KAWASAKI Z1000
RIDING IMPRESSION
P102
weight over the front tire, and
the seat has a slight angle that's
comfortable for short trips, but
becomes uncomfortable over big
distances. I found myself stand-
ing on the 'pegs to get blood flow
down my legs after about 45 min-
utes. For me the issue is not the
angle of the seat but the padding;
it becomes quite hard if you're
sitting for ages at a time but short
trips are fine.
The pillion perch mightn't look
very comfy but according to the
wife it's not too bad. The pas-
senger's legs can get cramped
as the pegs are quite high but I
got fewer complaints on the Zee
than some other bikes I've taken
home recently.
I like this bike not because
of how it looks or goes, but
because the whole package is
simple and effective compared
to the tech wizardry in a BMW
S 1000 R or KTM Super Duke.
It's also very cheap. The Kawa-
saki Z1000 comes with a sticker
price of $11,999 and for that you
get an excellent machine—light,
easy to ride if you want it to
be, but with enough attitude to
scare your dead grandmother.
And it's fast. That cheap-looking
dash and its stupid fluorescent
rev counter lights up real quick
as the revs blast up the range,
often accompanied by a front
wheel that forgot where the tar-
mac is. Oh yeah, if you want to
learn how to do a good wheelie,
this is your bike.
That's reason enough alone to
love the big Zee. CN
Natural riding
position is
comfortable over
long distances but
the seat gets hard
after a while.
"NO TRACTION CONTROL, NO ANTI-
WHEELIE, NO VARIABLE RIDER MODES—
IT'S JUST YOU, YOUR RIGHT HAND, AND
1043CC OF KAWASAKI FIREPOWER."
