Parked up outside my regular morning coffee stop in my town, Kawasaki’s Z900 RS attracted a large amount of interest from passing locals – especially blokes of a certain age.
That’s because, appearance wise at least, the designers of this bike drew heavily on the heritage of the Japanese firm’s 1972 Z1.
This was an iconic and ground-breaking machine.
Following on the heels of Honda’s 1968 CB750, the Kawasaki Z1 was instrumental in popularising large-capacity, in-line, four-cylinder, four-stroke engines.
It had originally been developed as a 750, but was increased to 900cc in a bid to outdo Honda’s CB.
Which it duly did.
The bike broke all sorts of speed and endurance records and, at 130mph, was the fastest production bike on the planet at the time of its launch.
And it was hugely popular with the bike-riding public – voted Machine of the Year from 1973 to 1976 by readers of Motorcycle News.
The Z1 was replaced by the Z900 in 1976 and, a year later, by the Z1000 – another legendary Kawasaki.
So this Z900 RS has a proud history and heritage behind it.
So, does it live up to that?
Well, it certainly looks the part – a beautiful modern take on the old Z1.
That includes the flat top-line of almost horizontal tank, seat and duck-bill rear cowl, the distinctive four-into-one pipes, the twin clocks with bullet-shaped cases, the upswept chrome bars and the round mirrors.
The paintwork on the dark metallic green version I tested is deep and lustrous, and the finish and attention to detail all-round is excellent.
On board, the ride position is spacious, comfortable and relaxed, the stitched seat plush.
The dash features the two clocks, a-la the Z1 – they even have the same white-on-black font used in 1972 – but now with a digital LCD info screen in-between.
Lighting is LED all round, including the lovely retro-style round headlight.
The bike does not feature the plethora of tech gadgets found in many others.
There are no ride modes, although it does have adjustable traction control and ABS is, of course, standard.
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The engine is the 948cc from the Z900 – slightly less powerful (109bhp), but tweaked to give more low and mid-range torque.
The Kawasaki boffins worked hard on the note through the fully chromed exhaust, describing it as “tuned”.
I’m not sure exactly what that means but it certainly works and the deep roar is music the ears.
Riding the RS, my one gripe is that, at low speeds, it tends to be rather snatchy.
Open the throttle slightly and it jerks forward, close it and power fades instantly.
Get the speed and revs up, however, and it’s like a different bike – smooth, linear power delivery with plenty of mid-range and more than enough at the top.
Out on the open road, it becomes a joy to ride, feeling light, responsive and a whole bunch of fun.
Whizzing through the gears is a doddle thanks to the assist and slipper clutch.
Handling is effortlessly silky smooth and reassuring, aided by 41mm fully adjustable USD forks and horizontal back-link rear suspension.
And braking is powerful yet sensitive.
The RS is simple and easy to ride, making it a good choice for new-ish riders, but with enough grunt to keep more experienced riders grinning.
And, of course, it looks fantastic.
