You're one of the best! I watch you all the time!

Seen the Cycle World vid and Missendon Flyer. I've been looking at buying a bike, as I need to have another before I'm too old. Coming from my earkiest riding days in the 80s, this thing ticks all the boxes for me, a perfect blend of old and new, Kawasaki have captured the form of the early Z's perfectly. But adding all round Öhlins and Brembos, just sells it for me. I think I'd look to having a Yoshimura, or some kind of narrow, shorty pipe like folks used to install on Z650's, Z1R's etc. Because NOTHING beats the sound of a Kwak big 4, with that sweet burble, which becomes a whistling snarl with some wrist! Only thing I don't like with '24 model is the longer, bulkier rear numberplate cowl, it was much more subtle on the previous models, like the '22. But that could be remedied by me. I'd also revisit that old trend, of having the aluminium Big engine cases, stripped and polished, and custom radiator guard. I could even swap out those bars for a set of Renthal fat bars, just to slightly flatten the bar height by 20mm or so, because I'm 6 foot, so reach wouldn't be too big if a deal. I really can't wait.

@herrtomas6729 Great point. I agree that if the bike is fun to ride and does what you want, that is what matters the most, more than trying to be the fastest or best bike.

Yeah, and my Jeep has 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, but I've driven cars with less power that are WAY more enjoyable to drive. Same thing with driving a Mazda Miata. It has economy car power numbers, but its light weight and gearing make it incredibly enjoyable to drive. So spec sheet figures don't usually translate to fun factor. High horsepower can mean high speed, but it doesn't mean high fun. Most people I know would take high fun over high specs and no fun.

@@PeterLoweOne Well said.

Riding season has finally begun again for me. More to come for sure! Thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching! Yeah I love everything about this bike!

Interesting that the Cafe model isn't available anymore... I think you'll love the SE. I've heard the yellow paint scheme referred to as Yellow Ball in the past but they don't do that in Canada. I think that's a British thing, mostly. Thanks for watching from down under!

@@PeterLoweOne Oops, my mistake, Yellowball it is! The bike has just been delivered to my local Kwaka dealership so I'm pretty stoked that I will receive it a couple of weeks earlier than expected. Cheers mate.

My 2023 cafe has a snatchy throttle but I only notice it going very slow in a low gear when you're not looking to twist

Most riders don't leave enough slack, be about at least 5/8 to 1" at the midpoint.

That pretty much sums up my experience with it too. Great as is. Tires weren't nearly as bad as I feared (for on-road use... I haven't tried them on a track) and the power, handling, comfort, braking, sound, and style are all great! I really love this bike!

I think you hit on the head what I feel about this bike... It's not the most technologically advanced... But it absolutely puts a smile on my face and makes me want to ride. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences!

Yammie noob has an extremely popular KZfaq channel, but some views that I don't agree with at all. We all have our biases, but I find that I disagree with him on a lot of pretty basic things.

I love both the bikes that you're considering. The Ninja will have more wind protection, and it's probably a better buy, but the Z900RS SE is just an absolute pleasure for regular riding and it looks great! I had a Versys 650 before the Z900RS SE and I miss the lockable hard luggage, but the power, sound, and feel of my current bike are all reasons that I love it. It's not nearly as practical as the Versys though. The Ninja would offer some of the same practicality if you spring for the luggage.

I get that everyone likes tail tidy, it doesn't bother me like it bothers others.

I love that I can go for a group ride and get approval from so many different types of riders. This style has wide appeal!

I've heard they're tough to find in the UK. There's one in the showroom here in Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada 🙂🇨🇦

He's great! Usually a little more obedient, but he really needed to burn some energy!

Oooh. Good question. They're Klim gloves but I don't remember the model. I'll have to do some gear review videos soon.

​😢

Thanks for your kind words! This bike has all kinds of power and a nice spacious seat, so it's going to be nothing like your older bike. It's not a Goldwing for the passenger, but I think it's an above average bike for a passenger when you compare the level of sportiness that it provides.

Interesting that yours is a 2022 SE and needed a remap. Can I ask what country you're from?

@@PeterLoweOne UK. Before the map, it was awful, lots of driveline shunt at light throttle as the fuelling was on then off regardless of revs. With a map it's awesome.

I haven't noticed that in mine. I'm not sure what to tell you. I'll definitely keep extra attention on my gear changes to see if I sense a difference. Thanks for watching.

The transition from on to off can be abrupt, but mine doesn't have that issue at all, it's excellent. Yeah, I thought the dog might chill out off camera, but he's still a pup, so sometimes his need for attention matters more than anything that I'm supposed to be doing! Thanks for watching!

