2011 z1000 preview from Japan

[MotoCycho]

Not sure how solid this is yet, but found this via another forum.




and



I reversed the URL and found the originating SITE. It's Japanese.

Google Translated to English

Oh man that Candy Lime Green looks sweet, but I think I will get the Ebony black. I am 41 yrs old now and can't see myself tooling around all hooligan style on a Candy Lime green motorcycle. We'll see?

[bigdealdave]

Go for it, I'll always have a soft spot for the ol workdog niner, but this bike is way more funner. Loads and loads of torque everywhere you look, you have to stay mindful about keeping the front end on the ground. Plus, the seat is a little higher, so lean angles feel more exaggerated. Noone has seen anything like it yet, and it draws a lot of attention. Aside from a couple tradeoffs, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

[XRCajun]

That bike sure is growing on me!

[Sniper]

Just another 6 inches of plastic and you'd have a race rep.

I think the "Streetfighter" concept has been lost.

[Bigdaa]

I'm 54 and I like the lime. Course, I own and all black ZX10R so.......whatever!

[XRCajun]

Yeah screw the age thing man! Get what you like!

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by Bigdaa

I'm 54 and I like the lime. Course, I own and all black ZX10R so.......whatever!

Originally Posted by XRCajun

Yeah screw the age thing man! Get what you like!

Well.. then there's the glow in the dark factor. Hard to fade into the black with a Candy Lime Green glow.

It's still in the air. I am so excited I can taste the brain matter.. oh wait.. that's something else.

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by bigdealdave

... Aside from a couple tradeoffs, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Care to elaborate? Seat higher, CHECK! More punch, CHECK! Go on?...

[bigdealdave]

Well for one, the gas mileage is total crap comparatively speaking (so far 33-35), and whats worse you're sittin behind a 4 gallon tank. Basically you've got roughly 90-110 miles of range before the gas light blinks. there's about a gallon underneath of that.

Second the instrument cluster is just cheesy, it's adjustable to about 3 diff posistions, and the pull pin that you adjust it with is buzzy as hell on mine, I know it's a simple fix, but haven't gotten around to it.

Finally, the stock suspension settings are a little stiff for my taste, and definately much stiffer that the nine. The lean factor is incredible, this bike makes you wanna skin your knee on every turn, but if things get a little choppy you gotta back off. Again, simple fix, but not really since I dont have a spanner wrench.
Outside of those things, I cannot describe to you the feeling the bike gives me.

When I ride it to work, I catch myself wandering outside several times a day just to look at it.



It kind of feels like I've left my trusty wife for a 20 year old playmate, who's open minded to deviant sex acts.

[advocatt]

beside the look, i dont like everything else..mine up for sale after 2000km..maybe i dun like japs inline, or i am just not a naked guy..though i really love my ktm duke 690..

[XRCajun]

Originally Posted by advocatt

beside the look, i dont like everything else..mine up for sale after 2000km..maybe i dun like japs inline, or i am just not a naked guy..though i really love my ktm duke 690..

Are maybe you just have too many choices! Haha!

[Pvster]

so what are the trade offs?!

[bigdealdave]

post #9

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by bigdealdave

post #9

Thanks for the full details. None are deal breakers.

[advocatt]

dun get me wrong..not saying its not a good bike..its fast, its agile..but its not fun for me..

i am happy with the mvf4 for now, but lately i spend much time with the one behind the f4

[Farab]

The matt black would be my pick! No demo's in NZ yet. Apparently the demand in the US for these bikes has created a bit of a shortage for the rest of us.

[advocatt]

rode the bike for almost 500km today ..what can i say? it make me wanted to sell the bike badly..i cant stand the wind, the clutch and the seat. aren't street bike supposed to be comfortable?

now i miss my duke 690.

[sml2727]

It reminds me of transformers

[Farab]

Originally Posted by advocatt

rode the bike for almost 500km today ..what can i say? it make me wanted to sell the bike badly..i cant stand the wind, the clutch and the seat. aren't street bike supposed to be comfortable?

now i miss my duke 690.

