Kawasaki Z 900 50th Anniversary

Kawasaki’s legacy of creating motorcycles that have unrivaled performance, excitement, and unmatched styling continues by welcoming four new special anniversary models  to its 2022 motorcycle lineup with the Z 50th Anniversary Z900, Z650 Z900RS and Z650RS.

As the last letter in the alphabet, Z represents the ultimate – the reason why the legendary Kawasaki super4 900 was nicknamed the Z1 in 1972. Since then, the Z moniker has been inherited by several models in Kawasaki’s lineup that have been developed to stand out as the ultimate machines in their respective categories. Fast forward to 2014 and the next step in Z supernaked performance and design was taken with Sugomi styling incorporated into the Z1000. The Kawasaki Z family of motorcycles has grown into one of Kawasaki’s core motorcycle brands.

For 2022, the Z 50th Anniversary editions of the supernaked Z900 and Z650 can be found adorned in a “Firecracker Red” paint scheme, similar to that found on the dominant 1981 Z1100GP that pushed the limits of air-cooled high performance. The Z brand’s 50-year pursuit of the ultimate riding excitement, passed from generation to generation, now vividly adorns these Z supernaked models.

For the Z 50th Anniversary editions of the Z900RS and Z650RS, the iconic “Fireball” colorway of the 1972 Z1 was chosen. With elegant curves resplendent in the lustrous, rich red of the famous Fireball pattern, Z's glorious past and brilliant future shines for all to see. An exquisite milestone to mark half a century of Z history.

Limited production will apply to each of these unique models and a special coffee table book commemorating the 50 years of the Z brand will be included as a premium gift for each customer who purchases a Z 50th Anniversary Edition model.

Z 50th ANNIVERSARY Z900 AND Z650

Z 50th Anniversary editions of the Z900 and Z650 supernakeds are clad in an eye-catching “Firecracker Red” that was found on dominant Kawasaki machines like the Z1100GP. This hue of red was Kawasaki’s signature color in the 1980s, and for these Z 50th Anniversary models, was specially blended, making their aggressive supernaked Z styling even more striking. Dark blue and silver highlights throughout complement the vivid red color and a gloss black frame contrasts the bright coloring. The Z emblem and Kawasaki logo are finished in gold and a commemorative Z 50th Anniversary logo has been added to the front fender, further distinguishing these models from their
standard counterparts. The red wheels feature silver pinstripes, adding to the head turning styling and special seat that has a texture distinct from the standard model. Gold outer fork tubes can also be found on the Z 50th Anniversary Z900, providing a high-class touch.

Z 50th ANNIVERSARY Z900RS AND Z650RS

Reigniting the classic style of the original Z1 900 motorcycle, the Kawasaki Z 50th Anniversary Z900RS and Z650RS retro-sport motorcycles feature a “Fireball” colorway that honors the legendary Z1 and pursues the quality suitable for a 50-year milestone. A special painting process was developed specifically for these Z 50th anniversary models, which includes the candy colors being applied in layers using a special technique that brings out a deep, glossy texture to enhance the inherent beauty of these retro-sport models. The frame is finished in gloss black to complement the rich coloring, and gold colored wheels add to the old school retro styling. Additional special features found on these models include “Double Overhead Camshaft” side cover emblems like that found on the original Z1, a commemorative Z 50th Anniversary tank logo, revised seat material with a distinct texture and special color stitching, and a chrome grab bar.

Adding to the Z 50th Anniversary Z900RS’ design are timeless design elements with minimal bodywork and no fairing for a pure retro-style look.

TECHNOLOGY

Engine management

Ever since our first motorcycle engine in 1950, Kawasaki has been continually pursuing new technologies in the creation of our high-performance engines. Today, our models are filled with numerous original Kawasaki technological features that have evolved over our long history.

