2017 Kawasaki Z900

[@Rogge73]

This is motorcykle Top Gear ❤

[@abhiramlg6820]

The RPM needle flashing is the gear shit indicator and it can be set to any RPM you need(above 5k). You can also turn it off

[@kyletorsell]

The flashing tachometer can be fixed... You can set the flashing to start anywhere from 5k-11k. So you can set it to start flashing at the redline to avoid the annoying flash.

[@Speedlovar]

The bike may have also been in its break in period.

[@drak3nlord]

Now that i have ridden both Z900 and 2017 MT09, i must say, i will go probably with z900. Yamaha has crazy engine, nice electornics, LED front lamp, it was very fun. But for me, ergonomics totally killed it... i just cant stand this motard seat-position, kawasaki was fantascit and i would say, also the suspension was better. The best combo would be Z900 with 09 triple engine and electronics :):)

[@leesamuelson]

i bought one! July 27th . love it!

[@Baste_Bastesen]

I bought a Z900 performance, great bike. No doubt that MT09 is great as well, but for me, the look, the breaks, the handling..Z900 💚

[@4wheelingza]

Hi guys. I am also from South Africa just ordered my Z900 ABS. I honestly think regarding the traction control that it is actually awesome to have a bike released into the market where you can for a change actually enjoy raw power. And that is really nice for myself to see in new release bikes like the Z900 itself. I understand some peoples around safer to drive and all that stuff but if you are like me who doesn't want anything controlling what you do while you ride the bike then I honestly think this is the bike for you. Great bike.

[@stuartho]

Yep. It's an excellent machine. I've had my 2017 Z900 ABS for 17 months. Only twice have I even thought it'd be good to have TC. First was when I encountered diesel on the road mid-corner. There was a little break in traction, but the throttle is so controllable that after the initial scare it was easy to feather until grip was restored. The second was in the drizzling rain on a downhill mountain road. No loss of traction, but it would've been nice to have TC then, just for peace of mind. Other than that I've never really missed it.

[@chinmaykar06]

I absolutely love your reviews. You guys are fantastic. You guys are The Top Gear (older version - Clarkson, Hammond & May) equivalent on 2 wheels.

[@benjamincs1]

Nah, top gear are a bunch of cocks. Only Donovan is like top gear.

[@natenobrakes6292]

Very nice review gentlemen. I took one of these machines for a test ride the other day, and I couldn't agree more with your sentiment; it is a very nice motorbike indeed.

[@autotronicaworld]

i just got my new z900 abs last month i also own a yamaha zuma 125cc for the last 7 years and a yamaha rd250cc 1976 for the last 10 years, i been riding bikes since 1996, for the last 20 years i owned 23 bikes, suzuki yamaha Honda, i am 38 years old , and all this crap about traction control and riding modes, is something other models offer, but at the end of the day, when, where and how to ride is priceless you never have to trust 100% in electronics to prevent an accident. common sense, thats why after 13 falls in the street, offroad, and 3 crashes and no bones broken, teachme how to ride confident, and enjoy this beautiful bike Remenber you can crash and get killed with a yamaha zuma or an a Kawasaki Z900 in the same way, just be safe a get more experience .

[@jayrunner62]

Awesome video, folks. Good information and good entertainment at the same time. Greetings from Germany. P.S.:Bought the exact same bike just an hour ago, can't wait until next friday to pick it up

[@98Eduardo98]

How is it? I'm planning on going from a Z125 > Z900 :D

[@jayrunner62]

I am ridung Motorbikes since 37 years now but this is the best balanced bike I have ever ridden. You can ride it in touring mode all day long or raise hell. Perfect engine good chasis. And all of it achived with pretty down to earth technology. Kudos to the Kawasaki engineers. Only two complains from my side. Rear tire was gone within 3000 km (2000 miles). I am swithing to Pirelli Angel GT now and hope they last longer. And the fuel consumption with about 6 litres per 100 km is pretty high.

[@98Eduardo98]

Wow, thanks for the review :D

[@jamesavery6671]

This bike looks freaking killer. The mt 09 is well....not bad and known as a wheelie king but this thing looks the part (opinion)

[@sugarnads]

Had mine a month now, love it. And my first pillion will be a 5ft 50kg wisp of a lass. I reckon she will fit fine lol

[@MrJyuuki]

off topic here, please you guys should suggest some great naked bikes for pillions!

