Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126394
Kawasaki introduces 500cc four in Europe At first it looked as though Kawasaki had made a mistake by launching their newest machine the Z500 - at the same test session as the topof-the-range Z1300, ZlOOOST and ZlOOOMkII. The sheer engine capacities of the mighty threesome would ensure that they received the most . . • attention from the 45 or so Jour- 8 nalists .of nine nationalities ~ho were attendmg the press launch m Malta. Sure enough. when the bikes arrived at Hal Far airstrip. the start of the 10· mile test route, everyone crowded around the bigger models, particularly the ZI300 , and the Z500 was neglected. It wasn't until the first riders returned from their brief spin on the Z500, and rumors of " It's even better than the Z650 : ' started to circulate, that it began to get the attention it deserved. The Z500 benefited from sharing . the stage with these super super bik es, I for it scored well in all the areas where the other three were being criticized, chiefly their weight and handling • C;Q~r,;t~te i§tjc.s., . • _ • _ • • • • • _ __ .. The bigger machines were not as easy to ride on the slippery, uneven surfaces o~ the Ma~tese roads and n.o one felt like pushmg them to their limits. Many journalists admitted feeling nervous of handling: su~h excessive power for the first lime In such poor riding conditions. Once again. the nippy little ZSOO scored. It had more than enough power to satisfy even the most experienced rider and .on several occasions one would whip past an apprehensive rider on one of the bigger machines. Styling is quite new . A n~rrow . unusually shaped tank ':'1akes.1t l~k long and lean (Kawasaki calls It . their "Slimline" model1, alth~u~h Wlt~ a wheelbase.of 54 .9 Inches. illS certainly not excessively so. Its attractively bright, red paintwork looked cheerful . in stark contrast to the somber colors of the other tnaC~.__ Riding posItion suited me well, although the "sit -up-and-beg" posture is perhaps a little too upright for a sports rider. On the other hand, handlebar width and sensible positioning of the foot controls made for easy low speed maneuvering. The step-style seat places the rider within easy reach of the ground and , for the first time in ages, I could get my feet flat down on either side, a pleasant change. Suspension felt good . overall perhaps a little harder than I remember the Z650 to be . Frame is certainly as .good and I'm pretty sure it's going to handle even better. It hugged the bends beautifully and barely twitched even over the most appalling road surfaces with pot holes and loose gravel. I had the dubious pleasure of being able to take it for a spin in the wet and , yes, I was impressed. In muddy . • .rt\latly. ',aff ·-ro ad -,condirinris'~ in iel safe. The brakes (dual disc at the front . single disc at the rear) actually seemed to work . And I couldn't get a single squeal out of them! The engine looks fairly convention al . but the power produced is quite surprising, It is a high revving machine , yet it is quiet and relatively vibration free , Kawasaki describes it as a middleweight sportster. It's fun to ride, the throttle is light. and the engine is responsive. It has six gears; one too many I would suggest, even for a sports machine , but it makes up for it by being beautifully smooth and positive, It didn't feel quite so good with a passenger, but the fact th,at he was a head taller than me may have had something to do with itl I'm also dubious about the size and shape of the tank; I suspect it will mean frequent visits to the gas station and it may be difficult to secure a tank bag. However, all in all this promises to be a pretty competitive machine. if first impressions are anything to go by. I don't wholly agree with a dealer's remarks to me at the press launch that it will only sell if the price is right. I feel it has a lot that is going to appeal to the many riders who are now demanding better handling and brakes, rather than simply more engine size and performance. It will certainly appeal to fans of the Z650, for if I'm not very much mistaken, this new model does indeed promise to be even better .t h a ~ its. slightl~ bigger l:)roU1er.t " I r- . t I J ' ''-J I • • J. I..J a