Have a '22 Z900 & Z900 RS. Never had a false neutral on either. Excellent build quality on both. About the only thing I agree on the cons is back of foot hitting pipe and the crappy pillion seat. Had a '20 MT09 and prefer these smooth 4 bangers. Oh yeah, oem tires suck. But, other than that I dig these bikes.
I ride this for about a year by now and I can confirm pretty much all you said. The bike loves twisties, its a ton of fun to ride, it is really low maintenance. You can turn up the throttle and the engine packs a punch at pretty much all rpm, but it loves to be between 6.000 - 11.000 i also have false neutrals from time to time but you can adjust to it. its comfortable between 130 - 150 kmh, but anything higher is not great for long rides - max I did was 220kmh, but i am 188cm and was tucked in all the way, it was not nice, my head and helmet were shaking - i just fulll send it a couple of times because the acceleration was great, but you cannot sustain any speeds above 150kmh for long. i just love this bike, i replaced the handle bar, leavers, gear shifter and i had an upholsterer increasing my seat hight by 2 inch compared to the standard seat (36 leg inseam). if you adjust it to yourself it ist just perfect for twisty roads and for your daily commute :)
Great video and I share with you the same problems on my 2020. And that issue, when you are not getting it into the firs from neutral as I understood. I noticed that if I put it to neutral and trying first it will not drop. So I let the clutch lever, pull it again and voila!
I had a 2017. Never had any shifting problems with the transmission. No false neutrals. I know over-filling engine oil causes issues with transmission and clutch action.
Just recently found out that my lower engine bolt had backed out and i had been riding like that for probably over half a year. It was causing the chasis to stretch and cracked a few welds on the frame because of it. This was causing the sifting problems. Got the frame welded and the bike back to how it should be and the ride height went up by half an inch and shifts like my Triumph Daytona did, very positive engagement, and no false neutrals.
Good points both +/-. I have about 20k on my 2017 Z900. You cant really fault a naked for wind resistance. I put the kawi extended windscreen on and it helps more than you may think plus it looks better than stock imo. Looking at the Givi saddle bags for longer multi day rides, have their tank bag, good product. My ergo seat only lasted a year before the rear seams split, replaced with a Corbin but the height is back to stock which cramps me up. Rubber side down and great riding to you!
Sorry to hear about the seat, hope mine holds up better. The stock seat height is way too low, looks goofy with my legs bent so much while at a stop. Plus the harsh knee angle is uncomfortable for longer rides. Thanks, safe riding to you too.
@@Samibz Agreed on that low seat height. When I stop for fuel after two hours of riding I find that my legs dont want to unfold...usually at the bottom of an offramp! Lol! If I ever find the time I'll swing by the Corbin factory and see if they can make a riser mount or something.
@@Osajunior90 Thanks for the info, didn't realize the 2020 had a taller seat height. At 185cm I don't know if it would really make a difference on the Z series. Or any naked for that matter.
I think the false neutral is a common con for all of kawi moto line. I have a 2020 ninja 650 and i had both false neutral going from first to second and from second to first
Nice video and description of pros and cons. I am thinking about getting a 2020 model but am doubting a bit due to the character of an inline 4. I am going to test ride one before I decide of course but since you come from a 3 cylinder daytona ...what’s your take on that ?
the inline 4 doesn't have the same novelty but I like it just the same. There's something to like about any cylinder bike i think. Obviously the stock exhaust needs to be changed out to get any kind of character out of the bike, but once you do that i guarantee you'll be happy.
Nice comprehensive list. I wonder if the false neutral issue is a common problem for the z900's. Its actually the main reason I'm looking for a replacement for my Monster 1100.
No this was just my bike. I found one of the frame bolts loose and it was causing the frame to stretch which was causing the fault neutrals. Fixed the bolt and no more false neutrals.
Nice video! I have the 2020 model. They fixed a lot of things you adressed. The false neutrals, especially at higher speeds, it's really anoying I agree. Getting a healtech QS this week, I miss it too - since indeed you need to shift fast on this bike.. if you have high in first gear and you go to 2nd, you're almost red lining again so indeed 3rd gear is where the magic happens. Other then than great bike, I love it! Can you tell me where you buy your mods for this bike? For example that radiator protector, looks really nice.
@@SM-zf6ye If you lightly tap the gear shift lever when shifting the bike will slot into gear but as soon as you accelerate and put load on the transmission it will fall out of gear into a false neutral. You can avoid this by making sure you put a descent amount of pressure on the shift lever and being deliberate with your shifts.
eliassami5 Thank you, my only issue thus far is I get stuck in neutral occasionally going into first and have to roll the bike a few inches or slowly releasing the clutch so it will drop in, I’ve only got 100 miles so it may improve with break-in, it may be the norm on these coming off a Suzuki. I never use neutral on the road, mainly pushing it out my garage or warming the bike, occasionally getting fuel ect, I love the easier clutch pull...Thanks again!!!