[@daniilrusanau5849]

Guys, very enjoyable to watch! You just got a subscription from Ireland!

[@dry509]

Matt please advise which naked to get. Here in the states I cannot test any of the bikes..Z900, mt-09, Suzuki S750, SV650, etc..

[@flyingwaiter]

Excellent Review guys... please please please do a comparison between the Z900 and the Mt09.... :)

[@IDontKnow-bb6mt]

MT09 will slaughter the Z900. MT09 is lighter, has traction control, rider modes, etc...

[@mattyoz0]

flyingwaiter and has less torque and doesn't handle anywhere near as good.

[@percussion44]

MCN has already done the comparison and Z900 "trounced the Yamaha", so no.

[@alf786]

lol.. mto09 will have the start but this will kill it after mid range and top end, you need traction control ? don't have your ability to control your bike then you need that else not really ABS helps and with 126hp power down the straights plenty mid top ends boy kills that part of the t09... i love the look of the mt09 hate the tank and bare front end ... but wanting a bike that is a little more quality kawasaki ... very hard decision though... seriously would you be changing the rider modes ,,, me only for track.

[@percussion44]

Yup, bikes with small tanks are constantly pointed to as an irritant. Why manufacturers persist in this beyond me . What was tank size on the Aprilia Dorsoduro? 12 litres? Ridiculous. 300+ km per tank at freeway+ speeds should be the target, in my opinion anyway. As for rider modes, years of different vehicle ownership have taught me that electronic stuff is just dollars waiting to go BBZZZZZTT...puff of smoke. And the newer the worse. My last bike had a "fully adjustable suspension", critics raved and marveled. Me? In all 8 years I owned the thing I never adjusted anything, so....meh.

[@ralphwarom2514]

Traction control is even more important for road riding. The conditions on the road can change in a split second.

[@kkhalifah1019]

Next model update - traction control & LED headlights.

[@benjamincs1]

Looks like a Monster! Hunched bull, trellis frame... Ergos quite similar as well. This or the m821?

[@vageeshkedambi8801]

Excellent review guys. What is the top speed of z900? I am planning to buy this bike or ninja 1000SX. Which do you think is a better bike?

[@fyorbane]

Both are great. SX is better for touring etc but is a fair bit heavier. Z900 is the better handling more flickable fun bike.

[@craigmason6656]

Good review guys. How about making an episode on the best bikes for taking a pillion?

[@Daskard]

If you'd have a look at the user manual, you'd see that you can configure that "annoying flashing rev needle".

[@igorkon]

blinking electronic revs needle - is a shift light, guys :-) and it is adjustable on revs :-))

[@rayo1371]

Great review. Thorough and entertaining.

[@ripmax333]

Totally agree with them, they missed the mark by not adding TC. One button and it can be switched off, how much it would have added to the price? It would be excellent as a first big bike as it seems everyone loves it's motor as it is so smooth an excellent in town riding too.

[@fyorbane]

I rode this bike recently and did not need tc. It's over rated. It's called throttle control.

[@ripmax333]

Boz even ABS can be overrated, but it saved a lot of lives, experienced riders or not. We all makes mistakes, unfortunately the road is unpredictable you can fall and still be able to tell the tale or you fall in the wrong place at the wrong time. Drives aids are a good thing.

[@Anthonydabbraccio]

A proper man doesn't need traction control had me rollin

[@Land-Shark]

"Wha-Tah!!!" @5:51 killed me! :)

[@Lee-in-oz]

great as always guys. can you please do another review on the new zx14r?

[@sirlightyearchannel]

back at it with the wild hair

[@sahilsrivastava450]

Do an fz 09, z900 and if possible new street triple comparison!

[@fyorbane]

MCN have already done it. New 765 ST RS came out tops closely followed by the Z900. The yam MT 09 came last.

[@sahilsrivastava450]

I'll have to google it, maybe you have link?

[@danielsandoval8345]

In the United States, the Z900 is the replacement for both the Z800 and Z1000.

[@Likhithable]

superb review

[@ummthatguy]

the flashing is a shift light and you can set it

[@unkindguy88]

Triumph street triple R vs z900? Please advice

[@jorgeneriksson3144]

It was a shame about not having traction control. I really think it is as important as abs. And fyi it doesnt have tc in scandinavia either.

