It’s almost impossible not to mention Kawasaki when it comes to middleweight motorcycles. The Kawasaki Z-series nakeds have accommodated aggressive styling and brilliant performance whilst making it accessible. One among them is the rather tasteful Kawasaki Z900. A Successor to the brutal yet incredibly athletic Z800, the Kawasaki Z900 came in with many upgrades and refinements done to an already impressive offering.
Introduced in 2017, the Kawasaki Z900 is a naked middleweight that edged towards being a supersport thanks to its breadth of abilities. Thanks to the warm reception, Kawasaki sold a bucket load of Z900s. Even though it was far more powerful than its predecessor, the Z900 was significantly lighter and agile. For the 2020 model year, Kawasaki revamped the Z900’s design and included a slew of electronics that the previous iteration lacked.
Starting at $8,999, the 2021 Kawasaki Z900 is one of the most affordable and equally satisfying naked middleweights currently available.
Kawasaki Z900: “Sugomi” Styling 2.0
During the launch of the Z800 and its elder sibling the Z1000, Kawasaki stressed how “Sugomi” inspired the design of its new-age nakeds. In Japanese, the term Sugomi is the intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness that is felt by the viewer. Without much of a faff, Kawasaki has brilliantly incorporated the design ethos making the Z900 a motorcycle that definitely commands attention.
In the Z900, the philosophy has been evolved to suit the changing trends while keeping the underlying theme the same. You still get the Predator-like headlamps that are mounted quite low followed by an upswept tail section. The tank shrouds and under-cowls are minimalized for 2020 along with the addition of a new LED headlight. The sharp design is striking and the LED position lights placed on the sides bring about a menacing demeanor. The bike is more tout than its previous iteration and the revised styling does bring a bit of freshness to the Sugomi-inspired design.
Kawasaki Z900: A Sophisticated Piece Of Machinery
The Kawasaki Z900 does retain the 948-cc inline-four from its previous iteration. Power stands at 114 horsepower while the torque produced is 67 lb-ft. Complying with the Euro 5 emission norms, the 2020 Kawasaki Z900 hasn’t lost any of its abilities but has gained a few essentials. For one; the Z900 gets a configurable TFT display and electronic driver assistance features like Traction control and riding modes.
Before we jump into the electronics, Kawasaki has tweaked the chassis a bit and the ride height is now increased to 820 mm from the previous 795. The steel twin-tube trellis frame has been reworked to add strength to the swingarm pivot area. The new frame has fewer bends in order to reduce flex with zero weight penalty. The suspension has seen revisions to accommodate the changes introduced in the chassis.
In terms of electronics, the MY 2020 Z900 gets Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) along with riding modes configurable via the new 4.3-inch display. Also part of the package is Bluetooth connectivity for a hassle-free commute. The riding modes are; Road, Rain, Sport, and Rider, wherein the traction and ABS intervention are altered accordingly. Also new are power modes namely; Low and Full, that is preset with the riding modes. Low power mode limits the power to about 55% and alters the throttle response. In the Rider setting, preferences can be set individually from ABS intervention to KTRC levels. All these are welcome additions and bring the Z900 in line with its Japanese counterparts.
Kawasaki Z900: A Versatile Tool
One of the highlights of the Z900 is of course its inline-four engine. The 948-cc unit is one of the most if not the most refined four-pot on the market. Power is adequate and never intimidating. Having a lose right hand might give a glimpse of what the Z900 is capable of. While it’s incredibly docile, it’s not something we’d recommend to novice riders. As with Kawasaki motors, the engine is incredibly torquey and hits the rev limiter at around 10,000 rpm.
The engine is incredibly tractable thanks to its torquey nature. While Kawasaki motors are rev-happy, the Z900 tones it down a bit. Kawasaki has positioned the Z900 as a proper utility motorcycle. It’s a rather beautiful mix of an urban commuter and an all-out tracker. The Z900’s breadth of abilities is often not given the credit it deserves. Pootling around town and it’s just like the Ninja 650, give it the beans, and it’s a ZX-6R without the fairing. Thanks to its lightweight architecture, the Z900 is capable of much quicker directional changes than its predecessor, the Z800. Also, with the addition of driving modes, the Z900 is now more practical than ever. Kawasaki has done a fabulous job in offering all the electronic gadgetry without increasing its base price from $8,999. With such impressive capabilities at an accessible price tag, there’s no other motorcycle in the market that we’d recommend.
Sources: YouTube, MCN