The wind is part of the experience for some! Did you not take the bike for a test ride before you baought it?

[nd4spdbh]

Originally Posted by Farab

The wind is part of the experience for some! Did you not take the bike for a test ride before you baought it?

we are talking to advocatt here.... he has more bikes than pairs of underwear!

[advocatt]

Originally Posted by Farab

The wind is part of the experience for some! Did you not take the bike for a test ride before you bought it?

i know n i fully understand.if u riding naked, of coz the wind will be a factor. i have plenty of naked bikes before and i have the experience. i had a z750 b4 andhave ridden the older z1000 for so so many times. i am sure it has a better wind protection compared to this new z1000. even with an aftermarket windshield, the wind is still unbearable. i think kawa concentrate to much on the design.

and i really hate the seat!!!never in my history i hate a bike so much that make me want to sell it instantly.

p/s-btw, i trade in the bike already...

[Farab]

I'm no aerodynamics engineer, but I suppose looking at the headlight assy, it seems as though it wouldn't really attempt to deflect wind blast up and over the rider.

What did you trade it in on?

[advocatt]

i still have the superduke..so, no more naked bike for me..

i havent tried an inline 3 before..so walla!!!



my last 600 was a laverda 668 in 2004 so i don't know whether i am happy with this purchase but since theres no inline 3 around beside the 675, i guess its worth the gamble..

its a long holiday until mid sept so i can only shag her early October..

[Farab]

Nice bike, as always, good looking in black. From all reports and feedback I've read and heard, everyone that owns a Daytona 675 loves them.

[rbt53140]

I am not sure about a big demand for them here Farab all the local kawasaki dealers around me still have all their original 2010 z1000's sitting on the showroom floor.

[Farab]

Originally Posted by rbt53140

I am not sure about a big demand for them here Farab all the local kawasaki dealers around me still have all their original 2010 z1000's sitting on the showroom floor.

When I rang up Kawasaki NZ to find out were I could get a test ride on one, as there are no demos around, I got told the demand in the US has sucked up most of the orders, apparently even diverted an order destined for NZ to the States. I can't tell you if there's any truth behind this.

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by advocatt

dun get me wrong..not saying its not a good bike..its fast, its agile..but its not fun for me..

i am happy with the mvf4 for now, but lately i spend much time with the one behind the f4]

Aren't bikes in the Malaysian market speed or power limited? Restrictors on the throttle bodies, ECU programmed for less air /fuel etc? I know there was a thread about bikes in Vietnam which were imported from the Japanese market suffered from this. In fact, the thread was all about getting the restrictions off if I remember right? So, does Malaysian market gets same neutered sh!t?

Just read on another forum where Jap bikes get re-imported back into Japan. The forum stated that bikes come from "US,Canada,Aus,NZ,malaysia and europe". Perhaps Malaysia bikes are not restricted after all. A restricted bike would definitely suck.

[bigdealdave]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out sales are better than expected. A lot of people stop me every day to ask about it, and most of my buddies with the rep racers say it looks a million times better than my 919 did.

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by bigdealdave

I wouldn't be surprised to find out sales are better than expected. A lot of people stop me every day to ask about it, and most of my buddies with the rep racers say it looks a million times better than my 919 did.

a million? come on... seriously? The 919 is very 2002.. but it's still an alright bike to look at. Perhaps they are referring to YOUR beat to sh!t, ragged out pile of 919?

[bigdealdave]

hey I loved the niner... that's why I bought it, but my buddies with their gixxers, and zx10s and whatnot took serious issue with a round headlight.

[Farab]

Originally Posted by bigdealdave

hey I loved the niner... that's why I bought it, but my buddies with their gixxers, and zx10s and whatnot took serious issue with a round headlight.

That's funny!
I actually still like the 9'ner's looks, but mostly from the head stem backwards. If they had gone with slighty more modern look for the front end (ala Ducati Monster), I'd be quite happy with it looks wise. Everytime I look at my bike, its a love/hate thing, that front end irritates me, the rest I quite like.
I may end up keeping my 9'ner as a 2nd bike, as I reckon it will be a cool retro looking bike in a few years time.

