Table of contents
- Upgrade Kawasaki Z 750 Kawasaki Z 750
- tire
- Handlebars
- Brake pads
- translation
- Fork springs
- Shock absorber
- Conclusion
Kawasaki
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Upgrade Kawasaki Z 750
Upgrade Kawasaki Z 750
Kawasaki Z 750
If you love your motorcycle, you don’t have to be blind to its small weaknesses. And he certainly does not have to accept this as unchangeable. MOTORRAD shows how a Z 750 can be improved with little money and a little hard work.
Ralf Schneider
02/28/2008
The Kawasaki Z 750 is leading the way. As the first motorcycle in a long series, it undergoes a number of targeted improvement measures designed to give the driving, braking, steering and other behavior a boost. The basis for this is provided by the top test of the Z 750 in MOTORRAD 10/2007 and the comparative tests in issues 11 and 20/2007. What was criticized there had to be remedied with the simplest, cheapest and, above all, legal means possible. So the costs for the most complex expansion stage are limited to around 1000 euros for the parts ?? including tires and brake pads, which sooner or later become due as wear parts anyway. Despite the strict calculation of the additional costs and thanks to the advances made by this investment, the score for the price-performance ratio does not change. After all, the Kawa gets and keeps a 1.7 here. The cost of working time depends on the manual skills of each individual.
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Experienced hobby screwdrivers with good tools can do the conversions in one afternoon, professionals in two hours. Wherever possible, the parts were selected on the basis of our own tests. Where these were not available, the concentrated experience of the MOTORRAD editorial team helped. Because there were hardly any suitable test conditions in Germany even in this hitherto very mild winter, tires, brakes and chassis parts were tried out in the south of France. The ideal track for braking and pulling through measurements was found on a Michelin test site near Salon de Provence. The area around the Sainte-Victoire and Sainte-Baume massifs offered a plentiful selection of tough kickback routes and magnificent mountain passes. Fascinating panoramas in the clear winter light were a bonus. The sun bravely fought the morning and evening cold. Double-digit temperatures between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. helped immensely in the test work.
tire
Gargolov
This is to eliminate the Z problem zone tires: Bridgestone BT 021 F / R. Super sporty alternative BT 002 Racing Street.
the Z 750 makes tremendous progress with other tires. Among the by Kawasaki Approved rubbers, MOTORRAD chose the Bridgestone BT 021 F / R, which also performed well in the touring tire test (issue 11/2007). The Bridgestone BT 002 Racing Street, which has also been approved, occupies a special position. It is actually a supersport racing tire that has been poorly tamed for road use.
The Bridgestone BT 021 F / R gives the unshakable impression of safe front wheel control over the entire usable lean angle. Driving the test track lavishly provided with curves and bends was pure pleasure with the BT 021, even downhill. All he asks for is a slightly higher force when turning. Kickback wasn’t an issue either. Overall the best of the tires tested for the Z 750.
If you choose the Bridgestone BT 002 Racing Street, you won’t have an easy time in cool temperatures and / or in wet conditions. On the one hand, he has to drive carefully so as not to fly off, on the other hand, he has to be brisk enough to knead the disguised racing tire smoothly. And until then, accept stubborn steering behavior and increased sensitivity to longitudinal grooves. The Racing Street only delights with creamy handling and grip at temperatures that are almost super-sporty. A tire only for the summer and only for specialists.
Handlebars
Gargolov
The LSL aluminum handlebar not only improves the steering feel, but also improves the ergonomics of the driver.
At first the author was skeptical about the LSL aluminum handlebar. Freshly taken from the box, it looked excessively wide and flat; later it turned out that it is only about two millimeters wider on each side than the original. And when the first rider with the high-quality aluminum tube on the fork bridge for corner gymnastics, all concerns finally vanished. The hand position is a few centimeters lower with a comfortable bend, the feeling for the steering is improved, the strain on the wrists remains low. Subjectively, the Z 750 even feels handier, which is objectively difficult to explain. Although the aluminum handlebar with stopper saves a kilogram compared to the standard part with vibration-reducing weights. After all, only the outer part of this extra weight acts as an inert mass, and it is only rotated by a few angular minutes. But no matter how, optically and dynamically, the LSL bar is a real win for 49.95 euros.