Based on feedback from racing activities, the Assist & Slipper Clutch uses two types of cams (an assist cam and a slipper cam) to either drive the clutch hub and operating plate together or apart.
Under normal operation, the assist cam functions as a self-servo mechanism, pulling the clutch hub and operating plate together to compress the clutch plates. This allows the total clutch spring load to be reduced, resulting in a lighter clutch lever feel when operating the clutch.
When excessive engine braking occurs – as a result of quick downshifts (or an accidental downshift) – the slipper cam comes into play, forcing the clutch hub and operating plate apart. This relieves pressure on the clutch plates to reduce back-torque and helps prevent the rear tyre from hopping and skidding. This race-style function is particularly useful when sport or track riding.

Superior Suspension

The large-diameter gold-colored inverted fork with greater adjustability is complemented by a Öhlins S46 rear shock for increased ride comfort and a superior sense of grip and handling. The rear suspension is also equipped with a remote preload adjuster, which makes it easy to adjust settings without tools to suit tandem riding or luggage.

Horizontal Back-link Rear Suspension

Horizontal Back-link Rear Suspension arranges its shock unit horizontally, greatly contributing to efficient use of space and mass centralisation.

Compared to Kawasaki's traditional Uni-Trak rear suspension, which mounts the shock unit vertically, with Horizontal Back-link rear suspension, the shock unit is almost horizontal. Kawasaki's original suspension arrangement locates the shock unit very close to the bike's centre of gravity, greatly contributing to mass centralisation. And because there is no linkage or shock unit protruding beneath the swingarm, this frees up space for a larger exhaust pre-chamber (an exhaust expansion chamber situated just upstream of the silencer). With a larger pre-chamber, silencer volume can be reduced, and heavy exhaust components can be concentrated closer to the centre of the bike, further contributing to mass centralisation. The result is greatly improved handling. Another benefit is that the shock unit is placed far away from exhaust heat. Because it is more difficult for heat from the exhaust system to adversely affect suspension oil and gas pressure, suspension performance is more stable. Horizontal Back-link rear suspension offers numerous secondary benefits like this. 

Brembo Brakes

The front brake package with Brembo components offers stronger stopping power and contributes to even more precise control and greater ease of use. The ø300 mm Brembo front discs and M4.32 radial-mount monobloc calipers are complemented by a Nissin radial-pump master cylinder with stainless-steel braided lines to deliver greater stopping power and a more linear progression when operating the brake lever.

ABS

ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ensures stable braking performance by preventing wheel lock during braking.

Sudden over-application of the brakes, or braking on low-grip surfaces (surfaces with a low coefficient of friction) such as wet asphalt or manhole covers may cause a motorcycle's wheel(s) to lock up and slip. ABS was developed to prevent such incidents. Kawasaki ABS systems are controlled by high precision and highly reliable programming formulated based on thorough testing of numerous riding situations. By ensuring stable braking performance, they offer rider reassurance that contributes to greater riding enjoyment. And to meet the special requirements of certain riders, specialised ABS systems are also available. For example, KIBS (Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System) is a high-precision brake system designed specifically for supersport models, enabling sport riding to be enjoyed by a wider range of riders. And by linking the front and rear brakes, K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) ABS provides the confidence to enjoy touring on heavyweight models. Kawasaki is continually working on the development of other advanced ABS systems.

New Tyres

New Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tyres contribute to the Z900’s handling character.

Assist & Slipper Clutch

Based on racing technology, the Assist & Slipper Clutch acts as both a back-torque limiter and a self-servo mechanism that enables a lighter clutch lever pull.

KTRC (3-MODE)

Ever since our first motorcycle engine in 1950, Kawasaki has been continually pursuing new technologies in the creation of our high-performance engines. Today, our models are filled with numerous original Kawasaki technological features that have evolved over our long history.

3-Mode KTRC (Kawasaki TRaction Control), Kawasaki's most advanced traction control system, offers a selection of modes to suit a variety of riding situations, from sport riding to touring.

3-mode KTRC combines the traction control technology of both 1-mode KTRC, which provides enhanced stability in slippery situations by preventing wheel slip, and S-KTRC, which helps maintain optimum traction in sport riding situations by predicting the rear wheel slip ratio during acceleration, into a single system.

