Well well well - it's been a month since i've first laid my hands on my Z, first visual impression out of the shop are extremely impressive - despite the funky blue/gold colour tone for SE version.

My riding experience; my first ever ride was a er6-n, by Metro driving school. Cumulatively, I sat on that bike for less then an hour before taking & aceing my JPJ lesen B.

2nd bike was the z900!
Boy oh boy, this bike to me is the perfect beginner bike, this will be the bike that i will recommend brand new riders who never had experience with ANY BIKES WHATSOEVER - those that is dabbing their toes into superbikes entree level bikes, very tame bike.

Tame, both in acceleration & deceleration, the bike's front brake have a very mild bite - which is exactly what a beginner should get! Ever panic coming into a corner too hot and instinctively you touched the front brakes? Well i did, and thank god for that split second after depressing the lever i remembered the multiple youtube video guide mentioning that's a surefire way to have a real fucked up day - and i slowly let it off without much drama, saved - yet i learned a lesson, and muscle memory for it.

Acceleration - again tame (means safety!!), in a sense that you won't wheelie unless you grab more then 60% of the throttle travel, beginners tend to have a rough hand articulation, and the tame nature of acceleration/torque that dosen't really hit you in the face until you're over 6000rpm, is very welcomed.

Bike weight - i don't feel it, at all - infact i felt the er6n at JPJ is way way heavier and not as nimble as z900. The Z900 turning/leaning characteristic is gradual with no surprises, bike actually provided alot of natural feedback that you'll know when you're going to slide. Infact once i felt the chassis is "telling" me in advanced that my backwheel is going to slip (on a white painted line - those smooth type) - and i immediately straighten up my bike, and lo and behold - backwheel actually slip a littlke while bike is upright.

Suspension wise - i can't comment much given that i might just be the perfect weight for the stock set-up? 66kg naked, no clothes. But no complains so far, suspension never really failed me - it always managed to keep both wheel planted on the surface no matter the curvature or small bumps. Or maybe i'm just not riding it hard enough - but hey i'm just a one-month old new biker

Wind/aerodynamics nature - well, with the SE extended windshield, the biggest trouble of wind resistance is only felt on my helmet. The wind resistance on my body/hands are acceptable even at 220km/h, this might be personal - but i will rate the wind/aero design as "just right" for all parts apart from the head. The wind pressure on my helmet is just downright uncomfortable, it's as if someone is pushing my helmet with all their strength towards the back, i am forced to involuntarily have a silly big grin on my mouth as the cheekpads push back on my face - exposing my teeth and making a "why so serious" face.

Additionally my z900 has had the breadbox removed, but the cat remain (guys z900 cat is NOT in the squarebox, if you want to de-cat, you need to remove it from the straightpipe right after the oxygen sensor). So if your local workshop just gergaji your breadbox, it's not entirely removing your cat yet, it's a very common misconception among shops, you can obviously see the cat still in the straightpipe after you saw off the exhaust yet i've seen people saying it's "decat" already. Anyways - i want to leave my cat in, so it's ok.

What i hate about the bike:

1. Sidemirrors, what the shit man .... do i need to explain further?
2. Lights, come on... halogen bulbs... using reflector panels... and this is year 2017... man that's just unnecessary waste of voltage, loss of brightness, and the cutoff for the lights are so weak, i'm not surprised if cars don't notice my lights shining into their cabin when i'm at their blindspots...
3. No traction control, biggest problem. I never had the need for this yet - but it's unnerving knowing this bike doesn't have this safety feature.
4. Engine heat, not really a big problem - but you can definately feel the engine heat warming up your lower/middle shin due to the air passing through the engine and the aerodynamics for the outlet is shot directly at your shin. Not a problem if you wear jeans, but if seluar pendek, slacks/thin kain - sure will feel the heat.
5. Fucking recall right after i buy my bike. Great. Just freaking great.

Globally, Kawasaki has issued a recall for the Z900 but hey it's finally it's my turn for my very own "fix"!

