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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/143872
Our test Kawasaki w as at home on all surfaces. We would want a st ereo for the open highway. but after that. we would just ride itl quare protection for the most demanding. The only complaint we have, with over the cou nter accessories, is tha t a whole ha ndfu l of keys are neccessary. The bike, fair ing an d bags all take diff erent keys. A Vetter tOP trunk is another option. O ur test bike was priced with lowers for th e fai rin g, bu t because of the hea t we op ted not to test them. - In the ergonomics departmen t, the KZ received high ma rks. The footpegs are fart her forward than the standard KZlooO, (they might be uncomfortable without th e wind protection of a fairing), which provides more room for movement. Controls are easy to use and well thought ou t. The seat seemed a bi t hard when new, but we ha d an opport un ity to ride a KZ with a few more miles on it, and the seat had broken in n icely, ma king it a comfortable per ch . We found the ha ndlebar bend to be about righ t, also. Wh en a bik e ha s all the right stuff Specif icat ions Performance Minimum Turn ing Radi us 10 2 .4 in Dimensions Overall Lengt h Overall Width Overall Height Wheelbase Road Clea rance Dry Weight : : 90.2 in 35.0 in 45.3 in 60.8 in 4 .9 in 54 2 Ibs Engine Type Displacement Bore x Stroke Compression Ratio Starting System Carburetors Ignition Syst em Lubrication Syst em ' DOHC 4 cy linde r. 4 -stroke. air-cooled _ 1.089 cc 72.5 x 66.0 mm 8 .9 Electric Starter MIKUNI BS34 x 4 Battery and coil (Transistorized ignition) Forced lubrication (wet sump) Transmission Transmission Type Clutch Type Driving Sy stem 5-speed. consta nt mesh. ret urn shift Wet. multi disc Shaft drive Frame Rake 29° Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. . . . 4 .9 in 3.50H-19 4PR Tire Size : Front 130/90-16 67H Rear Fuel Tank Capacity ' (5 .7 U.S . gal) Suggested retail price $4.099 As test ed $5.240 when you 're bouncing on it in the showroom, there's nothing left to do but ride it. We spent a few relatively high-mileage days in the saddle of the KZlloo while on a excursion in the Texas hill country. We spent time on the open freewa y and a lot of time on the back roads. Most of the back roads were of the sort a rider could average freeway speeds on: Some were very tight, some were dirt. From the very beginning, the KZ's power was the most impressive trait. Not that the bike lacks for pleasant characteristics , it 's JUSt that the power is so plentiful and smoothly controllable. The KZdoes , however, provide more urge than the stock tires can deal with in som e situations. A heavy bu rst of throttle on smooth or slightly dirty pavem ent results in serious wh eelspin . In fairn ess, the KZ tires will probably provide long life and seemed to work well in high speed , straightlining. To the credit of the chassis and sus pen sion engineers, wh eelspin of this type provided no real thrills to the p ilo t. A sure sign of a good frame design. Whi le we were in a city with notoriously slippery streets, we got the KZ a little sideways around a turn. A steady throttle acti on and a little tug a t the bars and the shaftie was back on line. Quite a comp liment for a bike of this size. . Freeway and highway running demonstrated that the neccessary stabil ity for a tourer to pound the pavement all day is an in herent quality . Fortunately, in th e case of Kawasaki' s shaftie, stabil ity and turnability are not m utuall y exclusive. While not a road racer by any means , the KZ will carve a good line through a corner. Better tires would let it reall y hustle. Other tourers, particularly Honda 's Goldwing, drag their underparts at the least provocation. We never touch ed anything to j he groundsave tl1e_s~ l)~h , _an<:\ those only when parked. For a highway bike there is plenty of road clearance. Suspension was taut and there never seemed to be any loose-in-the-middle feeling that some big bikes get. During our testing, the suspension was on the stiff side , but we had a tight schedule and did not try any suspension adjustments. With the air suspension units this bike is fitted with, we feel certain that the stiffness is merely a matter of fiddling. We carried light loads and passengers, neither of which upset the KZ's handling aplomb. As expected, it was a bit of a handful in the dirt. Getting up to speed was not a problem, and neither was dragging it back to a stop. The brakes, like most Kawasaki street bikes , take a shade higher effort at the lever than other brands. Not enough to be a problem, JUSt enough to notice. The brakes are smooth and controllable as well as strong: No problems in that area. For distance riding, the throttle return spring is on the stiff side. Most riders opt for a cruise control of some sort, in which case the springs were fine . In general, the KZllOO performed as it was intended. The shaft reaction was negligble ifn oticable at all. With the usual personal preference modifications, the KZ would be a fine tourer. Honda's Goldwiilg is the acknowledge yards tick in the touring class , but this Kawasaki does not seem to be in the same class as the Wing. Kawasaki has the KZI300 as direct competition for the Honda, but the 1100is a different type of bike, like apples and oranges. If you like a Goldwing, the KZis probabl y not for you. Our only comp lai n t was with the vibration and the only two KZ riders we were abl e -to talk to said, " Mine doesn't vibrate." We rode one and it felt, the same. If you are not set in your touring ways, give the KZ a try. Kawasaki . may have builti t fqr. yq~ . . . . J' • • • 27