Read more about the Z900 on Common Tread: rvz.la/48yLje2 Check out all of the newest motorcycle gear available: rvz.la/3tHoFBg

Despite riding all these bikes for free, you always do a great job of reviewing them as if you paid for them. Really appreciate that.

I passed for my motorcycle license wednesday!

It’s a one of Japanese “do-it-all” bike. Reliable and dependable, can tour, can commute, can do-what-you-ask, and probably outlive you if you maintain it properly.

I think the Z900 is one of the best value for money bikes in its category. I rode countless naked bikes in my pursuit for my next bike over the course of 3-6 months. I knew straight away when i rode the z900 that it was the one. The performance and extras combined with the price was just supreme.

I have a 2019 z900 and its one of the best all around street bikes I've ridden. Its very planted , balanced, fast, easy to ride, comfortable, cheap to buy, own, and mod.

I think the Z900 shines most in its base (non-SE) trim. At THAT pricepoint the bike and especially the engine are absolutely awesome and you can forgive the missing CC and QS. The extra money for the SE brings the bike into a dangerous price region where the value suddenly doesn't look so great anymore.

A 21 z900 owner here, with way too much invested in upgrades to it. You hit every quirk about it on the head, although a side note it fits 5'5 people pretty good.

Zack tricked me into practicing footless stops and now i am more confident rider 😊

Still loving my 2020 Z900. Love the looks, power and handling in Plasma Blue.

Would also love to see a follow up review with a new Z900RS SE. for comparison

I picked up a z900 abs (non se) last March for my daily commuter. Agree on the power and gearing. great bike overall. Doing a relatively long trip I managed to squeeze 190 miles out of a tank. I was on fumes when I pulled into the station. Overall a very good bike. Great bang for the buck.

Love the sound of an internal combustion inline 4!

Got one of these for my Army son in Europe. Rode it for 4 weeks before we shipped it. I absolutely loved this bike after Akrapovic headers & exhaust… the bike tuned is a monster!

I owned a 2017 z900, and of all the bikes I’ve ridden, it’s still one I’d love to ride the most! Awesome bike!

Have a 23’ Z900 and all the gremlins are barely noticeable after a while because this bike is just SO good. Solved the exhaust issue with a full system (good excuse to get one anyways) and the sound with a full system is awesome. Tail tidy, bar ends, rear peg delete - it looks sweet. Would highly recommend!

I appreciate how its called the Z900 but has a 948cc engine! Too often, in things like the world of AtV's, the 1000 only comes in at 952 or the 800 is a 760, you get big motor! attractive bike, fueling is so key to make a bike milder or wilder.

Does anyone else search this channel out 1st when looking at a possible bike purchase ? Lol

I adore my 2023 Z900 (non-SE). With the addition of some SW-Motech saddlebags, it works great as a commuter and lightweight solo tourer. Take the saddlebags off, and it's a competent track bike for the couple track days that I do every year. If you don't plan to take a passenger, it's a fantastic all-rounder that doesn't break the bank.

Love the Z900!! Had mine for several months before aggressively lowsiding it. Cant wait to get back in the saddle!

I upgraded to a Z900 from a Ninja 650 and couldn't be happier with it. My Z900 is a 2022 purchased new, and I've enjoyed upgrading it over the past couple of riding seasons. Full exhaust, ECU tune, tires, bar end mirrors, etc. It's a really great platform! I do agree cruise control and up/down quick shifter needs to be added moving forward. Great review!

I felt similar to you when I got my '23 Z900. I added an Annitori Quickshifter Pro and and Exhaust and from then on... I grin ear to ear every time I take it out now. It's a shame it didn't come with more goodies from the factory, but if you put in a little bit of work, it really is a blast.

Loved this! Always super honest and informative. I'm looking forward to all of the upcoming 2024 Daily Rider videos! Happy new year, cheers!

Despite really not caring for the sound or feel of inline fours or this style of bike in general, I can still appreciate a well done review. Nice Job!

I ride a 2020 Z900, not the SE, and love it.

Thank you for mentioning What it would be like for a tall person to ride. Too many motorcycle reviewers don't bother talking about how tall or short someone needs to be to ride the bike comfortably. I'm glad you did!

Zack always is at the top of his motorcycle journalist endeavors with these well done reviews. TBH....hard to watch in January in the deep, very northeast.