Here's the goods, screws and brackets that's made in Japan - ooohh how fancy
[attachmentid=9430171]

Left side bracket reinforcement:
[attachmentid=9430181]
[attachmentid=9430184]

Right side bracket:
[attachmentid=9430185]

Bottom view of both:
[attachmentid=9430186]

So far there is no recorded failure for Malaysian yet, maybe we're just pussy in riding bikes or our roads are just perfect - but better safe then sorry!

All in all, Z900, as a beginner bike, lepak-lepak casual bike, cheap cheap(relatively la.. with 50k u get this type of peformance weh.. dah kira baik lah), looks like a proper "bigbike" gets a 4/5 star rating from me, as a beginner.


This post has been edited by TheOnly: Sep 22 2018, 05:22 PM

Indeed the burst of power after 6k in breathtaking, literally - no kidding i am holding my breath for that initial seconds, but you really need to be consciously twist your throttle considerably, so it lessen the o-terkejut-panic factor. Sad to say, if a person has no respect towards a high powered motorcycle - they’re just a disaster waiting to happen simply pulas pulas...

Bout the blindspot, indeed the light wont show in drivers sidemirror, but a projector light will shine the road and leak some into the car’s cabin to at least inform the driver that something is nearby. This of course only works at night and does not apply to inattentive drivers or complete idiots car drivers. Every bit of safety measure counts right


Bro - my dealer called me to book a slot for the fix. Takes roughly 30mins.

Above are valuable thoughts on the z900 as well, and of course you had way more experience then me.
My own "review" was based on myself as a complete noob who never had any bikes to compare with, z900 was my first bike and i still stand by that it's a bike i will recommend to a normal civilized human that does not have a deathwish. I most probably will not recommend this bike to a so called "expert, aku dah naik kapchai 15 tahun, tadahal bero" type of people as they will be overconfident.

Z900 is a bike that, gives what you ask for, in a very linear way. It does not prevent human stupidity but at least it's very predictable!


I recently tested my friend str675 as well, and correct - z900 does feel more planted. It's because of z900's weight & the way it's distributed, when you turn-in a corner you can feel that "pressure" pushing on you while you're leaning. Stripple have that feeling as well, but you need to go faster in order to experience the same "push", more "push" equals more centrifugal weight, and more weight on the tyre equals to more traction, and more traction "feel" gives you more confidence.

For Str, you really need to have the confidence to push it. For Z900, it's again linear, you can feel it in your gut it can handle more and more and more, of course until a patch of sand or some uneven patch of road screw your day up (z900 suspension is crap for hard riding)


You'll get used to it, i hated it for the first 2 months of ownership
Now i always use my heel, and "step" right under my gearshifter - i can now deploy sidestand like a boss when parking at mamak


I bought 2 windshield for z900, one is the PUIG tall windscreen (rm650-700), and another from china (rm120) - both are exact same shape. I bought 2 because the first tall windscreen causes too much wind buffeting right below my helmet, thus causing too much windnoise. It's way quieter if i get direct clean wind with the stock low windshield, thought because of chinamade, manatau puig official windshield also same.
So any future potential windshield buyer, beware of buffeting, and if u really want to buy, just buy a chinamade 1 lah... same exact design as PUIG, just not as cantik/refined, but after awhile it'll look all the same with all the dead bugs and dirt splattered all over your tall windshield.


i also recently test-ridden my friend's z800, and indeed the weight is THE major difference between 800 & 900, what makes it worst is actually where that extra 20kg is placed, it's too high up, and too "front" - this translates to sluggish feel (only if you're used to z900 handling), and does not really inspire confidence or "easy-riding" feel, tired u know to quickily bring the bike up left and right @ KKIC. Also, because the weight is so high above the wheel axle, crosswind actually DO affect z800 more then 900. So, yes - unless you compare the z900 with Str765(same category) - the z900 is one of the easier handling bikes, and definitely better then z800.

Weight distribution is very important, the gs1200 is way more heavier, then z900 but when i ride the gs - it feels effortless actually... with the majority the weight %'s so near to the wheel axle, they can afford to add more weight higher up without sacrificing too much "feel".

