P108
RIDE REVIEW I 2026 KAWASAKI Z1100 SE ABS
There's no real
need for this
photo other than
snapper Connor
made Rennie look
pretty cool.
Passing slower traffic is sim-
ple, as you'd expect from an en-
gine of this capacity. Sixth gear
passes at 70 mph require little
more than a twist of the right
wrist, making highway merges
happen without thinking.
Mountain roads become
a game of surfing the torque
curve rather than constantly
hunting for the perfect gear,
because in reality, any of the
top three gears will do if you're
riding below 75 mph.
The 1100 motor feels like
a more mature version of the
900. In my opinion, Kawasaki
builds the best four-cylinder
engines on the market, and this
is one of their finest yet. There's
enough of a top-end rush to
keep more experienced riders
entertained, but here it won't
hold a candle to fellow inline-
four competitors BMW.
The Kawasaki's emphasis re
-
mains firmly on beefy midrange
performance. Kawasaki has
clearly prioritized point-and-
shoot acceleration and ride-
ability over peak horsepower
figures, and the result is a mo-
torcycle that feels faster than
its spec sheet might indicate.
It's also way more usable.
The six-speed transmission
shifts positively and precisely,
while the standard quickshifter
allows clutchless upshifts and
down cog selection. The assist-
and-slip clutch further improves
the experience by reducing le
-
ver effort and helping maintain
chassis stability during aggres-
sive downshifts, but if you're
really using that feature, you
might want to try to smooth out
your downshifts.
