VOL. 52 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 3, 2015 P57
Once you're up and running the standout fea-
ture, in traffic at least, is just how smooth the
engine is. Kawasaki has got the fuel injection map-
ping pretty well spot on with the 800 and it's cer-
tainly better than the Z1000. Initial power delivery is
smooth and precise, making darting in and out of
traffic in road-work-riddled Palm Springs a breeze.
Get out of the traffic and up into the twisties and
the 800's engine will play canyon carver just as
good as in traffic. The power is spread pretty evenly
across the board with a kick at around 7000 rpm
as the revs climb out of the midrange into a top-
end that's not roaring strong, but still lets you know
you're moving.
No one is going to say this is the fastest thing on
the road because it simply is not. There's plenty
of go on tap to get you in trouble but unlike the
Z1000, Kawasaki is aiming this 800 much more at
THE POWER IS
SPREAD PRETTY
EVENLY ACROSS THE
BOARD WITH A KICK AT
AROUND 7000 RPM AS THE
REVS CLIMB OUT OF THE
MIDRANGE INTO A TOP-
END THAT'S NOT ROARING
STRONG, BUT STILL LETS
YOU KNOW YOU'RE
MOVING.
Cafés and kickbacks: this is the kind of environment the Z800 will shine in.