Brake pads
If you switch to accessories when the brake lining is due, you usually want to save money. In the case of the Z 750, whose original pads cost 108.36 euros for the front brake and 54.18 euros for the rear, Brembo pads (SA mix front for 73.80 euros, SP rear for 36.95 euros ) and AP Racing (front 58.89, rear 30.37 euros) even improve the braking feel. Even when cold, the accessory pads prove to be more snappy, the forces required on the brake lever are lower than with the standard pads. The red Brembos set themselves apart from the competition a bit. They conveyed a particularly gratifying feeling of transparency and confident delay. With the MOTORRAD favorite tires on the Z 750, the BT 021, all three sets of pads achieved identical deceleration values when measuring from 100 to zero km / h, namely 9.4 m / s2. This corresponds to a braking distance of 41 meters and is better than a comparison measurement with the series tires, in which only 8.7 m / s2 could be achieved. Another proof of the qualities of the BT 021.
translation
The Z 750 is attested to have a very long overall gear ratio. Rightly so, given a theoretical top speed of 250 km / h compared to the real achievable 230 km / h. If you agree with a DEKRA or TuV inspector, you can shorten this translation by up to eight percent and in most cases get this entered without further measurements or expert opinions. In the case of the Z 750, we recommend a 14-tooth chain sprocket from Enuma for 33.30 euros instead of the original 15-tooth. This improves the torque from 60 to 140 km / h in the last gear by 0.8, between 140 and 180 by 0.9 seconds. The gain in driving pleasure is immeasurable. In a direct comparison, the measurement of the rural road consumption with the longer gear ratio even showed a slightly higher value ?? a measurement tolerance paradox that can be neglected. Consumption at a constant 130 km / h in sixth gear should, however, increase significantly with the short gear ratio.
Fork springs
Gargolov
If you mix the fork oil from the two viscosities SAE 5 and 10, you get a 7.5 compromise.
Detailed instructions for changing the fork springs and the fork oil cannot be included here. A special feature of the Z 750, which is only visible when the fork is completely dismantled, has to be mentioned: the left fork leg does not contain a damper cartridge. It does not have to and cannot be vented. Fill in oil, move the damper rod up and down a few times, and the air cushion can be adjusted. That is different as standard: In the left column it is 100 millimeters without a spring and with the sliding and standpipe pushed together completely, in the right it is 106 millimeters.
With the Wilbers fork springs for 99 euros, which differ only slightly from the original, an air cushion of 120 millimeters on both sides is recommended, the oil viscosity SAE 5 remains the same. Accordingly, the driving experience differs due to the better suspension comfort. On the other hand, the Z-750 front dips through faster when braking and blocks when braking hard. Lightweights who are looking for more comfort get away cheaper with the large air cushion and standard springs. And it’s best to combine this setup with the standard shock absorber.
In comparison, the Wilbers shock absorber turns out to be much tighter; the right harmony between Wilbers in front and Wilbers in the back may not be established. So the test team combined the Wilbers leg with the standard springs and the standard air cushion and mixed the two fork oil viscosities SAE 5 and SAE 10 into a 7.5 compromise ?? The French Yamaha dealer, who was spontaneously consulted, was unable to offer any other options. But it worked. Tight in the front, tight in the back, and nicely synchronized thanks to the usable spring travel ?? this is how the Kawasaki developed its sporting talents to an unimaginable bloom. In summer temperatures, larger reserves will remain, and the loss of comfort observed during the test drives will be somewhat mitigated. Nevertheless, this vote remains a matter for those with a sporty motivation and driver stature from 80 kilograms.
Shock absorber
Gargolov
The Wilbers emulsion strut offers an inexpensive alternative to the standard part.
The simple but finely crafted emulsion shock absorber from Wilbers costs 429 euros, is an inexpensive alternative if the 656 euros expensive series part has to be replaced and is recommended for higher loads. Whether this is the result of a particularly sporty driving style, a driver in a higher weight class from 80 kilograms, frequent pillion rides or a combination of all these options does not matter. The non-adjustable compression stage turned out to be sufficiently tight, the recommended setting (10 mm preload, rebound stage 12 clicks open) was chosen wisely. A strong progression from around two thirds of the compression travel helps with a high load, but reduces comfort on bumpy roads. This is also felt by the drivers, who will like the design of the Wilbers shock absorber. Lightweight people are better served with the standard shock absorber. Which suspension strut harmonizes with which fork set-up is shown next to it.
Conclusion
In terms of chassis tuning, two types of Z 750 emerge from this upgrade. A comfort-oriented one with more air cushions in the fork and a tight one, to the harmony of which the Wilbers shock absorber contributes more than can be expressed in points. Both variants roll with a uniform short gear ratio on BT 021 and brake with Brembo or AP pads. The LSL aluminum handlebars look equally good on them.
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