The Kawasaki Z900 ABS packs quite the punch

According to Kawasaki, the Japanese word sugomi, which is woven into their design philosophy, “describes the intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness and felt by the viewer. Someone, or something, possessing sugomi inspires awe, leaves an indelible impression, is daunting in stature or ability, and commands respect.”

The 2022 Kawasaki Z900 ABS reflects this at first sight and had me walking around the motorcycle muttering to myself for at least ten minutes before putting the key in the ignition. It is a beautiful motorcycle, with more than a hint of aggression enhanced by the angular lines, styling and that distinct candy lime green on black trimming. Incidentally, it also comes in a pearl robotic white.

The waspish LED headlights and x-shaped taillight also add to the ‘about-too-pounce’ look of the motorcycle.

Jumping on the Z900 to ride home, it took a kilometre for me to regret only booking it for a weekend and, as I zipped between traffic on the highway, I seriously contemplated going back to renegotiate a few more days. That is how much fun it was to ride the motorcycle. The 4.3” TFT display is simple to understand, although slightly inconvenient with the menu buttons on the display itself. You can also connect to TFT by Bluetooth but, outside of checking how it works, I didn’t use it much.

When I picked up the bike, it was on Sport riding mode, which is where I left it for the duration of my time with the Z900. I switched to Rain – although there was no rain – and Road modes, just to get a sense but Sport mode was the sweet spot for me. Each mode comes with preset power – high or low – and a specific Traction Control setting – 1 for Sport, 2 for Road and 3 for Rain. There’s also a custom Rider mode but I still have a way to go before I can start fiddling with customising the ride.

In these times of rising petrol prices, Kawasaki’s Economical Riding Indicator, is useful. Whenever you are riding economically, whether commuting or on the open road, the word ‘ECO’ as a graphic shows up on the display. I was constantly checking myself, in terms of how I ride, to try keep fuel consumption low while also enjoying the 948cc 4-cylinder with 92Kw power and 99Nm torque.

My time with the Z900 coincided with the Riders Table, monthly ride-out that started in Cape Town and now also happens in Joburg, as an opportunity for motorcycle enthusiasts to enjoy a leisurely ride. Open to all bikes, the Kawasaki Z900 stood out, among the more than 50 bikes that were there. Meeting in Parkhurst, we made our way to Door of Hope in Glenvista in the south of Joburg to drop of donations for the babies before heading out to Capital Craft in Pretoria for lunch and conversation.

While comfortable to ride through the city and on the highways and byways, the Z900 felt a tad restrained riding in the group, where one has to abide by group riding rules, including staying within the pack. So, after lunch, I decided to take the long way home via Hartbeespoort which I didn’t regret one bit. As comfortable at higher speeds as it is in traffic, the wind factor wasn’t much of a bother. On the straights, the exhaust roared in a way that had me both smiling under my helmet and finding reasons to slow down and open the throttle repeatedly. In the beds, it feels solid with just enough grunt to get the heart beating just a little faster as I shifted from left to right and back in the saddle, using the skills I learnt at my last cornering course.

Both the ride home and the ride to return the motorcycle were a bit more relaxed, probably tied to my reluctance to actually get off the Z900. The beauty of my work is that I get to experience multiple motorcycles while the pain of it is that I can’t keep each one that I enjoy riding. My garage isn’t big enough and my pockets aren’t deep either.

Definitely have to figure out a way to get back on the Kawasaki Z900.