Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

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Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Feulner

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

16 pictures

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

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Picture gallery, PS-TuneUP: Kawasaki Z 1000.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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triplespeed.de headquarters

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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The Z 1000 from Kawasaki has had a martial look since the last update in 2014. But you can also sharpen this Z – optically and dynamically.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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The intended use determines the choice of tires for the Z 1000. In any case, all test candidates work better than the original tires – the biggest drawback of the Kawasaki streetfighter.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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After replacing the rubbers, we have already completed a major compulsory exercise at the Z and are now indulging in some freestyle.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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The four systems presented by us are fully legal thanks to EG-ABE and deliver an independent design and refreshing sound.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Test bench expert Armand Mottier from Micron in Furth (right) tested the selected slip-on bags and experimented with triple-speed technician “Obi” with a Power Commander regarding performance.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Around the grim series mask, the Z 1000 can easily be further individualized and also practically improved. In addition to another handlebar, this includes a windshield and mirror for better visibility.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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You should only let experts access the electronics before you bring the electric fips into your house or bike. In the end, the triple speed crew also had to realize that the Z in the standard trim actually had enough power.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Instead of installing a Power Commander, …

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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… it is better to invest in practical things on the Zett such as adjustable, sporty notches.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Bodywork: Fall pads are often a fashionable accessory today, but they should definitely protect you if things go wrong. What to look out for is also on page 62 [PS 2016-08].

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Picture gallery, PS-TuneUP: Kawasaki Z 1000.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Picture gallery, PS-TuneUP: Kawasaki Z 1000.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Picture gallery, PS-TuneUP: Kawasaki Z 1000.

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Andreas Feulner

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Picture gallery, PS-TuneUP: Kawasaki Z 1000.

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Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Optimize and sharpen your style

Content of

The Kawasaki Z 1000 is considered the archetype of the naked street fighters. But even the latest models can still be optimized tremendously. You don’t really have to do much for it.

Jens Hebisch

10/13/2016

the Kawasaki Z 1000 is perhaps the streetfighter off the shelf. So peace, joy, pancakes in the garage? Not quite. The Japan Fighter reveals one or the other weakness. In addition, a character like the Z offers incentives to sharpen the style.

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Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up

Kawasaki Z 1000 in PS-Tune Up
Optimize and sharpen your style

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tire

The main point of criticism for years: the initial tires Kawasaki Z 1000. A real problem, because with the standard Dunlop D 214 tires in the special “T” specification, the Z drives quite indifferently through curves and likes to stand up even without a brake. After a little wear, it gets even worse.

But what kind of rubber brings Z driving fun? We specifically selected three sets of tires from the huge range of manufacturers. One model each for a corresponding driving mode: touring sport, dedicated home route and full attack. However, that does not mean that these are the only suitable pairings, just suggestions from us that we now know will be on the Kawasaki Z 1000 function. And with regard to our test procedure, it should also be mentioned that we put the tire to the test in everyday use: in wind and weather, between top asphalt and behind-the-scenes jerky slopes, at eight in the morning and 25 degrees in summer.

Dunlop Roadsmart III: The original equipment manufacturer of the Kawasaki Z 1000 shows with its new Roadsmart III that it actually has it all and that it has long been offering tires that would nip any discussion about “weaknesses in the initial tires” in the bud. Because as soon as the wobbly skin is down in “T” and the freshly baked Roadsmart III on the rims, the load is running. Suddenly the Z drives just as you would expect from a modern motorcycle. True to the line, directionally stable and with sensible feedback regarding grip level and limit area.

Only when it is really wild game under the rubbers and the asphalt bumps tend towards trenches, you have to take a little wind out of the sails with the Roadsmart III. Here it seems a little stiff, and you want a little more self-damping. Nevertheless, if you are looking for mileage and still want to indulge in courageous cornering, you can access it here. This is especially true for the conditions of the new German summer, with almost 13 degrees and the change between rain and a lot of rain. Wet and cold grip are at the absolute top level.

