Kawasaki Z1000 (ZR1000B), after 5,000km
Time flies when one is having fun. And so it is with my recently acquired Kawasaki.
Loving it, I am. Apart from its unyielding rider seat, but Mac McDonald will be sorting that for me in the next couple of weeks.
Some people who fit Oxford heated grips aren't particularly diligent when it comes to gluing them in place. After a couple of weeks of being dragged off by Little Old Ladies in Morrie Thous, I've had mine reglued and am now basking in the enjoyment of having the throttle response directly proportional to the amount of twist applied to the righthand grip.
It's now set up for touring, with the addition of a Ventura pack rack. After Mac sorts my saddle, I'll be acquiring a rear hugger. Then I'll figure out a way of affixing my GPS. That should do the modifications for a while. Much as I would like some 'safer' exhausts, us self-employed folk are mindful of cash flow...
The new Conti Road Attack 2s have now been on for over 1,500km and I'm greatly enjoying those.
Despite its street fighter looks, the Z1000 is actually well set up for what I would describe as "real world" motorcycling.
The engine is a peach. Its mid-range is huge, pulling brilliantly from just under 2,000rpm until the Saturn V kicks in at 8,000rpm. The open road legal limit is about 4,100rpm in sixth gear. It only takes a few seconds to reach that mark from standstill, particularly so now the throttle grip does what it's told. I'm impressed with fuel economy. The last few fills have consistently averaged 18.75km per litre (that's 5.33 litres per 100km, for those so inclined).
Ergonomics are good for the taller rider, although I will get Mac to raise the seat height by about 30mm. That should also have the effect of lowering the bar height a fraction.
Something else to report on is its pillion performance. The Gold Standard Pillion(TM) reports that this is "surprisingly good" and "quite enjoyable". She was surprised about how much room she had on what looks to be a very compact bike. Satisfaction was also expressed about how "engaging" the pillion experience was with the ride itself. All of the published reviews I've tracked down on these Zs fail to mention pillionability. From a rider's perspective, a pillion does alter the performance of the rear suspension a bit but otherwise the Z still handles brilliantly. I'll get Mac McDonald to tweak the pillion seat a bit too when we're in Tauranga. He may be able to lift the Pillion Satisfaction Standard to over 8 out of 10. I'll let you know how that goes.
For those who like a bike with a bit of Hoonability, the Z shouldn't disappoint. At this point the Old Geezers Motorcycle Club advises that I shouldn't note any relevant experiences in that regard, preferring to let a rear tyre with no chicken strips speak for itself.
If you're thinking about acquiring a Z1000, you should do so. You'll love it.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Jane Omorogbe from UK MSN on the KTM990SM
Bookmarks