FEATURE I 2022 CYCLE NEWS BIKES OF THE YEAR
P142
RENNIE'S
HONORABLE
MENTION 1:
2022 KAWASAKI
Z900RS SE
I absolutely, categorically
love the Z900RS SE. It's one
of the best-looking bikes of
the last 10 years and turns
heads wherever it goes, the
retro styling proving how
right Kawasaki got it back
in the '70s with the OG Z1.
The engine is perfectly
matched to the style of the
bike, but it has no old-
school power delivery. This
thing still hits with a proper
punch—there's torque to
burn and the intake noise
is a joy to hear, just like
ZX-10Rs from the early
days. I lament the lack of a
quickshifter, heated grips
or cruise control, any one of
those features would have
been nice on a $13,499
ride. But every time I went
to the garage and saw that
yellow and black paint, gold
wheels and that old-school
single headlight, I thought,
"damn, what a rad bike."
That makes it one of my
favs for 2022.