Ergo seat is night and day. Couldn't ride the bike without it! You just need to make sure you swap the rubber grommets on the front of the seat from the stock one to the ergo seat. I rode around without doing that for about 3 months and knew something wasn't right but wasn't sure why..the missing rubber grommets were why.
SATO racing sells universal brackets, basically a piece of aluminum that you can bend by hand with one hole threaded and one not threaded. Part is called "UNIVERSAL BRACKET - 75mm w/6mm holes (UB-M675-B)" If you look under the battery, there are two factory bolts that i used to mount the brackets to. Also used a TST LED Low-Profile Universal License Plate Light that just sticks on to the back of the plate with 3M tape to light it up. Thats it, works great.
Hey man, nice bike! I have 2 questions..where did you buy the undertail Closeout Panel to cover the whole where the original fender supposed to be? How did you put the plate there? Did you tape it?
Yes my list is subjective. I don't claim to be an unbiased professional motorcycle reviewer. These are my own experiences with this motorcycle. I am glad your bike suits you perfectly.
I don't know if any bike would be comfortable for you... But the Z900 will feel cramped at that inseam. You could maybe get lower for pegs but then you are losing ground clearance.
Have a '22 Z900 & Z900 RS. Never had a false neutral on either. Excellent build quality on both. About the only thing I agree on the cons is back of foot hitting pipe and the crappy pillion seat. Had a '20 MT09 and prefer these smooth 4 bangers. Oh yeah, oem tires suck. But, other than that I dig these bikes.
Thanks for the list of parts in descriptions
I ride this for about a year by now and I can confirm pretty much all you said.
The bike loves twisties, its a ton of fun to ride, it is really low maintenance.
You can turn up the throttle and the engine packs a punch at pretty much all rpm, but it loves to be between 6.000 - 11.000
i also have false neutrals from time to time but you can adjust to it.
its comfortable between 130 - 150 kmh, but anything higher is not great for long rides - max I did was 220kmh, but i am 188cm and was tucked in all the way, it was not nice, my head and helmet were shaking - i just fulll send it a couple of times because the acceleration was great, but you cannot sustain any speeds above 150kmh for long.
i just love this bike, i replaced the handle bar, leavers, gear shifter and i had an upholsterer increasing my seat hight by 2 inch compared to the standard seat (36 leg inseam).
if you adjust it to yourself it ist just perfect for twisty roads and for your daily commute :)
Great video and I share with you the same problems on my 2020. And that issue, when you are not getting it into the firs from neutral as I understood. I noticed that if I put it to neutral and trying first it will not drop. So I let the clutch lever, pull it again and voila!
I had a 2017. Never had any shifting problems with the transmission. No false neutrals.
I know over-filling engine oil causes issues with transmission and clutch action.
Just recently found out that my lower engine bolt had backed out and i had been riding like that for probably over half a year. It was causing the chasis to stretch and cracked a few welds on the frame because of it. This was causing the sifting problems. Got the frame welded and the bike back to how it should be and the ride height went up by half an inch and shifts like my Triumph Daytona did, very positive engagement, and no false neutrals.
@@Samibz Goodness gracious. That's gnarly!
Good points both +/-. I have about 20k on my 2017 Z900. You cant really fault a naked for wind resistance. I put the kawi extended windscreen on and it helps more than you may think plus it looks better than stock imo. Looking at the Givi saddle bags for longer multi day rides, have their tank bag, good product. My ergo seat only lasted a year before the rear seams split, replaced with a Corbin but the height is back to stock which cramps me up. Rubber side down and great riding to you!
Sorry to hear about the seat, hope mine holds up better. The stock seat height is way too low, looks goofy with my legs bent so much while at a stop. Plus the harsh knee angle is uncomfortable for longer rides. Thanks, safe riding to you too.
@@Samibz Agreed on that low seat height. When I stop for fuel after two hours of riding I find that my legs dont want to unfold...usually at the bottom of an offramp! Lol! If I ever find the time I'll swing by the Corbin factory and see if they can make a riser mount or something.
@@scottevens6274 The 2020 seat hight is higher, suits me perfect i'm 177 cm in height.
@@Osajunior90 Thanks for the info, didn't realize the 2020 had a taller seat height. At 185cm I don't know if it would really make a difference on the Z series. Or any naked for that matter.
great bike
Waw thanks so mach!
Dropped mine already only gripe I have is you gotta practice low speed turns more than my older Zzr
Same swing arm as a KLX...😯
I went from a bike that red lines at 16,250rpm to a z900 it's so weird to get used to haha
How weird?
I think the false neutral is a common con for all of kawi moto line.
