bigpoppa
Well-known member
**This is primarily a comparison between the Fz09 and the Z900(but i'll also throw in how different they are compared to the my little cbr500)**
I'm hoping this will help those interested in the z900 and the new Z900Rs (since Kawasaki for some reason no longer does demo rides)
I got lucky and was able to convince a friendly dealer to let me take it out for a spin
These are just thoughts and notes I took in the summer when I had the chance to ride a bunch of bikes
Fz 09
The Engine is awesome(surprise right?)
-The ever slightest opening of the throttle/roll on produces power, anything more results
in instant vicious acceleration, hitting you and throwing you back ,,the further you crank the throttle in A mode,
the wilder the bike and its power gets,
, then as the revs climb higher, progressively
you feel like you are sliding off and being pushed back off the seat in a more linear fashion.
Even after I tucked in and clamped on to the tank this continued. The power doesnt stop.
-Power is everywhere in the rev range(from bottom to redline), in all gears. (If traction control 2 wasnt on, i would have been wheeling all day)
-Its light and agile, however the Fj 09 feels slighty more agile(wider handlebars? Or placebo effect)
-Rear Brake is garbage(for a bike this powerful and capable, this surprised me)
-I was coming from the cbr500 and immediately I noticed some differences:
1. you CANNOT ham fist this thing.
2. The cbr feels lazy compared to the FZ(in the sense that the yamaha always felt like it likes to rev), in addition on the cbr I have to rev 1/4 turn and feather the clutch
to get it to go from the stop light. On the FZ, that is a bad idea. Just smoothly let the clutch out and watch it go.
3.You HAVE to be careful with the throttle(modulating)
,and be fully awake when riding, on cbr the throttle is lazy, you can put all your weight on it
and nothing will happen.
4. It is Easier to rev match on the fz 09 compared to cbr500r(this might be because i have a lot of play in the throttle on the cbr, or because of the slipper clutch on the fz )
The best way I can sum it up according to my experience:
The Fz 09 is Rambo, wild, powerful and crazy
If you are riding at a spirited pace, or aggressively, you WILL know it.
Where as the Z900 is James bond. Smooth, linear, and confidence inspiring. From its Power to the handling. (You know that feeling you when your leaning the bike over, it starts off by leaning a little sluggish, and then falls into the turn quickly? Nope, wont happen with the Z, this thing will lean smoothly and in a linear fashion all the way)
It is also deceptively quick, you could be riding along, and without even realizing it, be doing prison speeds. You wont know until you look at the speedometer. It is that smooth
The Z is very docile at the bottom end, and starts to come alive at the midrange, continuing its song till the rev limiter
Both are phenomenal bikes, and ultimately one would be very happy with either.
(I also forgot to mention the 2017 fz has a lot more in the way of electronics as opposed to the Z)
I'm hoping this will help those interested in the z900 and the new Z900Rs (since Kawasaki for some reason no longer does demo rides)
I got lucky and was able to convince a friendly dealer to let me take it out for a spin
These are just thoughts and notes I took in the summer when I had the chance to ride a bunch of bikes
Fz 09
The Engine is awesome(surprise right?)
-The ever slightest opening of the throttle/roll on produces power, anything more results
in instant vicious acceleration, hitting you and throwing you back ,,the further you crank the throttle in A mode,
the wilder the bike and its power gets,
, then as the revs climb higher, progressively
you feel like you are sliding off and being pushed back off the seat in a more linear fashion.
Even after I tucked in and clamped on to the tank this continued. The power doesnt stop.
-Power is everywhere in the rev range(from bottom to redline), in all gears. (If traction control 2 wasnt on, i would have been wheeling all day)
-Its light and agile, however the Fj 09 feels slighty more agile(wider handlebars? Or placebo effect)
-Rear Brake is garbage(for a bike this powerful and capable, this surprised me)
-I was coming from the cbr500 and immediately I noticed some differences:
1. you CANNOT ham fist this thing.
2. The cbr feels lazy compared to the FZ(in the sense that the yamaha always felt like it likes to rev), in addition on the cbr I have to rev 1/4 turn and feather the clutch
to get it to go from the stop light. On the FZ, that is a bad idea. Just smoothly let the clutch out and watch it go.
3.You HAVE to be careful with the throttle(modulating)
,and be fully awake when riding, on cbr the throttle is lazy, you can put all your weight on it
and nothing will happen.
4. It is Easier to rev match on the fz 09 compared to cbr500r(this might be because i have a lot of play in the throttle on the cbr, or because of the slipper clutch on the fz )
The best way I can sum it up according to my experience:
The Fz 09 is Rambo, wild, powerful and crazy
If you are riding at a spirited pace, or aggressively, you WILL know it.
Where as the Z900 is James bond. Smooth, linear, and confidence inspiring. From its Power to the handling. (You know that feeling you when your leaning the bike over, it starts off by leaning a little sluggish, and then falls into the turn quickly? Nope, wont happen with the Z, this thing will lean smoothly and in a linear fashion all the way)
It is also deceptively quick, you could be riding along, and without even realizing it, be doing prison speeds. You wont know until you look at the speedometer. It is that smooth
The Z is very docile at the bottom end, and starts to come alive at the midrange, continuing its song till the rev limiter
Both are phenomenal bikes, and ultimately one would be very happy with either.
(I also forgot to mention the 2017 fz has a lot more in the way of electronics as opposed to the Z)