Metzeler M7RR: Blessed with countless test victory trophies and hymns of praise, he has fully earned every single one of them at the moment. The M7 delivers permanently. Be it in terms of grip, feedback or handling. The tire from Breuberg fully ignites after just a few warm-up kilometers and is very little interested in the split personality of the summer. Smoothly through the corners, out again with fire and with the ease of being through the next combination of curves. The M7 inspires on the Kawasaki Z 1000 in the whole sporty line, and even if the sky locks open again in between, there is no reason to break off or even to turn back. Of course, due to the higher level of wear and tear, the M7 driver heads for the workshop much sooner than the Roadsmart III rider, but this is completely okay due to the performance offered.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III: First of all and before the tomatoes fly – we know that this is now the really big sport for a Kawasaki Z 1000 and that you are probably well served with the two tires described above. Nevertheless, we want to find out – even if it is only for a small minority – whether there is more.

Briefly on the further development of the devil rubber: Compared to its predecessor, it actually works surprisingly well in cooler conditions and builds up a lot of temperature. Even in the wet, the Rosso III doesn’t force you to fly home straight away. But you also have to admit that under the mediocre conditions just mentioned, the M7 can do everything a bit better and inspires more confidence. We made a few attempts and were on the verge of pulling the Rosso III off the rims again, then this one afternoon comes: 25 degrees, the sun has actually warmed up the asphalt and all the agriculturalists seem to be at the demonstration in Brussels. Hell yeah, if the world around it fits perfectly, this skin is a weapon. Grip, feedback, handling – outstanding! And you start to wonder when the Federal Ministry of Transport will finally decide to have the curbs painted red and white.

Our tip? The most important thing is to be realistic about what counts for you and, above all, what you plan to do with your Kawasaki Z 1000. The matching tires are available in our test trio.

Topic buying tires online

But we still have another important piece of advice on the subject: it is essential to check the DOT number on the tire wall when buying a tire, especially when it comes to online bargains! The four-digit number provides information about the time of production of the rubber – the first two digits denote the calendar week, three and four stand for the calendar year. An example: 2815 means that the tire was manufactured in the 28th calendar week of 2015. Motorcycle tires belong in the bin after five to six years. Even if the profile still has something to offer, because the rubber hardens, and what may still run in the dry can quickly lead to undesirable ground contact in the wet. Take a quick look at your own tire sidewalls and read off the number, that can’t hurt.

Slip-on damper for the Kawasaki Z 1000

After replacing the rubbers, we have already completed a major compulsory exercise on the Kawasaki Z 1000 and are now indulging in some freestyle. We dedicate ourselves to the exhaust system. The manifold and collector, which also includes the catalytic converter, remain untouched. However, when it comes to slip-ons, there are some extremely attractive offers on the accessory market. The four systems presented by us are fully legal thanks to EG-ABE and deliver an independent design and refreshing sound.

Scorpion: Unlike the original, the exhaust does not escape from four fanfares, but only from two, one on the right and one on the left. The two neatly processed, round, crisp, short and feather-light titanium structures with a damper shell made of carbon and tension springs spraying racing spirit look downright old school. Their sound is sonorous, deep and fat without really causing panic on the measuring device. Not a bargain, but anyone who likes style, owns all the records from “Sisters of Mercy” and has a sense for the finest materials, will be delighted with every euro..

Remus: The slip-ons from Remus also let the high-density and flared mixture escape once on the right and once on the left – the hypercones from Austria being the absolute “kings of understatement”. If there weren’t any Remus lettering on the matt black coated stainless steel shock absorbers with fine carbon end caps, you’d think that these parts would have always belonged on this bike. If you like the style of the Z and just want to round it off harmoniously, you can use the hypercones. With their angular shape they fit perfectly into the overall picture and also deliver a fine sonorous sound that tends to give you goose bumps rather than roaring wildly and causing a riot.

Hurric: Ruckus is the keyword for our third set of slip-ons. This comes from Hurric, is called Pro 2, is made of stainless steel and has a matt black coating. He does without carbon or other bells and whistles, and at the sight of the bilateral and double-barreled fanfares, Mad Max with a sawed-off shotgun inevitably pops in front of the inner eye. In terms of sound, the picture also fits, because even if the Pro 2 does not kill the measuring device and remains in the legal range, none of the other test subjects comes across as snotty and mobbing as this db-loaded pump gun. Open the gas, close the gas, open the gas, close the gas – this will become the new favorite driving mode with a Z equipped like this. Perhaps not everybody’s darling and politically correct, but our personal favorite for the ride.

