PB mixed issue sampler - updated Jul18

THE BIG TEST
MIDDLEWIGHT NAKEDS
Its attitude more than makes up
for a lack of outright sportiness
Ride quality simply can’t
compare to the rest
THE
DARK
HORSE
SADLY
FORGETTABLE
SPECIFICATION
KAWASAKI Z900
SUZUKI GSX-S750
SPECIFICATION
ENGINE
Type Liquid-cooled, dohc,
16v inline four
Capacity 948cc
Bore x stroke 73.4mm x 56mm
Fuelling Electronic fuel injection
Power 123.5bhp @ 9500rpm (claimed)
Torque 72.8lb.ft @ 7700rpm (claimed)
CHASSIS
Frame High-tensile steel trellis
Front suspension 41mm USD forks,
fully adjustable.
Rear suspension Monoshock,
adjustable rebound and spring
preload.
Front brakes 2 x 300mm petal discs,
four-piston calipers, ABS
Rear brake 250mm petal disc,
single-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1450mm
Rake/trail 24.5°/103mm
Weight 210kg (wet, claimed)
Seat height 795mm
Fuel capacity 17 litres
TECHNOLOGY
Rider aids ABS
BUYING
Price £8249
Contact www.kawasaki.co.uk
W
HILE THE STREET Triple
instantly impressed PB’s test
team visually, the Z900 was
the brunt of their scorn.
Kawasaki always split opinions in terms
of styling, but do riders really like fake
metal plastic frame covers and hideous
carbon inserts on the dash? Or the ‘Z’ tail
light? Aesthetically speaking, it’s
certainly not to PB’s liking. And because
we had sniggered at it in the car park, we
weren’t expecting much from the ride.
How wrong we were...
Fair play, Kawasaki have really pulled
a bit of a blinder with the Z900 as they
have eventually made a middleweight
that is packed full of spirit and fun. Aside
from a riding position that only suits
shorter riders due to its high pegs, none of
us could really find anything to criticise
when it came to the Z’s physical
performance.
For a start, there is the fact it has no
fussy electronics aside from ABS (which is
obligatory now anyway). If you want to
wheelie it you just flick the clutch in
second, you don’t have to prod buttons to
deactivate the fun police. And what a
lovely motor. The Z800 that came before
was totally forgettable, another generic
Top: Plush action from
shock, despite lack of
comp adjustment
Middle: We reckon
the Z-shaped tail light
is a bit pony
Bottom: Nothing
wrong with an
old-fashioned dial...
inline four, but the Z900 has so much more
spirit. Yes, it is still an inline four, but it is
one with some real attitude,
a lovely light clutch and a huge amount of
inbuilt fun. And this new element of
attitude even extends to its chassis.
Yamaha could learn a lot from the
Z900’s suspension, as where the MT
‘KAWASAKI HAVE PULLED
A BLINDER, WITH A
MIDDLEWIGHT THAT’S
PACKED WITH SPIRIT’
bounces over bumps, the Zed has a feeling
of plushness, making it a very enjoyable
bike to ride on the road. It’s not the
sportiest in the handling department, nor
the fastest in a straight line, but it is the
one that you can just get on and thrash
and feel totally at one with – and that
means a lot. A real surprise package and
certainly no longer forgettable, just not as
agile as the Triumph or comedic as the MT
when you let it off its leash. Which brings
us to the red bike...
I
FEEL SORRY for the Suzuki
GSX-S750 as there is absolutely
nothing wrong with it and it
does nothing badly – it’s just
not very memorable and a bit bland.
Actually that’s not true, it vibrates
irritatingly and lacks bottom end, but as a
motorcycle it isn’t that bad. The problem
is, it’s also just not that good...
Despite looking quite modern, as soon
as you turn a wheel on the GSX-S it feels
old. Suzuki make a big deal about the fact
it is powered by a re-tuned GSX-R750 K5
motor – but excuse me, that motor is 12
years old! Why are you boasting about
that? Wouldn’t it be better to use a more
modern engine? Like one from this
decade? And the chassis isn’t much better.
In bends, the Suzuki is stable and
secure, but it’s not a patch on the Triumph
in terms of agility. Whitey summed up his
impressions by saying it felt like the
GSX-S has really heavy wheels, which hits
the nail on the head. It turns sweetly
enough and holds a line, but it doesn’t feel
like a sportsbike. It feels, well, it feels old
– and that’s its overriding issue.
If you rode the GSX-S in isolation you
may think its motor was OK. After you
battle through its lack of low-end shunt
Top: Like the rest of
the bike, plain dash
just gets the job done
Middle: It’s not bad,
but the 12-year-old
motor isn’t stunning
Bottom: Preload
adjustment only
at the rear end
and get it revving it does drive quite well,
in fact it has quite a pleasing top-end rush
once the revs rise. But with just a claimed
112bhp (PB suspects this figure is a bit
optimistic) it isn’t that thrilling, and next
to the gutsy MT, RS and Zed it feels flat
and lethargic. And buzzy.
You may appreciate the secure feeling
you get from the Suzuki’s lovely balanced
chassis, but if you were to sample the
sportsbike-derived RS your eyes would be
opened to a whole new world of agility.
And where is the adjustability in the
suspension if you want to take it on track?
These are all premium middleweights and
as such a decent degree of adjustability
should be standard. And then there are
the electronics...
The Suzuki’s dash, which is the same
unit as the GSX-S1000, is very plain Jane
when compared to the Triumph’s
full-colour unit but at least it is clear to
read and the TC can easily be turned off
while on the move – which is a bonus.
I don’t want to be harsh about the
GSX-S750, but the sad fact is that while it
rides well, it just feels old-hat to ride and
in a class as competitive as that in which
it’s been placed, simply being £300 quid
cheaper doesn’t make it worth buying.
ENGINE
Type Liquid-cooled, dohc,
16v inline four
Capacity 749cc
Bore x stroke 72mm x 46mm
Fuelling Electronic fuel injection
Power 112.4bhp @ 10,500rpm (claimed)
Torque 59.7lb.ft @ 9000rpm (claimed)
CHASSIS
Frame D-section and round
tubular steel
Front suspension 41mm KYB USD
forks, adjustable spring preload
Rear suspension Monoshock,
seven-way adjustable spring preload
Front brakes 2 x 310mm discs,
four-piston Nissin radial-mount
calipers, ABS
Rear brake 240mm disc,
single-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1455mm
Rake/trail 25.2°/104mm
Weight 213kg (wet, claimed)
Seat height 820mm
Fuel capacity 16 litres
TECHNOLOGY
Rider aids ABS, three-stage
traction control
BUYING
Price £7699
Contact www.suzuki-gb.co.uk
66 PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2017
NOVEMBER 2017 | PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK 67