Instead of dumbing-down a superbike or ending up with a crude naked literbike, Kawasaki builds a naked bike from scratch
Naked bikes have never sold well in the U.S. Although European brand loyalists probably beg to differ, the actual number of naked bikes sold in the U.S. is miniscule compared to other categories, and especially tiny compared to the numbers sold in Europe. Thus it’s easy to see why most manufacturers' American lineups are devoid of any fairing-less bikes that used to be the standard in the ‘70s. The attempts in the recent past—especially by the Japanese factories—have received a tepid response at best from American consumers.
So it was easy to wonder at first why Kawasaki was even bothering with the new Z1000. While the previous two generations of Z1000 were interesting bikes in their own right, both editions didn’t exactly ring up major sales in the U.S. But there was a distinct enthusiasm for the new Z1000 among the Kawasaki personnel that went well beyond the usual company loyalty or sales pitches. “We were seriously considering just letting you ride the bikes first and skipping the tech presentation until afterward,” admitted Kawasaki senior media relations manager Jeff Herzog at the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 press launch in Cambria, California, “because we wanted to see your reaction after riding it. Riding the bike tells you more about it than any technical presentation ever could.”
Herzog was right, because it’s way too easy for people to jump to conclusions simply based on earlier models. For instance, an easy assumption is that the new Z1000’s larger 1043cc engine was the result of the engineers simply boring out the previous powerplant and calling it done. You can scratch that idea—the 2010 Z1000’s engine is all-new, with a bore/stroke configuration that is actually more undersquare (longer stroke, smaller bore) than before. Kawasaki emphatically states that the engine is not a remake of the previous ZX-9R-based engine or a tweaked ZX-10R mill. So if the engine is new, then Kawasaki must have saved some coin by using the same mild steel chassis, right? Negative…the new Z1000’s engine is housed in an all-new aluminum chassis and swingarm with eccentric axle adjusters. What about the suspension? Nope…the front fork now gains compression damping in addition to spring preload and rebound, and the rear shock now features a reversed linkage with horizontally-mounted shock.
Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and one ride on the Z1000 will convince you that Kawasaki just may have hit the nail on the head with the latest generation model. One aspect I always found lacking with the previous Z1000s was that instant lower-end acceleration response that you always get from V-twin naked bikes like the Ducatis and Buells. The old Z1000s—especially the first generation model—always required some rpm before they’d start pulling hard, and while it wasn’t akin to riding a supersport 600, being required to wind up the engine to get some real steam would sometimes become annoying.
With the new powerplant’s longer stroke/bigger displacement configuration, that is no longer an issue. Here is a Japanese inline-four naked bike that finally gets it; snap the throttle open at 4000 rpm, and you get some instant pull that simply doesn’t exist on other inline-four nakeds. The Kawasaki gains some noticeable spunk at 7000 rpm, generating the type of arm-pulling acceleration that the “retuned for midrange power” engines of the past nakeds should have had from the beginning. And the party doesn’t taper off until 1000 rpm short of the new mill’s 11,000-rpm redline, meaning you’ve got a wide swath of power to play with on the Z1000 (which is a good thing, as trying to read the tiny bar graph tachometer on the four-position-adjustable-tilt LCD dashboard at a glance is difficult at best). Off-idle throttle response is smooth as silk, another good thing as unfortunately Mother Nature decided to dump on us and check our wet weather pavement skills during the latter part of the ride.
That wet weather also meant we weren’t able to really put the new suspension and chassis to a reasonable test. What we could glean from the few dry pavement twisty sections we encountered was a much lighter and neutral steering Z1000 than past editions. Ergos struck a nice balance between sport and standard, with a narrow midsection between the knees and flat, supportive seat adding positives to the mix. Braking power was amply powerful with plenty of feel at both ends, and traction from the OEM-spec Dunlop D210 Sportmax rubber was decent in both dry and wet conditions.
Best of all, however, is the fact that despite the all-new design and upgraded suspension, the new Z1000 will have an MSRP of just $10,499. The performance, day-to-day versatility, and overall fun quotient you get for that money simply can't be beat, and is actually a bargain in my opinion.
We can’t wait to get one to test on our favorite roads, as the one-day ride only barely whet our appetites for finding out what the new Z1000 is really capable of, and look for more details on our First Ride impression in the April issue of Sport Rider. But don’t just take our word for it—Kawasaki will be offering demo rides at various events across the country, where you can get a taste of the new Z1000’s performance and discover what a fun bike to ride it really is. If you have the opportunity, don't miss out on a demo ride; let the Z1000 show you how it's broken the mold for naked bikes.