Thanks for bumping this thread, i did not realize it's already 9 month old, and i've been a biker for 9months! Crazy how i went from learning how to use the damn clutch to having an awesome day @KKIC now, self-promote my youtube video sikit - support abit haha, my Z900 removing all it's chicken strips @ KKIC --> https://youtu.be/x4GHEWZ7sxc



This post has been edited by TheOnly: Sep 5 2018, 10:40 PM

Thanks for the double bubble windshield link, ordered it! Now the long waiting time ensues...

I've ridden my friend s1kRR, comparing to zx6 (both year 2017), and 1000cc bikes will feel smoother (cruising feeling) at 110-160km/h. You won't feel the bike is working hard, and it can casually cruise at that speed. Actually it's quite obvious that a 1000cc is better then 600 right... (600 will feel "lighter" but the difference won't matter after you've used a 1000cc bike long enough, you'll learn how to get better then a 600 - said by my friend who owns the 1000cc)

If your priority is engine vibration/nvh/comfort - my best advice is DO NOT CHANGE your stock exhaust, or infact any aftermarket parts.


As usual, this is a very personal answer, and most owners of mt09 will say bad things about z900, while z900 will say bad things about mt09 - simply because Malaysians must always justify their purchase, and get their friends approvals. So, you should never make a decision based on what "others" said.

Well but to share my personal opinion during the time of purchase, i already had more then enough disposable unused cash to go for bikes in these price range, infact already tried all these: Stripple RS, zx6 or s1000r(naked). Additionally i have no plan to keep this bike more then 2 years also, so i'm not going to defend z900 also lol.

1. Seating Position, mt09 not stylo enough. MT09 seating position is way too damn straight, it looks very awkward, from far you look like riding an old man's bike (gs1200 comes to mind ahem) But at the same time, i don't want to learn on a zx6/supersports bike as well - lesser handlebar leverage etc. My goal is to get the most beginner friendly yet sporty looking enough as my first ever motorcycle right after getting license.

2. Build quality, mt09 really exudes the "budget bike" feeling. It looks very cheap, i don't feel the refinement in mt09 bike, it just feels like a bike built-up from whatever yamaha had the leftover spareparts for, there is no bespoke feeling in mt09 at all. Furthermore, being the cheapest bike in the category dosen't help (i'm new, and budget is not in my top3 priority, and normally i won't buy the cheapest tier of item, no matter what product range la)

3. mt09 STOCK does not have any wind protection at all. I know this is a stupid point for naked bike category, but comeon i still want some sort of wind redirection or "safezone". Tracer was a no-no, it was way too "big" looking for me to handle as a beginner.

4. Electronics. If a bike wants to give electronics assist, i really wouldn't trust it from a budget-bike perspective, i much much rather it don't put any electronic assist then putting "budget" e-assists. Also, as a beginner i want to completely feel the raw feeling of unassisted bike so i can learn better.

5. Throttle, ECU mapping. It's just not smooth, and overly done. It's like the ECU is mapped to inject 20%fuel@10% throttle opening. Basically this is what i meant by "unrefined". Almost all other bikes i tested do not have this "rough" throttle feeling. No, i'm not talking about the powerband in relation to RPM, zx6 has an aggressive powerband yet i still feel it's smooth.

That's my thought when i bought the bike 9 months ago, z900 is basically an upgraded version of mt09, even the price shows that. Mt09 is cheaper but it needs to spend some cost on electronics, z900 is more expensive, but zero electronics and all spend on raw refined feeling of the engine and things that matters.

I myself removed my breadbox and have an arrow slipon.

Even with stock exhaust, i already have a habit of wearing earplugs since Day1. That is one very good practice if you really treasure your hearing, i have bought 3 different helmets and so far ALL still need earplug for my liking: Shoei Qwest, Shoei xspirit motegi, Shoei Neotec2. Those that don't use earplug - well it's your problem lol

Bought:
NoNoise Motorsport Earplugs - so, so, fitment is not really matching for me

Alpine MotoSafe earplugs - the best so far, perfect fit, without cutting out too many noise, just windnoise is reduced and all other sound frequency remain audible

Pinlock earplugs - still not yet open lol, i bought all these earplug from Amazon by batches, and alpine is the best so far.

