Kawasaki’s Z800 has been killed for 2017 by the new Euro4 emissions rules and its replacement is this new Z900.
The Z900 is powered by a 948cc four-cylinder that’s derived from the Z1000’s engine, and now less than 100cc smaller. That gives it 125.4PS, which is only 16.6PS less than the Z1000. The engine shares the Z1000’s 56mm stroke and has a slightly smaller bore ay 73.4mm instead of 77mm.
The engine is mounted in a new steel tube frame, taking inspiration from the H2’s trellis design. It helps keep the bike’s weight down to 210.5kg, which is 10.5kg less than a Z1000.
Don’t be fooled by the appearance of an aluminium section near the swingarm pivot – that’s just a plastic styling addition bolted to the outside of the frame.
The swingarm is real aluminium, though, and weighs only 3.9kg. Up front there are upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and preload, and the rear shock has similar adjustability.
Notably absent are the electronic nannies that so many modern bikes use. There’s no EMU, traction control or multiple riding modes to be seen – and there’s something refreshing about that. The only rider aid is an assist and slipper clutch that helps reduce lever loads and stops the back wheel locking on downchanges.
The clocks get a gear position indicator and while there aren’t any riding modes, there are three modes for the instruments, selectable by the rider.
Kawasaki also says that the engine’s sound has been tuned, with acoustic tests to shape the airbox and give a muted sound that’s different to the Z1000’s ‘powerful howl.’
ABS will be standard on European models, but Kawasaki is also making a non-ABS version for markets where the system isn’t mandatory. Either way, the brakes are fairly conventional, with 300mm discs and four-pot calipers at the front.
