The Kawasaki Z900RS SE is retro sport standard motorcycle with a great classic look and modern
... [+] running gear. Back in the 1980s, I was a poor college student with two obsessions (well, maybe three) outside of my scholastic misadventures: Motorcycles, and audio gear, which we called “stereo equipment” back in the day. One day, while combing through the motorcycle classified ads in the local paper, I came across a peculiar listing that simply said “Kawasaki KZ1000, $1,000.” Brief and to the point, to be sure, but a bit short on specifics. Intrigued since big Kawasaki Zs were going for a lot more than a grand even then, I called the number and spoke to the owner, trying to suss out what particular model he had, and if it was rideable - or in pieces in a garage full of boxes. I was stunned when he said it was a ready-to-ride Z1-R (below), one of the rarest variants of Kawasaki’s four cylinder KZ1000 powerhouses, with a 4-1 exhaust as stock, mini fairing, triple disc brakes and powder blue “moondust silver” paint. He said it was in perfect shape with low miles. And it was, as you can see below. The rare Z1-R variant of the 1970s Kawasaki Z900 that I owned for a couple of decades. Seeing as I had about $42.36 to my name at the time, I began scheming for a way to quickly raise the other $950 and change. Then I had a thought: Would he be interested in trading the bike for some decent stereo equipment - and a TV... and a VCR? Turned out he would. He was a new father and his riding days were now on hiatus, so a TV, VCR and a good stereo seemed like a worthy upgrade for his new family, especially if I got it all hooked up for him, which I would. We made the deal. I could hardly believe my luck. I was lucky to find this bone stock 1986 Kawasaki 'GPz' 900 Ninja back in the 1990s. At the time, the Z1-R was barely ten years old, but with new-tech 1980’s bikes like Kawasaki’s brand new “Top Gun” GPz 900 Ninja (above), Honda Interceptor and Suzuki GSX-R all the rage, everything made before 1983 now looked...
old . And slow. But not to me. A 1,000cc Kawi, especially in that lovely Z1-R livery, had me nearly drooling. I took the Z1-R to my local mechanic who tuned it to perfection (and put me into debt). Well worth it since in my opinion, I had the hottest bike on campus. Years later, I very reluctantly but also quite profitably sold that Z1-R. I then bought
another clean, stock Z1-R in the late 1990s for
far more than $1,000 and rode it for over 20 years before selling it to another Kawasaki Z-bike enthusiast who made a generous offer. And I’ve kind of missed it ever since. The great bikes of that all-analog era seemed to slowly fade away into collections - or junkyards. The modern Z900RS is a tribute to this model, Kawasaki's answer to the Honda CB750, the now rare
... [+] KZ900 Z1 from 1973. But manufacturers know the value of nostalgia and in 2017, Kawasaki debuted the Z900RS, a “retro” bike that is perhaps the best modern homage to a vintage bike from any of the Japanese Big Four. It is modeled on the original KZ900 Z1 from 1973 (above) rather than my beloved 1978 Z1-R, but no matter, I was smitten once again. The cafe version adds a small bikini fairing and a black and green paint scheme. Kawasaki makes several versions of the Z900RS, including a base version, along with a “cafe” model with a small bikini fairing (above) that was a popular addition by riders back then. I was able to wrangle the top-spec
2024 Z900RS SE (top and below), which features fully adjustable Öhlins rear suspension, and is clothed in a classic yellow-striped and metal flake brown color scheme on curving, just-right bodywork that lovingly echoes the original era of the
KZ900 Z1 . You can even get a chrome rear grab handle to add some retro bonus points.
