Kawasaki Z900RS

[Seeker]

I'm old! I remember the Honda 750-4 being released and staring at it in wonder in Freddie Frith's showroom (look him up) in Grimsby.

I remember the 4 pipes, the electric start, the fact that it cost the same as a Mini! (approx £680)

Then the Kawasaki Z1 came out and upped the ante, I was torn (by now I was close to my first house purchase), the hooligan H1 and H2 two strokes were available in beautiful two tone green, but the Zed had 'presence'. Alas, the house took precedent.

Now this; the Z900RS (MCN's suggested appearance of what it may look like).

If it's in these colours I fear I will not miss the Siren's call a second time but I want 4 pipes (but I don't want a heavy bike - I may be screwed already).

[Craig380]

It's got a nice modern/retro style but boy, those pipes are fugly. I know it's all personal taste but I hate that 'fat cone' style of exhaust.

When I was a young lad I remember the Z1000 being introduced, replacing the 900. There was one in the Hull Kawasaki Centre for £1369, they seemed HUGE. Yet they look quite dainty when you see them now.

[Craig380]

Heh, yes, there were lots of loud exhaust options at the time .... Kerker was the brand used on Eddie Lawson reps. There was also Harris, and a lot of the Suzi GS riders had Alfa 41 (made by Micron, if I remember right). They were really short, literally ended at the pillion footrest.

My sister's boyfriend had a GSX1100 with an Alfa, and it was L O U D. He took me for a blast on it, and I remember looking at the speedo and seeing 130 on the clock. The noise was incredible.

They did versions which exited on the left as well as the right, here's a Kwak 650 with a left-exit pipe:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0cOcddxopxuyJh9RQsdxxYBgv66LlV 7kDf430MKQ3NseR8VsG

[shiftin_gear98]

That looks nice, added to the list of things I'd buy if I actually had some money.
Which I don't.

[Talking Heads]

Fear not about the pipes.
If a VFR 1200 with the fugliest pipe on any bike ever can be transformed from this...

http://www.roadracers.co.uk/bikes/vfr1200-2.jpg

to this...

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/uploads/gallery/album_7578/med_gallery_25046_7578_2504113.jpg

there surely won't be any problem fitting better looking pipes to the new Kwak.

[R1ffR4ff]

Nice above :)

But Yeh!!!!

http://www.classic-japanese-bikes.com/images/Honda1980cbx1000xx.jpg

And lots of Motorcycle makers seem to have jumped on this Fugly Fat exhaust thing :O

[NTECUK]

The Zephyr was a brilliant bike.
Braced swing arms they very much had a good visual impact
http://bikereview.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Bike-Review-Moriwaki-Zephyr20100126_0856.jpg

[maviczap]

Nice above :)

But Yeh!!!!

http://www.classic-japanese-bikes.com/images/Honda1980cbx1000xx.jpg

And lots of Motorcycle makers seem to have jumped on this Fugly Fat exhaust thing :O

As far as I'm concerned the CBX had a nice looking standard exhaust system, and even though it was quiet, it still had a beautiful sweet sound.

As a fellow CX500 owner I also loved the off beat burble of the standard exhaust. Hated the collector box, loved the pipes.

Had a 2 into one on the CX, but just to preserve the original.

[maviczap]

Although the Honda was the first bike I can remember with a 6 pipe exhaust, it was a race bike.

Here's my favourite. Crazy Italians! But then in the 80's bikes were crazy

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Benelli_750.JPG

[Talking Heads]

Rumour has it that the Bennelli Sei was more or less a CB500 four wth two extra cylinders added on?

[maviczap]

Don't think it was a rumour, the engine is identical in many ways to 4 cyl Honda's of that era

Infact they built the 500 quattro which was identical to the 500 -4 engine except it handled and stopped better than the Honda

[Talking Heads]

Back to the Z900RS, Kawasaki's second teaser video suggests the exhaust will not be fugly after all.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/why-does-kawasaki%E2%80%99s-imminent-z900rs-have-higher-spec-brakes-z900

[Seeker]

I suppose the 4 into 1 is more practical and lighter but I was still hoping for something more dramatic and different from the usual. I guess emission regs have killed that for good, still at least we get to keep breathing, so there is that.