@@PeterLoweOne Okay, cool, thanks for explaining the snatchy throttle they were talking about. The Ninja 650 '21 has a hint of that at idle speed (1 to 8 mph), so when I'm making a tight right turn from a traffic light, I just pull in the clutch now once it gets going (with my two gloved fingers ready for the brake if needed). And it coasts way smoother at 8 mph than the engine without touching the throttle, which gets way too jumpy at that low speed if I try to increase the throttle slightly, which I would call snatchy at that point. Everything above that idle range is great. Great to hear you bike doesn't have that. Thanks.

There are some great pictures and videos online of the subtle and outrageous mods that people have made to these bikes. That's what is so great about them. For a modern bike, it really is easy to modify. I thought I'd want to upgrade the tires but they've been good in my mostly dry weather riding. I was actually impressed with how the centre stand was pretty hidden, and to me, the bike has just the right amount of chrome. Side note, I think the intake and exhaust noises are fantastic. To each their own, but I don't think you can go wrong with this bike.

@@PeterLoweOneThanks. I’ve order one and can’t wait to she her paces. 😊

It can absolutely be that. Add a windshield and tour... It's already a sport bike... It's comfortable... That alone fits several bike categories. Add in that it's stylish, sounds good, and has decent safety features like variable traction control, Brembo brakes with ABS etc. It's a good bike!

Sure. You can pick it up through any Kawasaki dealer. Here's the link from the Canadian Kawasaki website. www.kawasaki.ca/en-ca/shop/accessories/motorcycle/zr900nnfnn/22341/passenger-grab-bar

Haha. It is!! 🏀🙂👍

I do think it is an upgrade from your bike. I have no issues with the seat at all, but when I was out for a 6 hour drive ( 3 hours one way, two hour break, and 3 hours back) last Saturday, I did find myself needing a break for a bit on the way home... But I don't think that's the seat, I think it's just my middle aged body needing to stretch and walk.

I can't drive an Escalade for greater than 3 hours. Had a Road Glide, couldn't go more than about two hours on that.

They did! I have two pictures of the original in my garage right beside where I park my bike.

The seat is stock on this bike.

Canada is a land of abundance and opportunity. 🤣👍

I do plan to have some updates... Had a few challenges outside of work that I've been dealing with for the past month or so... I'll get back to regular videos soon and there will definitely be updates on that bike soon. Short answer... Great choice!!

These handlebars won't fit the fairing, so you'd have to swap out the handlebars as well.

The Bridgestones are going to give more grip. I think I might go with the Road 6's but it would depend what I want out of the bike on my second set of tires.

I don't think I have that issue. On many bikes, when you pop it in gear it can feel like there is a slight push forward maybe an inch or so, but I can't remember anything that felt unusual with mine at all.

You know what, I'll try to film that this week. I went with Kriega. I really like their stuff, but it has compromises.

It sounds like you haven't ridden my bike. While I agree that this bike makes less peak horsepower than a Z900, it actually makes peak torque earlier in the rev range. I ended up buying this bike, and it doesn't have any of the issues that you talk about. Check out my riding review on this channel where I talk about how this bike has none of the issues that others have talked about. It doesn't have a snatchy throttle, it doesn't run hot, and it seems to be perfectly dialed in. I don't wish for more power as it's really set up well for great power everywhere you would need it for on road riding.

100% I sent mine to Ivan and it transformed the bike! Response now feels like like perfectly dialed carburetors, it's that good.

While I agree that the average rider may not know the difference between the Ohlins shock and the Brembo brakes. There are two areas where the average rider will notice. 1) the confidence that this bike gives you when you're going around a high speed corner on a bumpy road is REALLY impressive. The Ohlins shock definitely makes a difference in that situation, it's glued to the road as if the pavement is smooth, so while you feel the bumps, you have no fears about needing to slow down or feeling like the tire isn't going to be glued to the road. So that's a really impressive thing that the average rider would feel, but may not immediately tie to the suspension. 2) The Brembo brakes have great feel. People may or may not perceive the stopping power or the precision in your control of the brake, but there's definitely a difference in feel on the Brembo brakes with braided steel lines. So yes, the average person may not notice, but that doesn't mean that the average person would not benefit. Sometimes it takes pointing things out for people to know what the differences are, but I'm always cautious when I hear that "the average person won't" because I feel like that implies that there isn't a difference. There is, but you're right, not everyone will identify the difference immediately. Thanks for sharing your experiences though! I really appreciate it. Enjoy your bike, it doesn't have to be the SE for me to agree that it's a fantastic bike!

I have the 23 Z 650 I think it’s the because it’s cable operated throttle, it really the only thing I don’t like about both bikes.

I felt the same about my 650RS when I first got it. I have done the 600 mile service and am now at 1300 miles. The snatchy throttle problem has disappeared for me. I either adapted to it or something in the throttle mechanics had to break in.