Kawasaki Z900RS SE Tech Overview
The Z900 RS SE is a dense, highly mechanical motorcycle with miles of style. Despite being designated a “900” in an homage to the original 903cc Z1, power for all three versions of the RS comes from a thoroughly modern 948cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected DOHC inline four that makes a stout 111 horsepower and 72.3 pound feet of torque - a fair hop from the originals 85 hp and 54 lb-ft., which was monstrous power in 1973. Despite the liquid cooling, the new Z900 weighs in at under 470 pounds, while the original just topped 500. Disc brakes were still a novel feature on motorcycles in 1973, and typically reserved for the top-shelf models. The original Z1 came stock with two (one front and rear) with a popular factory option for a third rotor to give two up front, which the Z900RS comes with as stock, while adding modern ABS technology. My $14,149 review Z900RS SE featured 300mm Brembo calipers and floating rotors up front and a Brembo setup out back. The Z900RS also comes with adjustable traction control as well. Like the original, the Z900RS is chain driven but adds a sixth gear to the original’s five. A discreet central LCD panel includes a lot more usable information than the old idiot lights from
... [+] 1973. More retro goodness: All Z900RS models come with analog (but digitally driven) speedometer and tachometers in bullet-shaped black pods with chrome trim that looks great. In between the old-school clocks, a discreet LCD panel contains a gas gauge, coolant temp display, gear position, traction control status, odometer, two trip meters and even gas mileage information. The tank holds 4.5 gallons of juice. All models feature a 4-into-1 exhaust system with a chromed exit cladding that hides the mandated enviro bits. The original Z1 came with a howling set of chrome 4-into-4 pipes to compete visually with the then super-popular
Honda CB750-Four , but my 1978 Z1-R came stock from the factory with a handsome 4-into-1 setup that was extremely rare at the time. Many Z1 owners pitched the stock chromed (and rust prone) quartet for a lighter, louder 4-into-1 system from new aftermarket performance companies like Yoshimura and others. Just another bit that Kawasaki got right with the Z900RS, even if it is due to the complexities of modern regulation. One place where the new bike more clearly departs from the original is in terms of suspension. The OG Zeds had de-rigueur twin rear shocks with ramp preload adjusters that got the job done but were typically underdamped, along with flexy fork tubes up front many owners immediately shored up with a fork brace - or just better forks. Not so the Z900RS, which goes modern with an adjustable monoshock out back and stout 41mm fully adjustable forks up front. The outboard preload adjuster for the very yellow rear monoshock makes setup for rider weight or
... [+] overall quick and easy. On my SE, the rear shock is a Öhlins S46 shock (above) with 5.5 inches of travel, 30-position adjustable rebound damping and stepless spring preload adjustability via a very handy external adjustment knob. While not Öhlins units, the burly 41mm front forks also feature rebound, compression and preload adjustability for truly dialing in handling, and they are gold-toned to match the Öhlins signature look and compliment the gold-toned cast wheels that wear premium radial rubber. Beyond that, there’s the matter of The Look. As mentioned, Kawasaki worked very hard to strongly emulate the look of the original KZ900 Z1 while infusing it with just enough modernity. The seat is essentially flat (and wide) with a proper grab strap. Bodywork behind the seat forms a small cowl that shelters the shaped rear tail light (below). Flat seat, curved rear cowl over the tail light is spot on. The tank, while larger than the original, looks the part with the stripes and a raised “KAWASAKI” emblem (on the SE at least). A simple, tubular chrome superbike-style handlebar completes the retro detail work. Even though it has a radiator and is missing the dual rear shocks, there is no mistaking which motorcycle the Z900RS SE is paying homage to.