[@redgecole693]

Anyone have some advice on tires for it, I'm a bit of a novice so I won't be cornering too hard this year.

[@MC-Racing]

The stock ones will most likely have way WAY more grip than you will ever need as a new rider. if you need new ones because yours are worn, most anything will do the same as the stock ones ;-)

[@Baste_Bastesen]

I bougth Dunlop Roadsmart III to my Z 900 Performance 2017 Perfect, but you can put on Michelin Road 5, i think they are a litle better on wet. ( michelin Pilot road 4 was last years name ) Had Dunlop Roadsmart III before, and know what i get from them.

[@ImIoOImI]

cheers to me, i just got one today

[@ndperson1]

I wonder if they are planning to do with the z1000 like they did in the US. They replaced both the z800 and the z1000 with the z900. It is also alot cheaper here than fz 09. I do love the fz 09 though. But I actually really like the gsx-s 750 even though it may not be as popular with others

[@ndperson1]

Mind you the street triple is my favorite, but it is more expensive and harder to service in the US

[@RyansGoPro]

Great review! Really considering this bike but with the GSXR750 as a favourite, that's gonna be a tough choice! But boy, those crappy header pipes on the Z900 are FUGLY!! Couldn't Kawasaki at least finish off the styling with a cool belly pan?? Check it out at 04:47... once you see it and stare at it for a while, you just can't miss it!

[@RichardPapabarneybear5001]

You are being to CRITICAL , It is the beginning of what they are doing for the 2919 & 2020 As of it has been outstanding Over all . Would you agree,?

[@98Eduardo98]

Damnit, why does it have a digital tachometer!?

[@timothy9596]

No traction control, no go. Just like them, it's saved me a couple of times and I'll never own a bike without it again.

[@autotronicaworld]

depends in how you ride and what kind bike you have, i go with kawa

[@fyorbane]

Never had a bike with all these fancy expensive electronics. [especially when it goes wrong] and I don't need it. You become much too reliant upon it. Test rode one of these Z900's and wow, what a bike. Great fun and all the performance you will ever need in the real world on the roads.

[@twp3029]

If you need traction control to stay out of trouble, this isn't the bike for you 😂😂

[@xtrajently]

Maybe just buy a car then? Also there are some three wheeled choices out there:)

[@sural89]

the fz09 NEED a traction control the z900 doesn't

[@turbo311]

Z900 replaces the Z800 AND the Z1000 from what I've seen. Sadly the Z900 doesn't have LED headlamps like the Z1000. But it still seems like an amazing value for money especially considering it's the same price as 650 and 750 bikes from the competitors, save the Yamaha MT-09.

[@FawadBilgrami]

I think you forgot to mention how firm the suspension is and it can't be adjusted.

[@TheLokart85]

it has pre-load and dampening adjustment front and rear

[@mtsilvagt]

Dang Sean Penn rides !😎

[@billybill7450]

MT-09 (FZ-09) is 193kg NOT same as Z900 210kg! MT-09 Tracer (FJ-09) is 210, which is tall tourist bike!

[@Youtube_Globetrotter]

193 is wet weight on Mt 09, I believe z900 is 230 wet?

[@fyorbane]

Both are curb weights. Yam 193, Kawi 210.

[@Youtube_Globetrotter]

Yeah, your right I found out later.

[@garyhubert5099]

Nice video! When played back at 1/4 speed you guys sound totally drunk!

[@MissMan666]

Such a great bike, but the high tail puts me off, i need a bike that can fit a passenger well, how hard can it be...i mean they could easily have made it right, i dont even think the high tail is "modern" anymore.

[@Supernova12034]

3 cyl >4 cyl. Oh and wheelies. wheelies are good

[@MC-Racing]

Z900 will do easy wheelies easy as well. but the sound of that 3 pop is something else :-)

[@abymathew295]

bloody hell that Dash looks prehistoric....

[@percussion44]

?? An all digital TFT display is prehistoric...compared to what? Analogue steam gauges?

[@abymathew295]

even though it's an all digital dash does it stack up against Yamaha R1, RSV4, FIREBLADE,GSXR...or even new ninja 650.....even the new ktm duke 390 has one hell of a TFT full-color dash..

[@percussion44]

R1, RSV4 etc much more expensive. I will grant you the ninja 650 instrument looks pretty posh for it's price point. Wonder why they didn't use it in the 900. I don't claim to understand the vaguery's of corporate honcho decisions. I'm sure they know much better than us, we just buy the silly things. Cheers

[@percussion44]

Still, the dash on fz-09,,,,,yech

[@abymathew295]

true....