I have a 2020 ninja 650 and i had both false neutral going from first to second and from second to first
Not sure about all Kawasaki bikes. I've had my 2023 ZX6R for over a year now and have not hit a false neutral once.
Nice video and description of pros and cons. I am thinking about getting a 2020 model but am doubting a bit due to the character of an inline 4. I am going to test ride one before I decide of course but since you come from a 3 cylinder daytona ...what’s your take on that ?
the inline 4 doesn't have the same novelty but I like it just the same. There's something to like about any cylinder bike i think. Obviously the stock exhaust needs to be changed out to get any kind of character out of the bike, but once you do that i guarantee you'll be happy.
are your front signals not falling off yet? the rubber gets brittle very soon doesn't it?
Nice comprehensive list.
I wonder if the false neutral issue is a common problem for the z900's. Its actually the main reason I'm looking for a replacement for my Monster 1100.
No this was just my bike. I found one of the frame bolts loose and it was causing the frame to stretch which was causing the fault neutrals. Fixed the bolt and no more false neutrals.
@@Samibz Good to hear, cheers for the feedback.
Nice video! I have the 2020 model.
They fixed a lot of things you adressed. The false neutrals, especially at higher speeds, it's really anoying I agree.
Getting a healtech QS this week, I miss it too - since indeed you need to shift fast on this bike.. if you have high in first gear and you go to 2nd, you're almost red lining again so indeed 3rd gear is where the magic happens. Other then than great bike, I love it!
Can you tell me where you buy your mods for this bike? For example that radiator protector, looks really nice.
Tell me more about the false neutrals, I’m looking at picking up one this week. Thanks
Radiator guard is from Amazon, frame sliders from amazon as well. Brand is LQMY
@@SM-zf6ye If you lightly tap the gear shift lever when shifting the bike will slot into gear but as soon as you accelerate and put load on the transmission it will fall out of gear into a false neutral. You can avoid this by making sure you put a descent amount of pressure on the shift lever and being deliberate with your shifts.
eliassami5 Thank you, my only issue thus far is I get stuck in neutral occasionally going into first and have to roll the bike a few inches or slowly releasing the clutch so it will drop in, I’ve only got 100 miles so it may improve with break-in, it may be the norm on these coming off a Suzuki. I never use neutral on the road, mainly pushing it out my garage or warming the bike, occasionally getting fuel ect, I love the easier clutch pull...Thanks again!!!
I love the way you set up your bike. I have the same color scheme 2019. I hate the stock seat as well, did the ergo seat make a big difference?
Ergo seat is night and day. Couldn't ride the bike without it! You just need to make sure you swap the rubber grommets on the front of the seat from the stock one to the ergo seat. I rode around without doing that for about 3 months and knew something wasn't right but wasn't sure why..the missing rubber grommets were why.
@@Samibz I actually saw someone saying something like that in the reviews on Amazon makes more sense now what they were talking about
How did you go about mounting your license plate?
SATO racing sells universal brackets, basically a piece of aluminum that you can bend by hand with one hole threaded and one not threaded.
Part is called "UNIVERSAL BRACKET - 75mm w/6mm holes (UB-M675-B)"
If you look under the battery, there are two factory bolts that i used to mount the brackets to.
Also used a TST LED Low-Profile Universal License Plate Light that just sticks on to the back of the plate with 3M tape to light it up.
Thats it, works great.
Hey man, nice bike! I have 2 questions..where did you buy the undertail Closeout Panel to cover the whole where the original fender supposed to be?
How did you put the plate there? Did you tape it?
It's called "TST UNDERTAIL CLOSEOUT PANEL FOR KAWASAKI Z900 2017" from TST Industries. It bolts on with 2 screws, no tape used.
Hey- I was wondering what the top speed is and do you suppose this would this be good on a track?
there is any part number on your Renthal Handlebar Low?
These are not availble at my country so i will try to import, dont want to get a wrong one.
Renthal 754 ROAD LOW is the handlebar.
Your list is very subjective. Most of what you complained about I dont see or have on my Z900. I hope the speed you mentioned was in kph....
Yes my list is subjective. I don't claim to be an unbiased professional motorcycle reviewer. These are my own experiences with this motorcycle. I am glad your bike suits you perfectly.
Honestly you should adjust the shift lever, it looks too low.
It's adjusted for my liking, thanks.
I have a cbr500 as my first bike, you think this would be a good 2nd?
I dont see why not
@@Samibz sounds good, thx
Caleb Whitted - I had a cb500F. The z900 feels exactly the same to ride as the cb500F only with additional, very smooth horsepower.
im 36in inseam what do i do for the foot pegs and tall seat? do u get rear sets?
I don't know if any bike would be comfortable for you... But the Z900 will feel cramped at that inseam. You could maybe get lower for pegs but then you are losing ground clearance.
No parking huh 😂