Z900RS: A love letter

I've owned 10 bikes; out of all of them, my favorite was a 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000A. I bought it as a basket case with no title. Getting it running, then running right, was almost as frustrating as getting it legal. But oh mah lort, the payoff was well worth the investment. That gorgeous super-UJM and I did thousands of miles bombing around the Colorado mountains in all weather. The suspension, steering, and brakes weren't strictly up to the job, but as we never came close to 10/10, we never had any hair-raising moments. That bike had unbelievable character and style. When its crankshaft grenaded (on a low-key ride home from work, no less), I was heartbroken. A total engine rebuild was just not in the cards, or the budget.11 years and 6 bikes later, I heard that Team Green was preparing to bring back the classic Z1, renamed the Z900RS. I watched the teaser video and literally wept with joy; all the right style notes married to modern tech. If Kawasaki could pull this off, I thought, I will have found my final bike.Well, I have. I now own a black 2018 Z900RS. The family resemblance to my beloved old KZ is unmistakable, from the classic round (but now LED rather than incandescent) headlight to the beautifully curved tank to the big oval taillight. The engine and exhaust tones are damn near identical, including that glorious high-RPM howl. All the controls are exactly where my hands and feet expect them to be. Best of all, the KZ's few admitted faults have been eliminated. No more fiddling with choke. Dual front ABS brakes with absolutely perfect feel. Three levels of traction control. Suspension adjustable to suit any size rider in nearly any road condition. Slipper-assist clutch that even my girly little hands can one-finger with ease.I have, of course, made some modifications. The OEM saddle is gone, replaced by a Corbin Gunfighter (which, entirely coincidentally, I had on the KZ). The ECU has been flashed by 2Wheel Dyno Works, with the result that the mill now feels exactly like a perfectly-tuned carb-monster, fantastically smooth and pulling hard all the way from idle to redline in all six gears. And those are the only mods I need. Everything else is Just Right.Simply put, the Z900RS is the reincarnation of the legendary Z1, only better. I didn't think it was possible. But it was, and it is, and I have my final bike. via /r/motorcycles https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/c51ryj/z900rs_a_love_letter/?utm_source=ifttt