[@balsara675]

full power

[@cshatfireball]

Old school bikes all the way, still have my z750 because it’s got none of that rider aids and shit,

[@surg23]

The exclusion of TC can also be a blessing to some riders. In fact, that is one of the main aspects that drew me to this bike. I don't understand why there is such a high demand these days for TC systems and rider modes as it has been my experience that these features have the same effect on a bike as Aids does on a human- totally ruins the authenticity of the experience and in some cases, downright retards it. Seriously thinking of trading in my 1290sdr for one of these. The only issue is that of cock-pit space. I wish they made this bike more spacious.

[@ripmax333]

surg23 TC can be switched off on some bikes or maybe on every modern sport naked. So i agree with them that Kawasaki might missed that, it would be a fantastic feature to have for many riders and a no problem for veterans if it would be switched off.

[@surg23]

It also means that people who don't want TC don't pay for something they don't want or need. And on some bikes the TC is forced on you and you need to pay $250 to fix it. I got into riding for the joy of riding, not the bike riding itself. I'm not against TC options for people who might want that sort of thing, but I'm disappointed that most new bikes these days force you to pay for a feature you don't want.

[@tlezzy8252]

Agree 100%.... I only like TC if I can turn it off... also get it with no ABS, all good for me ...love it, will be mine soon!

[@OZGURDOKDOK]

real king is gsxs1000 for this class

[@fyorbane]

gsxs1000 is alot more dosh so not really in same class.

[@questinfinity]

TWO GUYS ON A BIKE, MMMMMM NOT A GOOD LOOK.

[@nothingtoseehere4902]

Is it safe to ride in south africa? What if you accidentally run into a mob of farm rapists?

[@jambam6176]

@ nothing to see here: Keep your "Personal Fantasies" to yourself.

[@andreadt7271]

How could u give a 7 to z900 and a 9 to mt09? The Z is all round a better bike! ;)

[@jazzysaravana]

Andrea Dt Yeah! I was at least expecting 8.5 because of missing traction control, but other than that Z900 is one of most brilliant packages in terms of power, price and looks! It a radical departure from what we usually expect from a middleweight motorcycle.

[@carstenhansen5757]

Is it too much bike, for a noob?

[@stuartho]

Nope. Smooth, linear power delivery. If you have a brain connected then you should be ok. It'd actually be a great bike to learn on, with it's good torque and low seat height. BUT if you jump on and idiotically twist the throttle then you'll have some dramas.

[@tm06ufo]

zappa?

[@xtrajently]

MT09 is actually much lighter.. It's about 190kilos wet. Z900 is 210 kilos.

[@fyorbane]

Brits in South Africa.

[@billcheung459]

A classic z legend is turning into a ugly monster now :((( such a shame .

[@fyorbane]

Then buy the RS instead.

[@shreksexy6879]

A kick ass fast monster!

[@comfysofa1549]

Sorry...no...agreed on the clocks - they look awful. Front calipers are non radial, severely limiting front brake upgrades. Power, way down on the 1000 and doesnt look anywhere near as good...and yeah...ive got the 1000 - no contest, effetively...why bother buying a 900 when for a few quid more you can have more of everything ten fold.

[@fyorbane]

The 1000 is a lot more expensive. It's heavier and does not steer and handle anywhere near as good as the 900. The 900 is smoother and the throttle response is mush nicer. You would be quicker on the 900 in most circumstances. Looks are subjective.

[@comfysofa1549]

Boz disagree....the z900 is a claimed 210kg the z1000 is 221kg...the power to weight ratio of the z1000 more than makes up for that...plus....i don't know that many people that tide them stock...loose the stock exhaust system and immediately save 14kg. Mine personally tuned ( ECU reflashed ) makes 148 at the back wheel....way more than a 900 could ever make. I have some brembo hpk calipers on order...no chance of that on a 900.

[@fyorbane]

The brakes on the Z900 are great [honest] and I found it not wanting in that department. The weight thing is significant and effects the handling on the 1000 much more than you would think. You could change the exhaust on the Z900 and lose a significant amount of weight as well so that doesn't really cut the mustard. A couple of professional bike magazines have tested the two against each other and the Z900 came out tops each time.