This post was inevitable I guess.
I took the Zed out for a “proper” ride yesterday, for the first time since well before the Daylight Savings change. How do I know that? The clock is an hour out.
Clocks should be standard features on a bike dash. The good old digital watch has been around since the ‘70s and the display takes up bugger all room on any dash. I like to know just HOW late for work I am thanks.
Riding a 400 takes a certain amount of commitment. To go forwards one has to use throttle openings that would kill on a litre bike. In fact those throttle openings make life interesting on a three quarter litre bike. More of that later.
I’ve not really considered that the Zed was what one would call a sit up and beg riding position. It is though. In fact you feel 10 ft tall compared to the stretched out early ‘80s riding position on K’erst. The tank on the Zed is incredibly wide and compared to the Katana’s lean Norwegian Racing Sardine-like form, it feels a bit like I imagine sitting aside the luscious Rose McGowan would. Excuse me for a minute…….
Right then.
The quality of components, paint, physical geometry, and the “reacts-as-one-solid-mass” feel of modern 21st Century motorcycles is streets ahead of the bikes of 20 years ago. There is a downside to this though. You guys probably all look at the Zed and think, “That’s not a sports bike, and it’s an underpowered, steel-framed, poorly suspended, overweight old man’s bike”. You’d be right by current standards. But that’s because you’re spoilt. Stick the Zed on an early 80’s Superbike grid and those poor bastards wouldn’t stand a chance. A little bit of ECU tuning and 120hp wouldn’t be out of the question, easily on par with late ‘80s/early ‘90s 750cc Superbikes.
The great thing about the Katana though, is that you can have fun at 100km/hr because it needs work, and dare I say it, balls, when it is moving about, weaving and bucking off irregular surfaces and off camber corners. The Zed can easily traverse similar roads at up to twice the speed without feeling anything as exciting. Having said that, cracking the throttle hard on the Zed because you forgot you weren’t on the 400 and feeling the front go light is delicious. Bit like that Rose McGowan girl……
This is obviously going to take me a while to write.
I thoroughly recommend having two bikes. One for Sunny days and long rides and the other, a bit ratty but totally classic to look at, one that you can learn stuff about motorcycle dynamics without getting hurt too badly. Ride it to work, leave it on the side of the road and expect it to be there a bit later on, thrash it mercilessly and practice your oil change technique. I’ve often seen guys and gals complain that their bike isn’t fast enough and they don’t feel comfortable cornering with any gusto. Sort your suspension and steering head bearings out. They deteriorate over time and you get used to them not working correctly. Fixing those components up or replacing them almost amounts to buying a new bike.
Thanks to having something to compare it to, I’ve gotten my Zed mojo back. Recalibrated my appreciation senses, so to speak. Both bikes push my buttons, for very different reasons. One requires a firm hand and much interaction while the other is pretty easy to use without thinking too hard about what you’re riding. Both styles have their place, and I’m certainly getting to work quicker on the 400. Ahem.
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Originally Posted by Jim2
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