The Kawasaki Z900 is a very sporty naked in appearance and riding position (it presses on the palms of the hands over long distances) but enjoyable in many situations, with very full engine at all revs and a ratio short enough to allow you to travel with a little gas in VI being able to start again from 25 km / h without problems. Obviously the mixed route is its chosen ground, even if the handling as emerged from our previous tests is not a reference, even for the high weight (213 kg declared, in our comparison published in Motociclismo of July 2021 it turned out to be the second most heavy of the lot, even better than expected, with less than 200 kg declared); it is not a bike that turns fast, also due to the riding position not very suitable for sporty riding, with the hard and slippery saddle that pushes against the tank and “closes” the rider in a position where everything is too close. However, relying on the great qualities of the engine, which as mentioned pushes from very low revs and above 6,000 rpm also shows a good grit, you can forget about the gearbox and travel on mountain roads in III-IV gear. The new fork calibration has though improved cornering and the transition in trajectory changes is now much more solid despite being smooth and you can make the most of the front brakes, which with Brembo radial calipers offer a powerful but also very modular action; the rear is excellent for correcting trajectories taken with too much enthusiasm.
The contact at the presentation event took place on a short route with few curves, not very suitable for evaluating the new mono Ohlins, however the suspensions showed being able to absorb even pronounced disconnections well, keeping the bike stable; both fork and mono felt smooth to us. This bike gives the best by riding smooth and round, without pushing excessively. As for the riding modes between Road and Sport there does not seem to be an amazing difference, just a little more speed to take turns in the second, and there remains a certain on-off effect, which we imagine rather noticeable on a path with many curves in sequence, while on our circuit there were mainly wide radius corners. The gearbox, as mentioned, is used little for the great qualities of the engine, however it would be faster and more precise (among other things, the quickshifter is absent).
Sure points in favor are the rich and clearly legible TFT color instrumentation in all light conditions, the adjustable handlebar levers and above all the aerodynamic protection which, may seem absurd, but is more than discreet with the small nail on the instrumentation that it removes. air from the head; up to 130 km / h there is only limited air pressure on the shoulders.
On Motociclismo of June 2022, on newsstands in a few days, you will find the complete test, with insights and surveys from our test center.
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