[bigdealdave]

Originally Posted by Farab

That's funny!
I actually still like the 9'ner's looks, but mostly from the head stem backwards. If they had gone with slighty more modern look for the front end (ala Ducati Monster), I'd be quite happy with it looks wise. Everytime I look at my bike, its a love/hate thing, that front end irritates me, the rest I quite like.
I may end up keeping my 9'ner as a 2nd bike, as I reckon it will be a cool retro looking bike in a few years time.

That's exactly how I felt. I always parked the niner head in... She was a nine or a ten from the back, but maybe only a five or six in the front

[mdtoney]

Originally Posted by bigdealdave

That's exactly how I felt. I always parked the niner head in... She was a nine or a ten from the back, but maybe only a five or six in the front

I can't tell you how many people have told me the exact same thing. They love the look of the bike, except for the front end. They said the entire front end looks dated & wimpy. I've since replaced every part from the tank forward (except the gauges), so lots of grins every time I ride, and no more bitching from on-lookers.

I'm liking the Z more and more every time I see one.

[Farab]

Originally Posted by mdtoney

They said the entire front end looks dated & wimpy.

Zactly! It looks so flimsy and fragile. Whilst it may have satisfied the engineers in terms of functionality, the designers could have stepped in and make it look it bit more staunch. I always reckon things should flow and look proportional. The front end definately does not fit or blend in with the rest of the 9'ner. What a shame they didn't pay more attention to it.

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by Farab

Zactly! It looks so flimsy and fragile. Whilst it may have satisfied the engineers in terms of functionality, the designers could have stepped in and make it look it bit more staunch. I always reckon things should flow and look proportional. The front end definately does not fit or blend in with the rest of the 9'ner. What a shame they didn't pay more attention to it.

going with USD legs would have made it cost another grand at least. It was intended to be a value priced basic platform for both the US and Euro markets that still packed a bit of punch. My leftover but new 2003 was $7199 before taxes/lic in 2004. Couldn't even touch the F4i for that same year. I know it swelled to what, $8500 MSRP in the US market by the last year.. but still, $8500 for a FI bike with over 100 ponies. Eh... I like the round headlight anyway. USD forks and radial mounted grippers would have made it perfect for sure. Was more effort then it was worth to do the swap. I would have probably bought the kit had there been one... but whatever.. time for some new sh!t what already comes with USD forks now... now I just have to make a way you can see them. Perhaps a zx-10r fender swap? Need to take some measurements of the fender mount holes on that zed 1k.

[Farab]

Are you keeping the 919 or trading it?

[MotoCycho]

Originally Posted by Farab

Are you keeping the 919 or trading it?

Definitely not trading it. They will surely rape me at the dealer. I will try to sell it come spring. I will put it back to as close to stock trim as I can first. Not gonna sell it if I have to lower the price too much to get it to sell.. I can afford the new bike either way. Hate to hold a 919 I won't ride much but I ain't selling it for pennies. There could very well be 3 bikes in the garage next year.

[Farab]

Originally Posted by MotoCycho

Definitely not trading it. They will surely rape me at the dealer. I will try to sell it come spring. I will put it back to as close to stock trim as I can first. Not gonna sell it if I have to lower the price too much to get it to sell.. I can afford the new bike either way. Hate to hold a 919 I won't ride much but I ain't selling it for pennies. There could very well be 3 bikes in the garage next year.

Do what Sniper did, moth-balled his 919. I reckon the 919 will become quite an attractive classic given 15 or so years. I may keep the 919 even if/when I buy my next bike. Its that love/hate thing: one moment want to get rid of it ASAP, the next moment I love it. Its a bike thats right on that border of love/hate, isn't it? As you said, if they had spent another grand or so on it (even then it would have still been good value) I would most probably been quite content.

[bigdealdave]

Moto, have you been lurking over @ riderforums yet?

[Farab]

YouTube - 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 review