2018 Kawasaki Z900RS First Ride Review | Ultimate Motorcycling

Hey, this is Nick with Ultimate Motorcycling. Today we just got wrapped up riding the brand new 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS. This is the latest addition to the Z family for Kawasaki, and of course this RS model is based upon the classic Z1 that was released back in 1973. So we're going to get into it for this first ride review, and I hope you guys stick around. The Z900RS is based upon the Z900 that was introduced earlier this year. Now that's an upright sport machine, has loads of character, great handling, great suspension. We really came to enjoy that bike. Now the RS version, despite its classic stylings, retains a lot of those characteristics. So in the RS you have great suspension, handling, great engine, and so forth. Now this bike is fundamentally different from the standard Z900. The RS version has a few different tweaks to it to give it its own distinct personality. So while it is in the same family, it does things on its own accord. It gives a little bit different riding experience. First off is the rider triangle. So Kawasaki went ahead and lowered the foot controls and moved them forward a little bit. They also raised the handlebars up and moved them back a little bit. What that's going to do is give you a slightly more upright riding position, a little bit more casual, a little bit more accommodating for just about everyone out there. I stand at 5'10", and I have a 32-inch inseam, and I was completely comfortable in that regard. Now another thing that they did do to accommodate some of these more classic stylistic cues like the teardrop tank and the longer profile seat is they narrowed the upper top tubes. They also readjusted the rear subframe. So the frame itself is not a direct drag and drop from the Z900. It is fundamentally different, and these parts are not interchangeable. So that is something to consider. Now another update that they've done from the Z900 to the Z900 RS is in terms of suspension. You have a fully adjustable KYB fork, and that's something that we always appreciate. In the rear, you do have a single shock with preload adjustment and rebound damping adjustment. So while it's not fully adjustable, you do get some adjustability. It's a set-it-and-forget-it type thing. You're dealing with suspension that's a little bit more taut. It is reminiscent of the Z900, but not quite that far. Kawasaki representatives have told us that it does have a slightly lightened up spring rate, and while it does have a sporty feel to it in terms of suspension, you get a massive amount of feel from the road. It's very responsive, very intuitive. So when you're in corners, it handles brilliantly. That's one of the strong points of the 2018 Z900 RS is that once you start flicking into a corner and pushing around, whether you're talking about tight stuff in the canyons or in the streets, this thing handles superbly. I was quite impressed with it, and we actually rode around in a wide variety of environments. We were in L.A.'s finest, I mean the most immaculate traffic that you've ever experienced. We also went into the canyons and did the typical things that all motorcyclists enjoy, which is twisty canyon roads with a lot of diversity, elevation changes, bumps, and that sort of thing. And the bike handled it all with ease. So that was something that really impressed me. Now, another aspect of the Z900 RS specifically that is altered from the Z900 is its engine. So aside from just, again, doing another drag and drop, this engine has been tuned specifically to give this more classic or casual vibe. That said, this thing still has gobs of torque down low, great mid-range as well. So they did changes in the first gear, they shortened that up to give it a little bit more spunk, and they also lengthened the sixth gear, so it's not revving as high when you're at cruising speeds. Around 65 miles an hour, we're in about the 4,000 RPM range-ish. So the thing wasn't exactly working all that hard, and you're cruising at speed. There are some other changes to the Z900 RS's 948cc inline-four powerplant. You know, most specifically, that's more focused on low-end and mid-range torque delivery. You can rev out this engine completely if you really want to, but you're probably going to be most satisfied with the low and mid-range. By about maybe 8k, it feels like it's tapering off a little bit, whereas the Z900 is still happily pulling through. And keep in mind, it's not a huge drop-off, you know, it's not falling off a cliff in terms of power, but above that 8k range, you're probably just revving out for your own enjoyment, which, you know, to be honest, I understand. I do. There are a couple other changes in terms of the exhaust. They've gone ahead and narrowed the diameters of the pipes to accommodate that more torquier-influenced tune, and they've also done this three-stage polishing process to give this this really