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I got in.
"The neo-classic"I'm sure you'll agree. Companies, including foreign manufacturers, are lining up their products one after another."A motorcycle inspired by a vehicle from the past with a modern interpretation of design and function."
The Suzuki Katana is coming out next spring.I've seen a lot of custom Zephyrs that look like this one.
The first time I saw a real car.Last year's Tokyo Motor ShowHowever, it is a bike that I see running around a lot these days.
Personally, when I was young."American is cool."However, when I found out that the rental store had introduced the Z1 and Z2, I immediately reserved one for the weekend. When you actually compare them, they don't look much alike except for the distinctive rear fender, side cowl and coloring.
So, I don't have a lot of feelings about this shape itself, so my comparison is with the base model of the new Katana.GSX-S1000 (F has been rented for test ride)it is.
Here are some notes on my impressions. As usual, this is the ramblings of an amateur.
Lovely place.
- Not slow, but not fast. Relatively tasteful 4-cylinder.
The engine, which is derived from the ZX-9R and is also used in its sibling, the Z900, seems to be set to a medium to low speed. It was very easy to handle in the street speed range. The gear ratios are also designed for street riding. Even when you're just driving around, you can naturally rev the engine at relatively high rpm in low gears, and it doesn't reach insane speed ranges even then.
Most of the time when I ride a bike in the liter class or higher, I feel like, "I can't practically use the upper RPMs until I get off the bike..." But this one seems to be a lot of fun to ride. The ups and downs are very smooth, but there is a little bit of my favorite"rough feeling"I felt that I did not need to worry about getting bored with the engine.
- The vehicle body looks large but is actually compact and easy to ride.
I think it's mainly a visual effect from the volume of the tank, but at first glance, it looks like a very large vehicle.
However, once you get on the bike, it's quite compact. It's slim, easy to get a good knee grip, and has the same footing as the Ninja 650. Even short-legged guys can ride this bike without any worries.
Compared to the CB1300SF and ZRX1200 DAEG, it weighs more than 30kg and is easy to handle.
- Adequate fluttering
I've always liked the shape of it.Rent a ZRX1200 DAEGWhen I was riding the Z900RS, I didn't like the cornering feeling of the bike because it was too solid. Compared to that, this Z900RS has a light feeling that allows you to ride around town.
However, there is a sense that this lightness is achieved by raising the center of gravity.
Weekend traffic jam at Aqualine on the way home from touringThere were a lot of Sunday drivers, but with the light weight of the car, it was no hardship at all to drive through while swinging the car left and right in detail.
However, as I will explain later, you may want to get a good suspension and tires.
- Easy-to-read meters
I love digital speedometers and analog tachometers, but this neo-classic one is a double-eye analog. However, it was very easy to read thanks to the printed scales.
Oh, and it came with ETC 2.0. Compared to the Ninja 1000, which is still sold with the 1.0 version, the later version is newer, which is of course a plus.
Hmm? What is it?
- Thin ground feel. Suspension that felt not so good.
The car had only been driven about 6,800km, so the suspension hadn't been broken in yet... The suspension didn't seem to be working very hard.
The GPR-300 is a cheaper touring tire that emphasizes lightness, but it doesn't feel as good on the ground when cornering. I didn't feel the tires pressing against the road surface while banking, and on rough surfaces, the shocks were directly transmitted to my ass.
Oh, it's not only the tires, but also the thin seat that makes the design and footing better. But if this is the standard ride quality, the suspension needs to be changed to a better one!...
- Slippery Clutch that works too well
I'm a big fan of using a lot of throttle, so whenever I ride a car with a slipper clutch (back torque limiter), I'm always puzzled by how little the throttle works at first. The Z900RS is one of the most ineffective vehicles.
- Design is over-decorated
When I saw it for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show, I felt that the whole thing was overly decorative. Especially the stays on the front fenders.
On the other hand, isn't it a bit uncool? I'm not sure. Also, the rental vehicle was equipped with optional grab bars.
I think it might be useful for loading luggage or tandem riding, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use it for the rear of the bike..... It looks like the original Z1 also has this, but if you look at the first picture, you can see that the Z1's tail area sticks out behind the grab bar, so it fits nicely.
- The ride is too stable and the position is too classic.
I haven't ridden any real winding roads, but I've rented similar class naked cars in the past, such as the GSX-S1000.BMW S1000R...XSR900Compared to the other two, it has a more stability-oriented ride. The center of gravity has been raised to give it a fluttery feel, but the ride quality has been shifted toward stability. That's my impression.
If you want to enjoy fluttering on a winding road, there is the Z900.
The wide and high bar handlebars are a safe position for middle-aged riders who are starting to show their stomachs, but I want to ride a sportier bike. I wonder how much of an effect the position has on the performance of the Z900RS CAFE.
- The existence of the Z900
The Z900RS is priced at 1,328,400 yen including tax, while Kawasaki has released a more powerful and lighter version of the Z900RS with the same base price of 950,400 yen including tax.
This is probably the most fun to ride for me. In frontA rented Z1000It was a little bit of a ride, but it was a fun bike.
Considering that the 350,000 difference is the design fee, the difference is too big for me, as I'm not that crazy about this shape itself.... If I had 350,000 yen, I could do Ohlins front and rear, couldn't I?
Well, the Z900 is not equipped with a tracon, so it would be a difficult vehicle for a guy to buy.
And then there's the overly brave exhaust note: .... I understand, but... I feel bad when I come back to my apartment parking lot at night.
Not the sound of an adult.
summary
So I am a guy who does not particularly like the Z1. This bike is"Admiration for the Z1"My personal conclusion is that I would not be able to buy it otherwise.
If I had this bike and the GSX-S1000 lined up in front of me and I was told, "You can ride whichever you like," I would have no hesitation in choosing the GSX.
I'm more interested in how much the price difference between the new Katana and the GSX-S1000 will be. I'm more interested in the price difference.
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Rental Bikes
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