QD: The slip-ons from QD are also double-barreled and yet are completely different. The chic of the “Power Guns” is more as if Mad Max had given up his fight for the last drop of gasoline and now a job as an ice-cold contract killer in an Italian made-to-measure suit. They are made of the finest uncoated stainless steel with CNC-milled end pieces, which alone are true little works of art. There is also a face made of carbon fiber on each side. The sound is also a little more restrained than that of the Hurric double runner and fits perfectly with the noble style – more of a sound than a riot.

All four pairings do without the flap system of the original, and so we can already sense decent performance holes. But we are wrong. The performance curves are all close together, and none of the test subjects managed to make any noteworthy outliers – at most the Hurric.

But we don’t give up yet and together with Armand Mottier and a Power Commander we search for any hidden power of the Kawasaki Z 1000. And we are surprised again. The four-in-line already runs damn well in its basic setup, and even if the throttle response is slightly improved by using the small box, the financial outlay and the step into “illegality” with this bike are hardly worthwhile. Briefly for information: Strictly speaking, the installation of accessories that change the emission behavior leads to the expiry of the operating permit. Sure, where there is no victim, there is no plaintiff, but in this case there is no need either. So, save coal and spend the budget elsewhere, for example in a new navigating bridge.

Handlebars and levers

The original handlebar of the Kawasaki Z 1000 is certainly not “completely wrong”, but material from the accessories with a little more span directly ensures a more agile driving behavior. We are testing the Cross Bar from LSL, which positions the driver much more front-heavy and therefore more aggressive. We like it very much for the attack on the home route and also ensures a stylish and martial appearance of the vehicle. For those who like it a little more relaxed, we recommend the “Superbike” from LSL or a similarly cranked alternative from the accessories – great handling and still gnawing miles are the result.

Whenever we’re working at the command post, we treat ourselves to stylish leverage right away. The Syncro Evo from ABM not only fits the street warrior perfectly in terms of style, it is also easy to adjust the distance to the handlebars and also has a very cool feature – exchangeable lever ends. This makes it easy to vary between long and short levers and you don’t have to decide what you like better when buying.

Handlebar end mirror for the Kawasaki Z 1000

Last but not least, handlebar end mirrors from Highsider, which on the one hand pimp the look, but on the other hand also provide a good view to the rear, provided you have only got used to the viewing angle under your arms. Whether mounted on the handlebar ends or regular, the original mirrors belong in the bin one way or another. Because at the latest when you adjust the levers properly – the fingers resting on the levers and the forearm should form a line – you usually only see the airspace, but not the pursuers, and you also have no way of lowering the mirror glass.

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Windshield

That Rizoma-Part of it can best be described as “the little black dress”. But just as the short-cut cocktail dress does not really cover a lot of skin for women, the windshield from Italy does not provide clearly noticeable wind protection. Looks chic and therefore runs primarily under “optical tuning”.

The windshield from Ermax, which, thanks to its size and steeper angle of attack, actually takes some pressure off the driver’s upper body. In addition, the shape stylishly follows the line of the mask. The MRA Racing shield offers even more “windbreaker potential”, but also more optical mass. The part is delivered with an additional holder, on which the parking light is also mounted and thus moves a little further down. The assembly effort is manageable and well described, the windbreak the most noticeable, but the part also the most noticeable. If you want to do a lot of meters with your Kawasaki Z 1000, you are well served with this and leave most ice cream parlors and thus the favor of the audience aside anyway.

protection

Even if the big block looks like it could enter walls and hit craters meters deep, it makes perfect sense to provide the heart of the Kawasaki Z 1000 with appropriate protection. Less against the high-speed departure, which usually leaves devastating traces anyway, than against the “stupid” situations at the traffic lights with gravel or the garage at home with little room for maneuver.

the GSG engine guards are simple but effective and can be attached to the bike almost invisibly thanks to their black mounting plates and black plastic protectors. Perfect for those who want it safe but inconspicuous.