Agreed! I had a test ride on one of these - a perfectly beige, friendly standard bike (though I didn't have any time to get it on some twisties). Lovely metallic rasp lower down, which egged me on around town. Love these vids Zack.

z900rs is the way i would go. nice classic looking bike.

I had the same feel with Kawasaki. I was not sitting on the bike, I felt being a part of it. I love the stock sound, nicely tuned - not screaming, not too loud or deep. It's a bit jerky in first gear low rev but not as much as a 650, I guess it's a Kawasaki signature. As you said, good all-rounder, but a bit generic. Maybe too smooth with its four cylinders. I was torn which one should I have, this or Street Triple. But honestly, Triumph feels higher quality, a bit more rough power-in a positive way, puts a bigger smile on my face. Ans that's where the price tag stops making sense. Great review.

I would love to see you do the Z900 RS

I have a 23 Z900 and love it. I'm a taller rider at about 6'5 and still feel very comfortable on the bike. The foot hitting the exhaust was my biggest complaint, but swapping to new slip on solved that. I've had it for just over 1 year now and absolutely love it. Of the small handful of bikes I've ridden it's easily my favorite for daily commuting and fun.

What a great way to start off the new year!

I believe that one reason that motorcycles tend to be geared a bit short is that the "top gear acceleration" tests are so popular. It tends to look good on tests but produces annoyingly high revs at sustained highway speeds. I really wish that testers would switch to a "best highway acceleration" test that could include a couple of downshifts, if necessary. It is not like the riders don't understand the concept of downshifting and, with many new motorcycles, the clutch isn't even used for it. I am a little surprised that we have not seen more transmissions that would automatically downshift, since I have seen motorcycle comparisons that strongly emphasized top gear acceleration. I am surprised that a two-speed overdrive system did not show up for this reason, even though there would have been packaging, expense and weight challenges. FWIW, in the car world, the "0 - 60 mph" acceleration test was seen as a benchmark, so it became common practice to design transmission gear ratios specifically for this test. This usually meant that 60mph could be achieved in second gear (to avoid the 2 - 3 gear shift that would increase times). The 0 - 60 time was seen as especially important for any car seen as "sporty" or "fun to drive", even though once 6-speeds transmissions were introduced, a lower second gear often would have improved the real-world driving experience.

Zack is the best reviewer of bikes on YT imo. Liked the video before I even watched it

I have this exact bike, enjoy riding it on my daily commute. I am 5' 8" tall weigh 140 pounds, bike fits me perfectly. Choose it over a SV650 because of the appearance of the bike. The materials, shapes, and colors work together so harmoniously. Thus, I have no plans to swap out mirrors, exhaust, seat. Only added tail tidy and deleted passenger pegs. Great review, Zack, as always.

Happy New Year Zac!! Thanks for the review!

I've been waiting for this review for years!

I think you forgot to mention full adjustability for the front suspension which is really a great upgrade from the base model z900.

I really enjoy these middle class naked bikes especially after getting the 23 650nk. They’re just fun for cruising and most importantly revving.

I remember exactly where I was when I first saw one of these. It was a little side street in Paris. I was walking to the corner shop and it was the only thing parked on that street. It was like slo-mo with accompanying music in my mind. It was so gorgeous. I thought, “It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.” I’ve never been into super sporty bikes, but dang.

Unable to justify spending a lot of money on a bike, I got the 2023 base model with ABS new on sale for $8,500. Certainly wasn't expecting a premium bike. Just wanted power, torque, and comparative lightness. It's got all that and handles well; I can really whip it around. The negatives are that the engine has a slight heavy-industry feel (maybe all bikes this size do; I don't know) and the kickstand is incredibly difficult to get to with your boot. Basically I love it, especially because I don't have to feel guilty about over-spending for it.

I rode a stock z900 3 years ago when I owned an FZ-07. It felt very planted, and loved to lean. For 5 figures tho, you're right. It should have cruise control at the least, and probably a quickshifter to go with it. Great review as always.