So the "snatchy throttle" can also be experienced due to a different issue. The snatchy throttle on the Z900RS is most likely due to emissions regulations... long story... but on the 650, we've seen poorly adjusted throttle/throttle cables on bikes from the factory. My dealers always checks and adjusts these, I'm not sure that other dealers do that. I'd start there with the Z650's.

@@PeterLoweOne I did adjust it , I believe it’s in the tuning for emissions also

@@PeterLoweOne had it in for the 600 mile service either it was within spec or the didn’t care to make it right, I have already adjusted it myself

I "don't" have a snatchy throttle on mine. Also, there are no ride modes on this motorcycle.

Yeah, Michael has some great videos. From what I can guess, either the North American SE models, (2022 and newer) have different settings, or there is some inconsistency along the way. Most North American reviews that I've seen of this exact model (the SE model) seem to acknowledge that the snatchy throttle that was present on older non SE models isn't really an issue on these ones. Nobody seems to have a good answer as to why. I can tell you that mine definitely doesn't have that issue.

Thank you for your reply. Another reviewer from Canada BlueMarbleRider seems to think the throttle issue on some Kawasaki Z900 RS is perhaps due to air temperature. He experiences less fuelling problems at lower temperatures. For motorcycle manufacturer engineers emissions must be a nightmare!

I'll have to go back and check!

I have a theory about European bikes being a bit different. I'll make a video about this in the future.

This is puzzling me also. I have a EU5 SE version (as sold in the UK) and it has a very definite on/off throttle. You can sometimes ride around it, especially in high revs, but in addition it has poor city speed fueling, and severe power cut off. Feedback from the Z900RS forum would suggest that the very high percentage of SE holders, both 22 and 23, have the very digital on/off throttle. So there is nothing unique about the SE in that regard. It is generally a confusing picture though as, on face value, some RSs do seem to have this issue where others do not, and rider behaviour and skills cannot account for that. For those that do have the issue, fitting the 16T front sprocket significantly improves the issue, and the all-round characteristics of the bike.

Thanks for this input as influencers who have not owned one keep putting people off because they dont know what they are on about

Actually yes! That's what we're taught in Canada and around the world. I'm not saying it sounds right, but the ABC song is American. The rest of the world uses it, but most of the rest of the English speaking world says Zed, not zee. I'm always surprised at how much that bothers Americans.

Standard poodle. 🙂👍

@@PeterLoweOne he's lovely, happy new year.

Yeah. My throttle has been great, I can't seem to narrow down where the change happened with this bike, but I know most of the originals had the issue in 2018 and mine doesn't have it.

Interesting. So I've only heard that SE models don't have that issue. But I haven't heard from non SE owners on the 2022 model year bikes. Good to hear! Thanks for watching!

This is my Z900RS SE

Never say never! I didn't think that I'd own a bike like this a few years ago.

You can't? Interesting... I just checked. You could in 2022, but you can't for 2023. In Canada we still have it for 2023. I guess that's just another reason to move to Canada? 😃🇨🇦

I think that's a flock of geese way off in the distance.

I've never ridden a 1980 CBX 1000. When I was 16 I almost bought a CBX 250! I will say that I absolutely love my Z900RS SE though! Great bike!

You have suffered enough, synching 6 carbs and setting clearance on 24 valves. I could swap you my ‘18 for it as a favor to you.

There is a 12 volt port underneath the seat. You could route that power up to the dash without too much trouble. Cruise control won't happen on this bike without an electronic throttle. A quick shifter would have been nice though.

I have no idea what you're talking about. Did KZfaq label that somewhere?

Haha. The problem is that I had to voice-over things. I took the "bad roads" to make a point about how the suspension really does a fantastic job of giving confidence even over rough roads in corners. It would have made more sense if I didn't have to voice over, but because I had the microphone issue, I ended up doing it like this. I'll be able to show much better scenery, and much better roads in a future video.

I don't love them for style, but the other day I rode 3 bikes in a row and then got on mine, and these mirrors, by far, gave the best view. Mirror styling doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother other people. I will say though, this bike has a cult following in Japan, and there are riders there who have customized these in amazing ways!

Yeah. I hear you. I wanted it in the thumbnail picture to show that this was a riding review. 🤷‍♂️

I don't mind it on this bike because the look is very much retro, and the riding experience is the same, except you feel like a superhero because you can control this bike so much easier than a true retro bike. But yeah, I would have an issue with having one on this bike. Compared to the Ninja 1000, this is definitely down on features for the dollar.

Yeah. I used to run a much bigger channel for years that was automotive focused, not powersports focused. Sometimes the old language slips through. It happens. I'm not too concerned about it, people know what I mean.

@@PeterLoweOne Makes you sound like a rookie, that's all.

Thanks for the comment?

@@PeterLoweOne bike is great but your dog is better.

Just some dude with a KZfaq channel. Thanks for watching? 🤣

Yeah, I love this bike. It's very good!