clean polishing profile across the entire set of pipes. So it's not, you know, dual canisters like the Z1 had, but these things look pretty awesome. And for a stock set of pipes, well, I gotta give it to Kawasaki in that department. That said, can't wait until the aftermarket comes out because this thing is going to sound brilliant. Kawasaki also went ahead and specialized a tuning. Apparently, this is the first model that they've gone ahead and specifically engineered an exhaust note for the bike. And while it's not going to live up to the uncorked aftermarket exhausts out there, this thing actually does sound pretty awesome. When you get up, you know, maybe 4,000, 5,000, 6,000 RPM, you're going to hear some engine. And on the D-Cell too, when we're riding the canyons, decelerating into corners, downshifting, you hear nice pops. It's just, it's a really visceral feel that adds to the whole riding experience that, and that's something that I really enjoyed. Now, the engine itself is incredibly tractable. You can get massive amounts of use out of this bike. You know, the engine just revving out from the bottom, this inline four, you know, uncharacteristically has a ton of power down low, as I mentioned before, and into the mid-range as well. And that's the type of riding that the general street rider is probably going to be doing anyway. You know, we're talking about street and canyon riding versus track riding, which might want a little bit more top end. This is not the bike for track riding. Now, moving on to the brakes, they actually did update to a four-pot radial calipers for the Z900RS versus the Z900. And the brakes have, you know, great feel. At the lever, you're going to experience, you know, pretty progressive. It's not overly vicious with a bite. It's totally adequate for the weight of this bike, which is hovering in around 470 pounds. And keep in mind, this thing can really get up and go. You know, the brakes work well. If I were to add this into the garage, I definitely would upgrade from the rubber lines to a stainless steel and go ahead and get a more high-performance pad because I feel like there's still a little bit more in those braking components. You know, you get a little bit more attack, but that's just my personal preference, and that's something that you guys might want to check out as well. This is a more upright bike versus the Z900, and you're going to have this, you know, classically styled seat right here. I do feel that it is a tad firm. You know, keep in mind, it's a very subjective thing. That's for you to decide. Overall, this bike is a really strong package, and, you know, we have to remind ourselves that this isn't a direct comparison to the Z900. Fundamentally, there are some different aspects. The wheel base is slightly longer, you know, so it goes from about a 57 on the Z900 to about 58 inches here, and despite all that, you know, with the leverage that you have on these nice wide bars, the handling is just, it's pretty much effortless. You give it a little bit of input here and there, and the thing tips in, stays on line, it tracks really well. It doesn't get upset by huge bumps or anything like that. One criticism that I do have is that the throttle is a bit binary, so it's very on-off on that initial throttle input. When you're getting on the gas, it's going to feel a bit snatchy. Now, in the KTRC, which are the riding modes and the traction control modes and just the general safety package that is available on this bike, you have level one, which is the least intrusive and most aggressive throttle response, and then you have KTRC 2, which is the most intrusive in terms of ABS and traction control and has a more slack throttle response. In that mode, the throttle isn't as twitchy. Now, why is a twitchy throttle important? Because if you're mid-corner and you need to get off the gas or get on the gas or something like that, this can be a bit choppy and kind of chuck you up into the seat a bit if you're not careful, so you really have to be aware of that and readjust your wrist calibration. Now, that said, this bike has been just a blast to ride out in the canyons, and I really strongly recommend that you guys go and check this guy out. One final thought is the instrument panel, which is reminiscent of the original Z1. It has the twin analog clocks for your speedometer and your RPM gauge, but right in the middle, you also have a digital dash with gear indicator, fuel, and everything else that the modern consumer could want. Overall, really impressed with the package, and it's another one of those things where the classic styling coupled with all of that modern performance is something that should be interesting to a lot of people. Once again, this is Nick with Ultimate Motorcycling. If you guys have any questions or comments, go ahead and drop them down below and we'll get you some answers. As always, we want you guys to go ahead and be safe out there, so take care.