Fun way to start the year Zack! I got a chance to take a 2023 Z900 out for a Good Times Roll Kawasaki ride last year (highly recommend if you get a chance to sign up). That bike was all that you said - I had one major issue, the subframe was perfect distance to wedge my boot between the heel guard, foot peg, and top of my boot through my riding jeans...and I could not for the life of me get in a position to free my boot. Literally stuck there for about 25% of the ride until I did a stoppie to free it. I'm a big guy, 6'6" and 270 at the time so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it but I've never had that happen on another motorcycle. I left my right leg out a lot farther on the peg than I normally do to keep it from happening again. The rest of the ride was awesome. Few things worse than feeling trapped on a bike because the geometry. Maybe they fixed that issue but it doesn't look like it from the pictures or the specs. I hope no one else has that problem and it's just my Hugh Jass.

I have the 2021 standard version. The negatives are that the seat is hard, and anything over an hour or so becomes uncomfortable. It's also heavy, moving it around the garden is arduous.. It does scream for a quickshifter. Positives are It's a very good all rounder and will sit in the company of more expensive bikes comfortably on rideouts. I bought mine new for £8400 in May 2021. They've gone up considerably now, though. In all honesty it's as fast as I will ever need.

The Alpinestars Solano is a great jacket. Happy to see Zack wearing it!

Review the MT09 and or the new XSR900! You've got the best overall reviews in my opinion well done!

Great review, after selling my Nuda 900R some years ago, I moved on to enduro riding. I am looking at getting back on the road again, the Nuda was a fantastic wheely bike, and the Z900 SE could be my next bike…

The 10% question is one one the best I've heard in a long while.

I like the review style it will be interesting to see if it caries through to all the bikes in 2024. Keep kicking ‘em in the balls!!

Love my 2020 900, im 6'1 and plan on addressing the knee bend issue with a seat. Rather spend $300 on a seat than 2k on another bike. I dont do long rides, just commute around 60 miles a day. Great for my type of riding.

I have a 2023 z900 RS, I love it! Torque-y engine, comfortable and good looking. I get lots of comments and I have yet to see another one, aside from an Anniversary model at my dealer last year. I could wheelie it, if I were to turn off the TC but, being a bit older, I don't need to wheelie to have fun. just turning the throttle in third gear is thrilling enough, hell, fourth gear will pull you off the back! I money shifted from 2nd to 3rd, last week and it spun the tire, got a little better than a chirp. That was with the traction control on. It really sounds good with the Akrapovic slip on, that came w/ the performance package, at about 3500 it starts to sing. The RS is kinda modeled after the old Z1, from the 80's and 90's, which I had back then. That thing had no nannies and would wheelie on the freeway if you weren't careful passing, one had to make sure you were lined up in your lane before giving it the beans! Anywho, I love my RS, don't really like the looks of the SE.

Thanks for the review! Any chance of looking at its retro twin - z900rs? And one piece of constructive criticism - what's going on with the camera - sort of a fish eye effect? It sort of takes away from the walk around at the beginning of the video.

Great review! Would love a review of the z900rs too.

Great to see this review. My 1st bike is a z1000 and its great.

I own one of these. Awesome bike

I have 20k miles on my blue 2020 z900. I’ve been waiting for you to ride a facelift z900. These are amazing bikes. I like it more than my old mt09. I can get just over 210 miles a tank. But you are 100% correct about being cramped. I’m 5 foot 8 and I feel cramped on it.

I have one of these and for the record, your right foot isn't hitting the exhaust pipe, it's hitting the rubber bushing for the exhaust hanger. I replaced mine when doing the peg delete.

Rofl I love that Zach calls out the gearing in the first 5 mins on the bike. I think I made it 200 miles on my 21 before going up a tooth on the front sprocket and it spread the gears out perfectly!

I’ve got a 2017 z900 done over 100,000 kilometers on it. The exhaust drove me nuts straight off the bat not only hits your right heal the heat soaks through your boot. It was the first thing to go, it was bloody heavy too

In Sweden, when something is not too much, not too little it's "lagom" 😄 A word very few languages have a version of. "It's lagom powerful", like saying it's powerfull enough, but can be used in any situation.

I think that the one thing it does really well is look sexy. Personally I just prefer the headlights on the Z bikes over the MTs. It's a part of why I went with the Z400 over the MT-03 (that and the MT-03 was even harder to find anywhere near me when I was buying, and I had to drive 250 miles to find a Z400). And as a guy who wears size 13s, yeah, it weirds me out when I can feel my heel touching the exhaust. At least it seems like the mirrors aren't completely useless on my bikes big big brother. I couldn't see anything other than my shoulders on the 400, so the first mod I did was replaced them with bar end mirrors. Admittedly, I would still do it on the 900 as well, because I hate the look of those mirrors, and the Z bikes just look badass with bar end mirrors.

