First ride: 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 review

Kawasaki’s naked beast is back, not with a whimper, but with a big styling bang and an engine to back up the new look.

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It’s not often these days that a major manufacturer makes a complete balls-up of an updated bike, but that’s what Kawasaki did in 2007 with the Z1000. Four years before that, they relaunched the Z1000 name with a fiery naked four whose dramatic looks and lively performance made it a well-deserved hit.

So what did they do with its replacement? Made it less powerful, heavier, longer and (to most people’s eyes) less attractive – just as Honda and Yamaha were poised to provide stiffer opposition with stylish naked fours of their own. Predictably enough it bombed.

Three years further on, and Big K is trying again, in the knowledge that if they mess up this time the trickle of sales will surely dry up completely. At least they can’t be accused of a half-hearted effort. This is an all-new Z1000, with a larger capacity engine plus an aluminium frame for the first time.

You can’t miss the styling. The new-generation Zed has always been a striking bike, and this one goes further with its smaller headlights allowing a lower front end that gives a wedge-shaped profile. It’s all sharp lines and neat details: orange-backed instruments, a new belly-pan, and plastic fork shrouds that accentuate the low, pointy nose while protecting the stanchions.

I’m not sure about the stubby, triangular silencers or the rock star colour option of dark brown with a mock snakeskin seat. But the Zed’s chunkiness up front, combined with its cut-down tailpiece, gives an impression of brute strength – and the new engine does its best to live up to it. Being bigger is a good start. Bore is slightly smaller than the old motor’s but a 5.1mm longer stroke hoiks capacity by 90cc to 1043cc. That boosts midrange and so do the larger-diameter downdraught throttle bodies and their long intake trumpets. Claimed max power is up from 123bhp to 136bhp, with the usual gift of more torque throughout the range.

The chassis gets most work, starting with that ZX-10R style aluminium frame whose twin spars run above the angled-forward engine. It’s more than 3kg lighter than the old steel cage as well as being 30 per cent more torsionally rigid. The new rear shock sits almost horizontally and is worked via a triangular linkage.

Clambering aboard outside the launch hotel near Malaga, the first thing I noticed was the orange instrument panel, which hinges so you can adjust it for angle, and it was legible enough. The handlebar is slightly higher and wider than before, giving a roomier riding position in conjunction with a seat that’s a tad lower and narrower.

That helped the big Zed feel manageable as we headed along the coast road, and the new motor quickly impressed with its low-rev punch and willingness to rev. Above about six grand it buzzed a bit through the seat and tank, though. The solidly mounted motor forms a stressed member of the frame, and despite a new balancer shaft there’s some vibration at higher revs.

I soon forgot about the vibes when we reached Marbella and cut northwards along the twisty A-355. Here what counted was the way the Zed ripped forward from 5000rpm or below, its tacho bar heading for the 11,000rpm redline. There was a soulful intake howl under hard acceleration, as the motor sucked air through the ducts on either side of the tank.

There was plenty of stomp for a naked bike; enough to cruise effortlessly at about 90mph, to top 150mph given enough room, or to lift the front wheel effortlessly on the throttle. But it was the improved handling that did most to make the Zed fun on those winding roads.

The stiffer, lighter frame can only have helped, as can 41mm usd Showa forks that are fully adjustable for the first time. At a claimed 218kg wet the Zed is back to roughly the original model’s 198kg dry, and it was easy to flick around with the leverage provided by that wide, solidly mounted handlebar.

Suspension generally did a good job, giving a firmish ride with plenty of control, although one particularly bumpy stretch on the way back made the rear end lose the plot slightly. New radial four-pot front calipers provided heaps of bite and feel. Ground clearance was adequate, and there were no problems with Dunlop’s D210 tyres.

The small, swept-back flyscreen seemed to have some effect because my neck didn’t ache after a fairly high-speed day. Fuel capacity is reduced to just 15 litres, so you’ll have to stop pretty often anyway. The pillion seat’s tiny, too.

There are plenty of more practical bikes than the Zed, but that’s not the point. What’s important is that this naked four has the looks, engine performance and handling to compete head-on with its closest rivals the CB1000R and FZ1. Kawasaki got this redesign right.

The Z1000 is back in the mix.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Specifications

Price: £8499
Top speed: 160mph
Engine: 1043cc, liquid-cooled, dohc, 16-valve four
Power: 136bhp @ 9600rpm
Torque: 81 lb.ft @ 7800rpm
Bore & stoke: 77x56mm
Compression ratio: 11.8:1
Front suspension: 41mm Showa usd telescopic
Adjustment: preload, compression and rebound
Rear suspension: Showa monoshock
Adjustment: reload and rebound
Front brakes: two 300mm discs, four-piston radial calipers
Rear brake: 250mm single disc
Kerb weight: 218kg (claimed)
Seat height: 815mm
Fuel capacity: 15 litres
Colour options : White/Orange, Brown, Black/Silver