Ride Time
Mt. Hood received a thin veil of snow the day before my ride. The fall temperatures made for a brisk
... [+] but still highly entertaining ride. The original KZ900 models had both kick and electric start, but with a high-compression engine and other tech on board, a kick lever is just a bridge too far. Thumb the starter and the four jumps to a high idle when cold, but soon settles to about 1,000 rpm when warm enough. The exhaust note from the stock 4-into-1 system is robust but muted by EPA nannies, but on the cam, it still has a familiar howl. Kawasaki does offer a lighter-weight (and somewhat more vocal) Akrapovič titanium silencer as an option. My initial rides were short in-town jaunts to meet up with other riders who wanted a closer look and it gave me a chance to properly set up the suspension for my weight and preferences. Once dialed in, I hit out for longer highway and backroad rides through Oregon’s volcanic Cascades mountains, towering Columbia River Gorge and a quick pop out to the Oregon coast before the fall rain pattern began to develop. On the road, the Kawasaki is supremely comfortable, with just the right forward cant to counter wind - at legal speeds at least. Like the original, the Z900RS has no “ride modes” for rain, touring, etc. It does have ABS and traction control just in case, but otherwise, the bike gives the rider a very analog, traditional experience controlled by the right wrist, both feet and clutch on the left bar. It is an absolute joy to ride. Highway 14 threads along the towering rock walls of the Columbia River Gorge, and it's easy to ride
... [+] quick on Z900RS. The motor is rumored to be good for about 150 mph given room to run, and on a lonely high-desert straightaway with no other traffic, I wicked the Z900RS up into triple digits for a short bit before tucking back under the lose-your-license speeding tier. The bike was calm, collected and ready for more if I had the courage (or foolishness). But otherwise, it was happy to tick down the highway at 80-plus while barely breathing. With the classic sport riding position and a great seat that allowed for movement, I had visions of adding that little bikini fairing and some throw-over saddlebags for an extended journey to parts unknown (or at least parts not well known to me). Crossing the 100-year-old Hood River Bridge between Washington and Oregon. The lanes are... tiny. In town, the Z900RS SE is easy to ride in traffic, with neutral turning manners and a well-sorted throttle map with no low-speed balkiness or other EFI gremlins. More than a few sportbike riders wanted to engage in some stoplight racing, and when I indulged when circumstances allowed, the Z900RS often out-pulled the other bikes when the signal went green, thanks to the generous torque output and the traction control. In technical corners on the flowing roads outside of Portland, the sticky tires, Öhlins suspension and very neutral handling allowed for some aggressive lean angles. Ticking off the Traction Control also allowed my inner hooligan to loft the front wheel a wee bit in first and second gear as the Kawasaki quickly built revs. And with that big flat seat, adding a passenger is a just a matter of cranking up the rear preload with the handy adjuster for the Öhlins rear shock, which features a very yellow coil spring.
Conclusions
I'd prefer spoke wheels like the old bikes but the modern gold rims look pretty good as well. It’s too bad I already have a clutch of very fine motorcycles in the garage - and no room to add another, or I would not hesitate to reel in a Z900RS (likely the Cafe version). Back in the 1970s, bikes like the Kawasaki Z1, Honda CB750/Four, Suzuki GS1000, Yamaha XS1100 and other Japanese inline fours were lumped together into a somewhat derisively coined group known as “UJMs, “or Universal Japanese Motorcycles, since their design and appearance was indeed similar. This was the era of the Standard Motorcycle as we call them now; do-it-all bikes that were reliable, comfortable, powerful, often very affordable and served as a canvas for owners and customizers who made them into tourers, choppers, race bikes or some other visonquest. They sold in the millions of units, and that time is often beloved as a Golden Era of motorcycling where new riders were plentiful and the bikes became both faster and far more reliable than the shaking P-twins of the 1960s. While I was out riding the Z900RS SE, many a grey-haired gent came up to take a closer look and relate their tales of riding the original Z1 or other UJMs in years gone by. The bike has drawing power. The modern inline four makes a lot of power and torque, and is ready for casual spins or track days
... [+] if you feel like it. The UJM era ended in the early 1980s due to a flood of new technologies, new model specializations and the need for corporations to diversify and differentiate their offerings in the search for market share. Wonderful motorcycles certainly came out of that new era, but many of us still pine for those simple yet versatile UJMs that carried us through our young adult years. The Kawasaki Z900RS SE is the time machine that brings those memories flooding back, but pairs the nostalgia with modern technology, handling, sport-bike levels of power and modern niceties like ABS, traction control and a clock in the cockpit that actually keeps good time. The
Kawasaki Z900RS SE is the perfect bike for those riders, and for anyone who can appreciate the giants of the past that now thankfully inform a very fun part of our motorcycling present and future. Let the good times roll, indeed. Highly recommended.
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