The convenient handle switch allows the type of traction control to be changed instantly by selecting one of the three modes, even while riding. Modes 1 and 2 maintain optimum traction during cornering, like S-KTRC. Designed with sport riding in mind, they enable sharp acceleration out of corners by maximising forward drive from the rear wheel. Modes 1 and 2 differ in the amount that they intervene. Mode 1, set for dry, good-grip road conditions, maintains the ideal slip ratio to ensure optimum traction.

Mode 3 operates like 1-mode KTRC, reducing power to allow grip to be regained when rear wheel spin is detected. It is ideal when riding in slippery conditions or in the wet. Enabling riders to easily change traction control character, 3-mode KTRC is Kawasaki's most advanced engine management system.

Power Modes

Power Mode selection allows engine power delivery to be changed to suit the riding situation.

Models equipped with multiple Power Modes offer riders an easily selectable choice of engine power delivery to suit riding conditions or preference. In addition to Full Power mode, one (Low) or two (Middle, Low) alternate mode(s) in which maximum power is limited and throttle response is milder are provided.

Dual Throttle Valves

Dual Throttle Valves offer increased power and greater ease of use care of a second set of ECU-controlled throttle valves.

Late-model sport bikes often use large-bore throttle bodies to generate high levels of power. However, with large diameter throttles, when a rider suddenly opens the throttle, the unrestricted torque response can be strong. Dual throttle valve technology was designed to tame engine response while contributing to performance.
On models with dual throttle valves, there are two throttle valves per cylinder: in addition to the main valves, which are physically linked to the throttle grip and controlled by the rider, a second set of valves, opened and closed by the ECU, precisely regulates intake airflow to ensure a natural, linear response. With the air passing through the throttle bodies becoming smoother, combustion efficiency in improved and power is increased.

Economical Riding Indicator

The Economical Riding Indicator is a mark appearing on the instrument panel to indicate favourable fuel consumption, encouraging fuel efficient riding.

Using high-precision electronic control for engine management, Kawasaki models can achieve a high level of fuel efficiency. However, fuel consumption is greatly affected by throttle use, gear selection, and other elements under the rider's control. The Economical Riding Indicator is a function that indicates when current riding conditions are consuming a low amount of fuel. The system continuously monitors fuel consumption, regardless of vehicle speed, engine speed, throttle position and other riding conditions. When fuel consumption is low for a given speed (i.e. fuel efficiency is high), an "ECO" mark appears on the instrument panel's LCD screen. By riding so that the "ECO" mark remains on, fuel consumption can be reduced. While effective vehicle speed and engine speed may vary by model, paying attention to conditions that cause the "ECO" mark to appear can help riders improve their fuel efficiency – a handy way to increase cruising range. Further, keeping fuel consumption low also helps minimise negative impact on the environment.

All-LED Lighting

New LED headlamp, position lamps, licence plate lamp and turn signals† add to the Z900’s sharper new styling.

Smartphone connectivity

Smartphone connectivity contributes to an enhanced motorcycling experience by enabling riders to connect to their motorcycle wirelessly.

Clever technology enables riders to connect to their motorcycle wirelessly. Using the smartphone application “RIDEOLOGY THE APP,” a number of instrument functions can be accessed, contributing to an enhanced motorcycling experience. Vehicle information (such as the odometer, fuel gauge, maintenance schedule, etc) can be viewed on the smartphone. Riding logs (varies by model, but may include GPS route, gear position, rpm, and other information) can be viewed on the smartphone. When connected, telephone (call, mail) notices are displayed on the instrument panel. Riders can also make changes to their motorcycle’s instrument display settings (preferred units, clock and date setting, etc) via the smartphone. And on certain models, it is even possible to check and adjust vehicle settings (such as Rider Mode, electronic rider support features, and payload settings) using the smartphone.

Latest Evolution of Z Sugomi Styling

While the Z900’s distinctive sugomi design elements (crouching stance, low-positioned head and upswept tail) remain unchanged, its eye-catching styling benefits from a number of updates that make its aggressive design even sharper.