As a fellow 6' 2" individual i find daily rider the perfect motorcycle content, id like to see your opinion on the Vulcan S 650, but then again i already bought the 2023 base model & love it 😅

Hey Zack, always love your videos! Could you do a Daily Rider review on the Yamaha Zuma 125 scooter one day? Cheers!

gosh this motorcycle is a smooth machine, good and quiet exhaust at speed too and sporty looking

Thanks Zack! I have a z900RS and really love it. The styling gave it that X factor for me. For what it’s worth, the RS may address the leg room and gear ratio spacing.

Great review. Now see if you can get your hands on a ZH2 to review this year.

Hey Zach, now that we’re in football playoff/championship season have you ever thought about you and Ari and maybe Spurg doing a championship ride where you ride the top 3 bikes at the end of the year in a heads up challenge? You know each of you spending time on all three, trading back and forth on the same day to see which is the best Daily Rider. Love your videos, keep up the great work. I look forward to more. -Dan

This is the bike I tested that surprised me the most last year. I did not expect an inline 4 bike to have that much low-down torque, and for a bike that is supposedly heavier than the MT-09, I don't feel that it's that much more weighty. I still prefer the MT-09 overall as it's just more fun, nimble and comfortable, but this might come close.

Best motorcycling channel on youtube, hands down. P.S. What's wrong with that dude in the white SUV?

That looks like a fun bike for an everyday rider..... I am not a Kawasaki woman but I think I would be happy with this bike!!!!

5:20 At 6'4" myself, the single most bothersome thing about the Z900 is the high footpegs. I rode one at a demo day and I really wanted to like it, but with the peg/seat ratio, it was a no-go from the beginning.

Great vid as always! They are a good way to pass the time while I wait for the new season of the Highside Lowside podcast. @RevZilla On the Kawi's if you hold the up arrow on the trip, it will reset it without using the buttons on the dash.

Great review. Would love to see the BMW S1000XR on your list since it fits in that small space between a true ADV and sports bike.

Would love to see the moto guzzi v100 mandelo and stelvio reviewed! And given some of the sentiments about the price point I think a review of the Suzuki GSX-S750 would be nice.

your gearing is blowing my mind

Hunchbacked with that tank and seat. They look a little better in person than on video though. That 4 cylinder sounds nice! Disappointing that there is no Quick Shifter unlike my GSX-8S.

Looking forward to all the daily rides in 2024! I have a bmw m1000r coming in April; I think we need a review!

I have a 2015 Z1000 in Green it is a fun bike. The 900 is the same engine sleeved down.

Z900 is the best value motorcycle in the middle weight category and it's so sad it gets overlooked. People scream "ELECTRONICS" as if we weren't riding bikes with just a blinking light that told us we were about to run out of fuel just 10 years ago.

very fair analysis, im a z1000 fanboy been riding mine for years and youre right about the gearbox, in fact you put it perfectly, it betrays the versatility of the engine

I'm 52 and i remember the old z900. Can't get with the futuristic look. I like old zl900 eliminator and the old old z900

Have this exact bike. (‘22) Owned a (‘18) SV previously. The SV is as joyful as you say-and more flickable than the Z900 (largely because of the larger tires on the Z). But the seating position on the SV 😖 was a deal breaker. The Z900 is more of a Swiss Army knife than the SV. As you say it does a lot of things very well-including being a better daily ride than the SV, I’d argue.

Looks fun!

Nice to see this bike, I have a 900 RS Cafe, pretty much the same, though I like my aesthetics more

Even if the seat height is manageable for a rider of average height, it’s less so for those us with long torsos and short legs. What makes it very frustrating is that tall pillion perch. On a sportbike, it’s nice to have a bump behind you to keep you from sliding backward until hard acceleration. But the pillion seat is so high I can’t even swing a leg over it. And why does every soortbike’s rear have to look like a scorpion about to strike now?! For anyone who might want to strap something down to the rear seat, or agod forbid, use a set of throw-over soft saddlebags, these designs all but eliminate those possibilities. I know that’s not what a Z900 and similar bikes are designed for, but it would be nice if fun bikes like this were just a little more practical, too. Anyway, great review as always. Please keep up the great work!

