All Tests – New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000! – Contact: watts, sound and joie de vivre!

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New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000 !

All Tests - New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000! - Contact: watts, sound and joie de vivre!

Rather than simply grafting an engine and a hypersport cycle part on its third Z1000 of the name, Kawasaki returns to the fundamentals of the genre: a catchy face, an efficient chassis without being radical and an explosive engine… Test !

Contact: watts, sound and joie de vivre !

A flick of the starter motor and the four-cylinder snort happily into a flattering purr. Easy to understand, the new version Z1000 has sporty ergonomics but without excess: the feet are further back than on the old version, but the fairly straight position does not put a strain on the wrists.

Much easier to place thanks to the wider handlebars which increase the leverage, the bike plays with the plugs greedily and only the consequent turning radius taints the urban gymkhana. Full like a Russian submariner on a stopover evening, the engine accepts to resume at 2,000 rpm in all gears and allows you to roam at 50 km / h in fourth gear, while keeping enough torque to leap forward. less strain on the right wrist.

Because Kawasaki did not take us for hams: 138 hp (in the free world) rear up from the lowest revs and gallop with conviction, in perfect harmony with the fun vocation of a roadster. Badly present from 3,000 rpm, the block sends the block with real pieces of sensations in it at 5,000 rpm and the thrust then only increases up to 12,000 rpm of the breaker !

No need to abuse the tight ratios of the gearbox, a bit firm but silent and precise: the Z1000 catapults you from one curve to another on the torque in fourth and it is advisable to use the accelerator before refueling gas at the exit of a pin on the first two gears: the front then plays the daughters of the air as the engine deposits !

Packed with punch and reach, the four-legged that would make Mike Tyson pale proves that a four in line also has its voice in terms of thrills, without the need to flirt with supersonic speeds.

The only downside: the nice tingling in the feet at 3000 rpm turns into annoying vibrations at 6000 rpm and then resonates the fork crown, despite the installation of a second driven balance shaft by gear…

But this inconvenience – curiously unforgivable on a Japanese when it is assimilated to character on some American or European motorcycles … – is quickly forgotten as the bike is quick to charm with its perfectly mastered injection, its soft clutch – but not adjustable in spacing – and its ultra-healthy frame which allows many fantasies !

Sport, without exclusivity

Thanks to its narrow saddle and tank, the new big roadster of the Greens encourages entering curves by gently swaying: a practice that the Z1000 loves, without however requiring it to go (very) quickly. Tight curves or long bends, the "Zak" accepts everything with good manners and plunges rope with a simple pressure on the interior footrest.

If it may not have the formidable intuitiveness of a Honda CB1000 R, the Kawa has a front axle as safe and sharp as a sports car (the short wheelbase of 1440 mm and the caster angle of 24, 5 ° is probably no stranger to this analogy) and you really have to pull like a deaf person on the efficient and enduring front brake to feel the fork stiffen when entering a curve.

Able to play off the most violent mass transfers and retain a rare feeling on a rough road, the inverted 41mm fork is a model of its kind. Put to the test by the health of the mill at the end of a curve, the new horizontal rear suspension (rods and spring are now located above the swingarm) ensures an equally remarkable sport-comfort compromise..

Only the changes of angle at high speed on fairly crumpled roads eventually bring up a slight feeling of blur on the rear: a relaxation with a hint of firmness would probably neutralize this episodic phenomenon, not disturbing at the time of arousing..

Able to hang 200 km / h in third and go to the switch in sixth (!) At an unspeakable speed (well, okay: a good 250 km / h!), The "Zed" breathes hard and its chassis is not exceeded, however: in long curves approached with the knife between your teeth at more than 160 km / h, the motorcycle never settles on its suspensions and – as long as it does not catch on the handlebars – do not tack one iota.

Really better !

Back at a normal pace, the Z1000 2010 tries to seduce its pilot with its new fully digital dashboard: adjustable to three positions using a dial not really accessible with gloves, this new dashboard in the color orange, however, is satisfied with the minimum union (see the instrumentation part of our technical sheet) and does not really shine by its readability (rev counter, daily trips and time in particular).

Repositioned on the front of the tank, the contactor nevertheless allowed Kawasaki to bring the console closer to the pilot and would even participate in "refocusing of masses", according to the Japanese engineers! To be frank, the bike is slightly square with practical aspects: the warnings point to absent subscribers, the space under the saddle is as small as the conversation of the participants of Secret Story, the comfort of the seats is spartan and the protection just as much.

To this, aficionados of the genre will retort that the specifications of a sporty roadster do not include the same obligations as a roadster. Certainly. But not being able to slip a disc unit under the saddle of such an attractive motorcycle nevertheless appears to be a difficult shortcoming. Especially since if the price remains to be defined by Kawasaki, the sum of the improvements made to this 2010 Z1000 suggests an inflation leading to 11,000, or even 11,500 euros the amount of the check to be signed (see box)…

3 questions for Shigemi Tanaka,
CEO of Kawasaki France

  • How much will the new Z1000 cost? ?

  • Shigemi Tanaka : the price is not yet definitively fixed but we can estimate that it should be between 11,000 and 12,000 euros.

  • Do you expect an additional cost for the brown model with the snakeskin-style saddle? ?

  • S. T. : Absolutely not ! However, this model will be imported in smaller quantities in France despite a very good reception within our network..

  • What are the objectives of the Z1000 2010 and when will it be available in France ?

  • S. T. : The main objective is obviously to dominate the segment of 1000 cc roadsters! Commercially, we are counting on around 2,000 sales in France in 2010. The Z1000 without ABS will be available from mid-December and the ABS version in January..

    • Fortunately, the machine has the necessary charisma to eclipse its few flaws. Its engine first of all: a monument of pleasure, with a tenor voice and a manly push and without downtime! Its lively, healthy frame and flawless traction also contribute to this flattering picture..

    But above all, the Z1000 finally sweeps away this radical, almost elitist side, which sticks to the skin of many sports roadsters.

    Not that a Ducati Streetfighter or a KTM Superduke ends up boring. But rediscovering the joys offered by a motorcycle (almost) as efficient but much more frequent on a daily basis shows that it is possible to swim against the current while promoting the sensations of driving, without the need to have the technical background or the velocity of a former Grand Prix world champion.

    A passionate brand if there is one, Kawasaki has dared to return to the fundamentals in a popular category, but whose ever higher level of requirement and sharp dynamic potential have undoubtedly helped to frighten some. But the Z1000 sounds like a real return to basics … while obviously offering welcome touches of modernism !

    Going down the fantastic Spanish Ronda road – which with a few straw bales and vibrators would make some French circuits look like school motorcycle tracks laid out in the parking lot of a supermarket! -, sometimes at full speed, sometimes taking advantage of the couple to feast on the fantastic landscapes, the Greens’ bet appears to be downright relevant and should quickly shake the competition !

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