And a huge box of 3m 1100 foam plug - TOO QUIET, cannot hear too many things, but really good for long distance i presume.

has anyone bought the z900 tall seat accessory? Care to give a review?




I have changed the stock z900 seat with HAS Cushion wrap, but dislike it due to the shop using low quality vinyl, it's not even a marine grade vinyl, so i ordered back yet another stock z900 seat from Kawasaki.

Giving credit where it's due, HAS Cushion has did a tremendous job, i was not saying it's not good - infact his cushioning is a big upgrade from stock seat. Stock seat is just trash.

I will only re-vinyl after i ship in some high quality marine-grade vinyl, probally will give HAS cusion to do it and will tip him an extra 200 or 300bucks for using my materials - but i feel it's too much hassle so i just called my Kawa SA to bring in a tall seat for me lol

Since nobody has a review of tall seat; here is mine!

1. Comfort-wise: It is leaps and bounds better then the z900 stock seat, the cushioning/foam is just of higher quality, it's stiff, substantial support yet at the same time does not cause pressure points. It's the perfect balance of softness & stiffness. Extremely happy with the tall seat.

2. Ergonomics: As a 175cm male, i needed that extra 20mm or so of leg space, and the tall seat perfectly fits my needs - I always felt cramped after switched the z900 rearsets (but no regret for rearset, stock pegs keep on scrapping the floor - scary). I feel higher on the bike, the whole seat is rather "flat" so you won't feel pushed forward.

3. Waterproof: It surprised me that the tall seat option for z900 actually have a plastic wrap below their vinyl. So the vinyl itself is rather "water-resistant" only, it still will trap some moisture at the seams, but no problem at all if you park your bike outside under heavy rain as the seams of the seat is not where you'll be sitting. The tall seat cover can still be easily "dried" with a wipe of a hand - but comparing to stock seat water-proof'ness, it still lose. Nothing is as waterproof as stock z900 seat. But i believe this is a trade-off between breathable and comfort, same as how you wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a plastic bag rain cloth over a gore-tax right? (ie. gore-tax waterproof, but not as high as plastic bag - but the tradeoff is even air/wind is trapped under the layer)

4. Build Quality: Just perfect, no complaints for something so cheap (<1k), Kawasaki stitching looks very secure, faux carbon fibre vinyl feels nice to the touch - well just look at the picture below:

HAS Cushion - undeniably great workmanship, just lacks proper/higher grade materials/tools:
[attachmentid=10034835]

Z900 Tall seat option - even better in terms of foam used, vinyl used, and ergonomics are all correct now, i can actually sit on the whole seat:
[attachmentid=10034836]

HAS Cushion side profile:
[attachmentid=10034860]

Z900 Tall Seat side profile:
[attachmentid=10034859]
[attachmentid=10034840]

A 175cm human with z900 rearset, tall seat, leg angle:
[attachmentid=10034842]

All in all, the z900 tall seat option is really an "upgrade" for those that can afford to sit 20mm higher, ie-shorter riders might have to tip-toe as the ride height is now just slightly lower then a s1000rr.



Just to elaborate on "costing a bomb", because to me this is cheap as compared to driving cars around, and these are not even "performance" car which has super tight tolerances & bespoke servicing service etc "amg//M etc. No a damn golf gti is not a peformance car".

But generally this is my standard cost for those wondering what it costs to naik "big bike":
1. fuel - rm 30-36bucks for 200-250km (ron97)
2. bike service - 4 bottle of engine oil + 1 kawa air filter every 4000km (the price you all own self gauge using your prefered brand la)
3. "major" service at 30k and other big milestones? --> such as spark plug, air filter, valve clearence and etc etc are around 1-2k depending on what, rather comparable to a >2litre car servicing.
4. Tayar - last around 10k KM each, average say rm 1k to change front+back - usually i just change both even if front still got thread left, as i like to have 2 tyres age at the same time.
5. Chain & sproket - around 500-600, every 25-30k if you maintain your chain well.
6. Brake pads/rotors - rather irrelevant, they take too long to finish, unless you racing ka?
7. Chain lube + cleaner - around rm100 for both cleaner and lube, lasts 2month for me, every few days i clean and lube.
8. Roadtax+insurance - around 1k-1.5k depending on your insurance - yearly, so plus minus yourself here & there, but rm350 for roadtax is cannot escape.

