Kawasaki Z900rs

[Too hot]

Thinking of going down the retro ride look and have drawn up a very short list of two.
The big Zee and Triumph Speed Twin.
Anyone got any experience of these two bikes?
The Triumph is the smaller of the two physically.
I do like the overall look of the Kawasaki and probably the newer version with the Ohlins suspension is over my budget(£7500)
Any advice would be welcomed
thanks

 

[leadfarmer]

I had a T120 (which is similar) that I swapped for a Z900rs

personally I much preferred the Kawasaki, the engine is an absolute peach, the standard suspension was also a lot better on the Kawasaki than on the Triumph

I also preferred the riding position and bar width on the Kawasaki, the seat was better too

If at all possible, try both, they are quite different in character

there are various threads on here about both bIkes if you have a search

 

[squibb34]

TMF bought himself a new Z900RS recently ............

Looks good to me, but it's a toss up between this & a Mandello S, which is of course at a different price point. That said, my last Kawasaki 4 cylinder had an absolute peach of an engine, silky smooth, power everywhere.

 

[VINO]

I own a Z900 RS and absolutely love it !. I was a previous owner of both the original 70’s Kawasaki Z1 and original Z900 , the RS is vastly improved over the older bikes, but still holds the good looks of the older ones and makes a great retro bike. There is some very good advice on the z900RS.co.uk forum as the bikes not perfect and a few mods are recommended . Please PM me if you need any more info on the RS .

 

[beemerboy9]

Thinking of going down the retro ride look and have drawn up a very short list of two.
The big Zee and Triumph Speed Twin.
Anyone got any experience of these two bikes?
The Triumph is the smaller of the two physically.
I do like the overall look of the Kawasaki and probably the newer version with the Ohlins suspension is over my budget(£7500)
Any advice would be welcomed
thanks

The character of the two engines is so radically different that you will have to ride them to decide.

At the time the Triumph fitted what I was looking for. If would not argue with anyone who said that the Z900RS was the better all-round machine.

 

[Too hot]

Thanks for the info, gives me something to think about

 

[yofi]

Own a RS but never ridden the T120 or ST. I would also strongly encourage a test ride on all 3 before you dive into the used market. It's not only about the engine characteristics but the ergonomics. Something that often comes up in comparison reviews is that for taller riders/those with larger inseams the Triumphs can feel a little cramped.

If test riding a used bike from a dealer, find out whether it's stock or not, so that you know what you are dealing with. The RS - like the TS I believe - has a rather digital on/off throttle, and it also has less than great fueling when riding in the inner city unless in high gear, so folks often re-map or get a 16T sprocket over the 15T.

Both bikes have loyal owners/followers, so it really is about thoroughly testing the two to see what suits.