro? Look no further than the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS CAFE.
The latest entry into the cafe racer scene from Kawasaki comes with a beautiful design and livery that’ll excite both the retro and modern bike enthusiasts.
Its 948cc inline-four engine is able to produce a healthy 110hp and 99Nm of torque together with other electronic goodies.
The past few months, the world of motorcycling has been bombarded with news, predictions and anticipation for what seemed to be the rebirth of the Kawasaki Z1 which is considered as one of the most beautiful motorcycles of all time. The Z900RS delivered that hope when it was introduced at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show BUT Kawasaki then revealed their Royal Flush in Milan this week with the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS CAFE. (more…)