The above is basically everything i ever need to pay to keep my bike in a running condition, excluding buying accessories lah which will cost half your bike price with them leathers, accessories, tools etc
And for those that using loan to buy bike, just add your repayments + all the above, and you will know the cost of owning, and actually using it instead of putting it inside the house saying "weekend bike weekend bike", when infact no money change tayar but still boleh pergi KKIC at weekend ngan tayar botak

Been using liquimoly since i bought the bike, so i don't even know it's good or not, whatever is the highest grade rating available in store- never bothered to actually remember the number.
But so far - no problem at all, i guess that's a good sign?

This post has been edited by TheOnly: Sep 22 2018, 05:19 PM

Just checked my phone photos, it's 10w-50 fully synt. So far really smooth and no noticeable engine/shifting problem, gear slides in solidly using clutch or clutchless upshift as long as you don't mess up.

But i really think engine oil is another personal preference item la, i don't believe any reputable brand-name oil is BAD - like that they can go out of business already, maybe just a placebo effect.


i believe it's in the rm600-700 range, i can't remember only seat price as i paid via m2u with tips for my SA who arranged the delivery within 1 day.

Unfortunately i tak boleh keluar malam malam Family already curse like mad for buying motorbike

yes arrived weeks ago, however just as i adjust adjust (without unscrewing anything), the new windshield is too long - fitting not ngam with my accessories, i will lose my ram mount + bottle water holder spot if i choose to install it. So that windshield lives in some dark storeroom never to see the light again.


Also guys, i have just installed a LED flasher relay wired to the brake light. Comments from my friends who followed me says that it's very attention catching and will definitely alert people that you ARE pressing the brakes. Never can be too safe, basically i have 2 blue running lights at the back + 1 licence plate light(3 low powered white led) purposely angled into driver's eye level, so in total i have a combination of red, white, blue lights as my rear running light, while the brakelights will flash 4 times rapidly, then 4 times slower, then remain constant ON - until i release and press the brakes again.

[attachmentid=10088659]

Here's a short demo video of how it looks like, hyperlink included as it seems video does not play while embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLBhcaElkQI




A very good safety device for bikes, but i will not recommend this for car.

some additional notes about z900 and it's lack of TC;

i don't think it's even needed for the z900 given it's linear and smooth throttle response. Infact i'm glad i got a z900 as my first bike due to it's bone stock no-elecs-nanny's helping you, giving you false confidence thinking you're a better rider then you really are.

I've slipped on z900 one too many times to count, but because of that - i got a very good "feel" when the rear is going to slide, and no longer panic and actually let it slide a little instead of closing the throttle immediatelly.

Even if next year when i buy a modern full-on sports bike with the latest electronics and technologies, i will still keep the z900 simply due to how bulletproof and how it represent the pure mechanical motorcycling experience.

TC is a good safety net when you're pushing really hard into corners, but i much rather NOT going into a corner too hot thinking "meh my electronics will save me, infact... my friends who rides litrebikes all have experienced or seen a SBK crashed due to highside, lowside, tank slappers even with dampers, e-suspensions, 99 level TC's.

Cost for that gs100a is 2usd, 7ringgit like that.

Self install, it works on any lighting system, and it will be alot easier if your wiring system is exposed, easier access, so its a 5-10minit job for car/bike light.

As for “how to know which wire to cut?!” Use a voltmeter, and test all rear brake wires, see which wire has a spike in voltage as the brake is depressed.

This is the only useful thing during schooling kemahiran hidup has thought me, how to solder, how to use voltmeter and how to understand a complete electrical circuitry lol

wait what's wrong with that price? 36k for a 2017 (guessing la most prob kan) z900 SE sounds/feels about right, no? too high/too low?

i want to go trade in my z900(2017 manu) to place booking for 2019 s1000rr oso kena offer around 30k ~ (with 30k milage also)