Love the looks and I loved my previous Kawi but for what you get for the money I just haven't found a reason to leave my GSX-S 750Z.

I own the last model before TFT/traction control update (2019) and I think it's a great bike. There's plenty of power and the delievery's smooth, it's decently comfortable for me (1,85m) up to 2-3h of non-stop riding, I use it mostly to get to work. The turn radius could be better - all the plastics in front are limiting it. I'm not pushing the bike too hard so the stock brakes are fine for me.

I rented the regular version last year. As a regular trackday rider I too constanly put my heel in the exhaust. Would be better with a slip-on I reckon. Druyff Racing makes Kawasaki race bikes in the Netherlands. They also do a Naked bike cup version of the Z900SE. And I believe they actually raise the rev limiter with over a 1000 revs.

You've convinced me to try Total

Excellent review. One of the few 'non owner' reviewers that will cover the shortcoming of a bike. Most offer gushing reviews for future preferential treatment. MotoBob never met a bike that was not top of class.

You should do the Ducati Scrambler Icon or Desert Sled. I think the Scrambler line has such a fun engine.

Makes me miss mine. Basically the fixed what was wrong with it. Fantastic!

ECU flash will get rid of fueling jerkiness. Did for my '20........ Don't need quick shifter or ride by wire (rider is the quick shifter) Team Green Forevah!!!

Great bike. Could be at the top of 2024 for a good while.

Zack, the new bike I bought in May 2023 has a particularly poor headlamp and I've seen an advert for a used Z900SE as a potential replacement. In May 2023 the dealer had an extra GSX-8S in their showroom that had been delivered with their demonstrator. Reasons not to go for the 8S were matt paint on the tank, a new unproven engine and Hornet comparison not working due to lack of LED lights as standard on GSX-8S. The next Hornet shipment was due Sept. 2023. The bike I bought and may getting to grips with after 1,800 miles? An SV650 AM2. Perhaps I should've gone for the VStrom 650 for the headlamp. Your effusive endorsement of the SV650 doesn't help my case for the used Z900SE. Thanks Zack! ;)

Now you've got to do a Z900RS, preferably SE version. Arguably a better daily rider, as far as ergos and midrange torque go.

The comfiest bike I've owned was a Kawasaki ZRX1100. Absolutely glorious engine coupled with all day comfort for my six foot two frame. Sadly since then, all Kawasakis have had a definitive height limit where they just torture anyone taller than six foot. Which is a shame, because when I was shopping for my current bike the Z900 was right up the top of my on paper list.

I recently test-sat a Z900, thinking it would be a good 'around town' bike to supplement my FJR1300. I'm only 5'10" w/a 30" inseam, but I couldn't believe how tight the rider triangle was, especially the legs and knees. Yeah, you could likely add some peg extenders, get another inch of legroom but even then it wouldn't be enough. At my age, comfort is a major factor to consider when buying a bike. Although I'm sure it's a great bike otherwise, the Z900 was a no go for me. As for the choppy throttle, that's an easy fix- send the ECU off to 2 Wheel Dyno Works and it's all fixed. In contrast, my former Z900RS fit me very well. Added peg extenders and it was an even better fit.

I bought the non-SE 2023. I have since added a Leo Vince header, LV Pro slip on, and tune. The bike is quite lively with those mods. I really like it. My complaints: 1. Suspension is way too soft. 2. Throttle is very on/off in stock form. It will upset the bike mid turn. 3. It doesn't want to turn in, it must be persuaded 4. Seat is not very comfortable for hour plus rides. 5. Handle bar shape/position is very awkward. Needs a different set of bars. 6. Stock tires arent very good 7. Gearing is short, doesn't get to the speeds you'd think it would. 8. Switch gear should be backlit for night riding. What I love: 1. Inline 4 soundtrack and reliability 2. Very stable on highway for a naked bike 3. Fuel mileage is good in stock form 4. Gearing is short - when just ripping around "town" you can use all the gears more 5. Value is good. 6. LED headlight is good 7. It's FUN. FYI I paid 9813 USD OTD in March 2023. At that price, great value