Out of all the modern retro-inspired performance street bikes in the market, it can be argued that the Kawasaki Z900RS is one of the most true to its form. Unlike other machines which are essentially redressed versions of modern naked street bikes, it's clear to see that Kawasaki has put in the extra effort to give the Z900RS a more bespoke finish out of the factory.
I'm talking about the subtle nuances that can be appreciated upon closer inspection of the machine. For example, it doesn's sport a fancy, full-color TFT display, but rather, a beautifully crafted analog speedometer and tachometer combo. The engine, although sporting completely modern technology, gets faux cooling fins integrated into the cylinder head to give it a more retro-inspired appeal. The wheels, too, are a completely different design from the other bikes in Kawasaki's lineup – a nice detail that makes the Z900RS even more special.
As such, it isn't really surprising that the Z900RS commands quite a premium. In India, however, where the 2023 model has just been released, it commands a very, very hefty premium of Rs 1,647,000, which translates to a whopping $19,994 USD. For reference, in the U.S., the Z900RS retails for just shy of $12,000 USD. Now, this is probable due to import taxes and whatnot, and besides, folks who purchase high-performance machines in India aren't usually strapped for cash.
In a similar fashion to the global market, the 2023 Z900RS in India sports minimal revisions. Most notable of which are the introduction of two new colorways – Candy Tone Blue and Metallic Diablo Black/Metallic Imperial Red. These hues replace the Metallic Spark Black and Candy Tone Brown/Candy Tone Orange motifs, which quite honestly, have become rather long in the tooth.
From a technical standpoint, nothing changes, and the Z900RS continues to sport equipment that tops the class of the middleweight Japanese neo-retro segment. Its 948cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, inline-four cylinder engine outputs 112 horsepower and 72 pound-feet of torque. It gets inverted front forks and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock, as well as dual 320-millimeter discs up front and a 250-millimeter disc at the back. Lastly, the Z900RS is equipped with Kawasaki's traction control system and dual-channel ABS as standard.
