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RIDE REVIEW I 2024 KAWASAKI Z500 SE ABS
have to rev it as much to get the
bike moving from a stop and up
to speed. There's no explosive
hit anywhere in the bike's ultra-
smooth and linear powerband,
and shifting gears is a breeze. It
takes just a slight nudge on the
foot lever, and you're already in
the next gear. A light clutch pull
that offers smooth engagement
only makes gear-changing all
that much easier for both the
newbie and experienced rider.
Plus, the slipper clutch elimi
-
nates any fears one might have
about skidding or hopping the
rear wheel if you botch a down
-
shift at speed.
torcycle, and that hasn't changed
in the slightest, but it has more
power now in the Z500. And who
doesn't want more power? Throw
in a more comfortable seat, a
much-improved LCD screen and
updated looks, and you have
another winner on your hands.
Even though the Z500 has
more power than the 400, 51
horsepower versus the Z400's 43
horsepower (Kawasaki claims),
it's not any trickier for the entry-
level rider to manage. In fact,
it's probably easier, thanks to its
improved torque (31.7 lb-ft at
7500 rpm versus the 400's 24.5
lb-ft) and bottom-end. You don't
of these items separately for
your standard Z500 from the
Kawasaki Genuine Accessory
catalog. You also get approxi-
mately four more pounds with
the SE: 370 pounds versus the
standard's 366 pounds. They
also have their own unique
colorways; that pretty and dis-
tinctive Kawasaki Candy Lime
Green color is available only on
the standard model.
ROLLING,
ROLLING, ROLLING
I'll get straight to the meat and
potatoes. The new Z500 is all the
Z400 was, but better. The Z400
was already a great-handling mo-
(Left) Both models have upgraded
screens, but the SE gets a full-color
and adjustable TFT (shown) screen.
(Below left) New styling doesn't look
entry-level. The Z500 is an attention
getter. (Below) The Z500's parallel-twin
engine gets its large displacement
via a longer stroke. Various other
mods give it approximately 12 more
horsepower compared to the Z400.
