The 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS goes retro and pays homage to the 1973 Z1

The new Kawasaki Z900RS is emerging from the past and into the very near future to a dealer near you. Today in LA, where the fires aren't burning, US journalists are doing the test rides.

Retro is has been quite the topic of discussion for the past few years in motorcycling. From the onslaught of retro machines brought to you by Triumph to the new found love for Scrambler style motorcycles, a little bit from the past is selling bikes today. Kawasaki wants a piece of that pie as well and has made their entry with the new 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS. Introducing the spiritual successor to the famous Kawasaki Z1 of 1973.

The original Z1 is known for being fast, smooth and very exciting, something that the inline 4’s were not yet known for at that time

The original Z1 is considered to be a machine that started many trends in the motorcycling market and marked the first time where a Japanese inline 4 was powerful and priced competitive at a time when the market was ruled by British twins.

It was well received by the press and the market, with a big, powerful engine and above all, it was fast. It was powered by a 903 cc inline 4 engine churning out 82 BHP and hit a top speed of roughly 130 mph. The bike was lauded for its acceleration, stability and wasn’t disappointing around the bendy bits either. A sturdy engine and strong aftermarket support also meant that the already powerful machine was modified in all sorts of ways to extract even more from it.

With around 109 BHP on tap, the new Z900RS is not going to be intimidating or a handful, but will also be exciting enough to keep you entertained.

With the 2018 Z900RS, Kawasaki hopes to bring back some of that charm. It shares the basic engine and chassis configuration with the Z900, a modern aggressive middleweight street bike. The 948cc 16v inline four produces about 109 BHP, a little less than its more modern counterpart. The chassis is again, tuned for a more neutral handling character, but like on the Z900, the Z900RS also benefits from the weight saving afforded by the trellis frame. Overall, the bike has been tuned to perform like a muted Z900, with softer throttle response and more predictable handling. Kawasaki believes that this will help the bike be enjoyable both while riding at a leisurely pace or when take the pace up a notch.

The suspension is taken care of by 41mm inverted forks up front, feature both compression and rebound damping adjustment, and a horizontal back-link shock for the rear. Kawasaki says that the suspension too has been tuned to achieve a balance between sporty performance and comfort. Kawasaki also claims that the exhaust has been specifically tuned to achieve a great sound track, with lessons learned from the intake tuning of the Z1000 and Z900 making significant contributions. If it sounds anything like those bike, I’d probably love it.

While the styling is from yesteryears, the bike comes with all the modern day electronic wizardry that you’d need in the real world.

While the performance may be a little dulled down, the new Z900RS gains a few tricks as well. The new Z900RS features KTRC (Kawasaki TRaction Control), complemented by 2 riding modes. So, like the original Z1, the Z900RS too is a blend of both the old and the new. Its interesting to note that Z900 doesn’t in fact, feature traction control and makes me wonder why the more focused and aggressive machine is the one to miss out on it. The bike also comes with ABS as standard, complementing the radial mounted callipers grabbing on to 300mm discs, with a radial master cylinder enhancing feel and bite. We also have a slip & assist clutch helping with aggressive downshifts if you decide to up the pace.

The Z900RS is all about the timeless styling, marking a union of the old and the new

The design was an important consideration of the Z900RS and I can say wholeheartedly that they nailed it. In fact, it is so hard to comprehend that this shares a common platform with the sharp and aggressive Super-naked Z900 model. The classy teardrop fuel tank, round headlights and spoke-style cast wheels all point to the history of this machine and the is perfectly complemented by an Z1-inspired tail cowl. All these elements blend together to produce a really good looking machine in my opinion. But as this bike belongs to the 21st century, it also features a full LED headlight unit and dual-dial instrumentation with multi-function LCD, displaying all the necessary information at a glance. Kawasaki says that extreme attention has been paid to the details, to make this feel like an exquisite piece of machinery.

There are 3 models in the lineup, with the base model starting at $ 12,999 featuring a Metallic Spark Black color scheme. There is an SE model further up the range costing US$13,199 available in Candytone Brown/Candytone Orange. The range-topping model is the Z900RS CAFE, costing about US $13,599.

Overall, the bike a mixture of the old and new, with compromises made to meet a certain target audience. The bike is more relaxed in terms of manners and ergonomics in comparison to the Z900, but features a full suite of electronic rider aids.

The retro design theme is attractive and extreme attention has been paid to ensure that it stays true to its Z1 roots. Many modern touches like the LED headlight and the multi-function display bring the bike into 2018. But is that what you want when you're paying so much for a machine? Is the way it looks more important than the way it goes and more importantly does it deliver its promise of being a well-balanced machine?

I for one value performance a lot, but would also not say no to a machine that meets that balance of right power and looks this good.