However, this is different Rizoma frame shape. The crash pads, milled from aluminum and equipped with special plastic blocks, not only look classy, ​​but are also well thought-out – the brackets are only screwed tightly to the front fixation and are plugged onto a socket including an O-ring on the rear, which ensures this that the fine component does not suffer from possible vibrations and that you can enjoy the elegance of the part for a long time. In addition, the Italians also offer a stylish and sensible Lima and clutch cover protection for the Kawasaki Z 1000.

circuit

In the series, the circuit looks a bit wobbly and likes to demand a bit of emphasis. We want to know in TuneUp whether this can be overcome with an accessory footrest system that reduces the play in the linkage to the transmission shaft to a minimum. To do this, we are testing the Rizoma Evo system. And lo and behold, the gear changes are much more precise and take place with less force, although the Z still does not step through the gearbox à la MotoGP “seamless”. In addition to this functionality, the Evo also offers various setting options to individually adjust the sitting position, knee closure and foot lever position. In any case, the basic orientation is rather sporty and therefore great for grinding country roads with the Kawasaki Z 1000. We have listed other suitable “footboard” alternatives in the parts list.

Fairing parts and conversion kit

For those who want to give their Kawasaki Z 1000 a more sporty look, Fechter’s Bodystyle product line supplies fine and precisely fitting plastic parts, which can even be painted in the original colors on request. In addition, the parts have an ABE, which rules out discussions at TuV and Co. from the outset.

And last but not least, a tune-up tip for all Z-warriors of the early years. For the first series from 2003 to 2006, Deals and Wheels offers a complete conversion kit, which definitely helps the somewhat aged Z to have a second spring. With a new steel tank, new seat, new side and rear parts as well as all parts for plug-and-ride conversion, the road warrior is embarking on a second career as a retro racer. It is basically going back to its roots as a superbike from the early 80s. We couldn’t install the kit, but we had the opportunity to convince ourselves of the high manufacturing quality, the fine feel and the attention to detail of the conversion kit at the Dortmund trade fair. The parts are all delivered with a parts certificate, which requires approval and registration with the TuV. A kit for the newer models will also follow in 2017.

PS-Tune UP parts table

Component manufacturer designation price permit Source of supply
tire DUNLOP Roadsmart III k. A.. Tire approval www.dunlop.eu
tire METZELER M7RR k. A.. Tire approval www.metzeler.com
tire PIRELLI Diablo Rosso III k. A.. Tire approval www.pirelli.com
Slip-on SCORPION RP1 GP 949 euros EG-ABE www.micronsystems.de
Slip-on REMUS Hypercone black 1075 euros EG-ABE www.remus-motorrad.de
Slip-on HURRIC Per 2 659 euros EG-ABE www.fechter.de
Slip-on QD EXHAUST Power gun 980 euros EG-ABE www.daniele-moto.de
Engine electronics DYNOJET Power Commander V 389 euros no admission www.micronsystems.de
Handlebars LSL X00 Cross Bar 89 euros TG * www.lsl.eu
Leverage ABM Synto Evo 119 euros ABE www.ab-m.de
Handlebar end mirror HIGHSIDER Ferrara 2 35 euros e-approved www.polo-motorrad.de
disc ERMAX Naked bike disc 99 euros ABE www.fechter.de
disc MRA Racing windshield NRM 102 euros ABE www.mra.de
disc RIZOMA Headlight fairing 129 euros ABE www.rizoma.com
Engine crash pads GSG Streetline 128 euros unnecessary www.gsg-mototechnik.de
Engine crash pads RIZOMA Shape 199 euros unnecessary www.rizoma.com
Lemon cover protection RIZOMA Cover Guard 99 euros unnecessary www.rizoma.com
Clutch cover protection RIZOMA Cover Protection 99 euros unnecessary www.rizoma.com
Footrest system RIZOMA Kit EVO 599 euros TG * www.rizoma.com
Plastic parts BODYSTYLE e.g. front spoiler, rear wheel cover, etc.. from 119 euros ABE www.fechter.de
Conversion kit DEALS AND WHEELS Z953 – incl. Tank, bench, plastic parts, etc.. from 3195 euros TG * www.deals-and-wheels.de
Alternatives
Footrest system GILLES TOOLING VCR 38 GT 539 euros ABE www.gillestooling.com
Footrest system LSL 2Slide performance 419 euros TG * www.lsl.eu
Footrest system ABM Targaflex 499 euros TG * www.ab-m.de
Footrest system LIGHTECH FTRKA002 422 euros ABE www.lightech.it

Technical data Kawasaki Z 1000

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