2016 Kawasaki Z800 ABS is coming for America

The beloved Kawasaki Z800 ABS is coming to America - finally.

Having made its debut across the pond three years earlier, the feisty inline, four-cylinder brother of the bigger Z1000 is expected in North American showrooms as early as September of 2015.

Lacking some of the strength of its older brother, the Z1000, this mid-level streetfighter still offers a snappy 806cc engine for nearly $3,500 US less than its bigger sibling. If you’re looking for a sassy bike on a budget, this one might be for you.

Jeff Herzog, PR lead at Kawasaki North America, said introducing the Z800 to North America was about “filling out” the popular naked bike line for Kawasaki. The only place that won't be seeing this bike is California, whose recently intensified emission laws have made selling the Z800 impossible without modifications.

The bike was successful in Europe, but its main problem will be competing with the company it finds itself in.

The immensely popular Yamaha FZ-09 and Triumph Street Triple offer similar engine sizes for a marginally cheaper price tag, and about 100 less pounds of weight, with both bikes weighing in at 414 pounds. The Z800 weighs in at 509 pounds - thats a handful more than the 487 pound Z1000, making it a bit of a chubster for the mid-level category.

That’s because Kawasaki’s major cost-saving came from using a heavier steel frame with an aluminum subframe, unlike the purely aluminum frame of the Z1000.

Still, Kawi have banked on keeping the devil in the details. The bike makes up for some of its glaring misgivings on paper with an immensely fine-tuned experience that has given this bike a solid reputation amongst the Europeans.

The suspension rides towards the soft side, but is often cited as being miles ahead of the FZ-09 - developing a reputation for responsive, communicative handling.

“[The Z800 product team] tuned the rigidity of the chassis to give positive feedback to the rider, making them more aware of what the bike is doing and increasing their confidence in the bike,” said Herzog.

The throttle response has been hailed as the smoothest of almost any bike on the market. Couple that with it’s torquey response across the engine’s entire rev range, and you begin to see why Kawasaki decided this bike could compete with its leaner competition. Once you get the fat bastard into the corners, Z800 has a reputation for being surprisingly confident.

The over-square engine delivers a punchy 113hp with 83 Nm of torque, and once you need to stop, the braking is cited as being finely tuned and responsive - with stock ABS performing predictably and reliably.

The ergonomics of the bike tend to favour a forward leaning position with straight and wide handlebars. Some reviews have said this would result in more pressure on the wrists, but the ride is comfortable if you aren’t abnormally tall or a bit on the short side.

The 834mm seat will have anyone shorter than 5’10 tiptoeing and some beginners struggling with the bike’s weight, but for people on the taller side, there is a bit of an issue with a lack of roominess due to the bulky design of the bike. Kawasaki designers were given free reign to explore a “veracious” design worthy of the storied Z lineup.

After 200 to 300 drafts, the end result was not the most classically beautiful bike, but a bold and burly design that will probably offend the sophisticated and appeal to the rugged.

I’m looking forward to the Z800 hitting the market and seeing if it will gel with North American riders. The bike may struggle to overcome some of the critical stats, but if people bite on this bike, we may be able to witness a legend in the making - so long as Kawasaki figures out its weight issues.

2016 Z800 ABS - MSRP: $8,399 US, weighs 509 lbs (231kg) wet -including the standard with ABS -, seat height is 33 inches (834 mm), fuel capacity is 4.5 gal (17L), 6-speed gearbox, and an 865cc, liquid-cooled, in-line four engine.

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