I took delivery of my Z900RS SE, changed over the OEM accessories and got the standard Z900RS ready for sale. The standard bike was sold in days after being advertised, a good buy for the new owner.
I bought a 50th Anniversary model last year. Love the red ball paint and gold wheels. I just don’t understand why Kawasaki used retro side badges but didn’t bother to put matching tank badges on the bike. I just got my set in the mail and was looking for videos of the installation. Really cool my bike has the retro 900 dual overhead cam side badges like the original.
Stunning, ultimate dream bike as far as I'm concerned. As a first time viewer, I was stomped how you held back from riding it but added all the (tasteful) mods&horns first - until you pan over to the green one :) Congrats, ride safe.
Yes, I was lucky to have the green one at the same time. It took me a couple of weeks just to clean the SE though, it was covered in dirty road grime on the 3 hour trip home from the dealer when it started to rain.
I actually prefer the green colour of non SE version - it really pops. In Canada the standard RS is available in a metallic blue that I think is gorgeous. I like the upgraded features of the SE but I'm not wild about the gold coloured wheels and forks so I'd probably get a standard RS and put an Ohlin's shock on it but this would have to be a 3rd or 4th bike at the rate I'm going.
Stunning bike, just waiting on delivery of mine and been thinking of doing the tank badges snd you've now made my mind up 👍😆 I've also a 96 vfr..... taste is everything Mate 👍👍👍
Congratulations! I'm a big fan of the gold wheels too (ex-Suzuki GS1000S owner) - have to agree with your description of the z900rs being a fantastic bike to ride.
@@davesbikes Good on you. I’m experiencing some electrical issues on my fifteen year old FJR and am wondering if the Z900 RS is a good replacement? I’ve had a few Kwakas over the years and loved them all.
@robcig you should take one for a test ride, I find it extremely comfortable to ride as I get older and has plenty of power. I have had the ECU flashed though to smooth out the snatchy throttle due to the deceleration fuel cut off settings that are there for emissions
Beautiful, beautiful bike. I got my '23 black and gold Café at about the same time. Seeing everyone's bikes makes me want to have one of each model and color! Man, I'm really dyin' on the break-in! I'm only halfway through the first 250mi!
Speaking of paint correction - with mine, it's even more pronounced than the new black Mustang GT I bought in '18. Obviously, all of the damage happens at the dealerships, and it's so unnecessary. Car had about 45 miles when I bought it, and the bike had about 3 mi on it. They really need to develop a dealer system to prevent microswirls, and I would go so far as to say, up to 'scratches' on the tank, my windshield, etc. I may start from scratch and just put a tinted windshield on it. Dual-action buffer and off to the races! Actually, it's very relaxing and gratifying to polish finishes to perfection.
Excellent video my good man, very informative and user friendly. I have the Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx at present However, I shall be having a test ride on the Z900RS SE when mine goes in for service. What a stunning looking motorcycle, you're very lucky. Safe riding & enjoy every minute of it 😎🏍👍
Thanks Russ, I’m sure you will enjoy the test ride. I am in my early 50’s now and the Z900RS is just so easy to ride from an ergonomic perspective, I really enjoy it. I still love my VFR750, that sweet V4 but just can’t ride in that position for too long these days.
Want two (pun) but I haven’t ridden one yet. Im seventy now and my VFR won’t let me sell it but, if I do, this is a bike I’d interested in buying. Thanks for the video, well done!
I will next time I need to apply some, use good quality film like 3M, I use a spray bottle with a couple of drops of baby shampoo in it to coat the surface of the film and what ever I am applying it to, then you can move it to position, and start pushing the water out with a rubber squeegee (I use something the size of a credit card). There are lots of RU-vid videos of the process if you need to see it quickly for a project.
The green RS had to be sold to help fund the SE I was able to secure, but you’re right, I am very luck to have acquired the bikes I have. I was also able to add a CRF250X recently for the tighter bush work 👌 I bought the VFR 2 years ago and it barely ran, I had to do a bit of work on that one, including repairing a hole in the fairing from a stand still drop.
Jeez, seeing your bike make me want to add one to my collection, which happens to include a 75’ Z1b and a ZX6R. Would be a nice stablemate don’t you think.
@@davesbikes years back my beloved, cherry ‘97 was stolen and crashed/totaled by the thief while running from the cops 🥲…. whenever I see a clean Gen 4 I double take … years later I still haven’t found another one in great condition to purchase …
You’re going to love it. Looking at them in the flesh is so much better than the pictures, they really are a very nice looking bike. Good luck with it.
Paint correction is machine polishing to get all the factory micro marring out of the paint. I then apply ceramic coating. Badges are an OEM part from Kawasaki
Hi Ross, paint correction is essentially making sure the surface is very clean by either just a was, or decontamination with a clay bar and lubricant if required, then remove all traces of cleaning agent with a diluted isopropyl alcohol mix. You then, depending on the severity of scratches, use a 500 grit or 1000 grit polish, with a medium polishing pad on a random orbital polishing machine, then when the scratches are corrected, use a 2400 grit polish with a soft polish pad on the machine to get a nice depth and shine to the paint. I then clean again with the ISO mix and apply a couple of coats of a good quality ceramic coat paint sealant. I found the paint on the RS very soft so it does scratch easily, I also applied some clear stone guard to further protect against scratches, the over coated that with the ceramic coating. I didn’t film that as it was new to me and I made a bit of a dogs breakfast of it.
@@davesbikes thanks for the response mate. Yeah the paint seems very thin and I can see loads of micro swirls, thought it might have been the dealer but looks like it’s from factory. Might leave the above to a professional though as i know I’ll make a dogs breakfast of it! Thanks and safe riding
I love that SE, I'm getting one. I'm just curious to know what made you switch from the standard RS to the SE? Was it the upgraded features? The look? I'm just curious! Thanks for posting!
@@davesbikes Awesome. Thanks. I really love the look too. I was wondering if you found the Ohlins or the Brembo's to be an upgrade, so thanks for that information too.
Hi Jay, I bought the weatherproof charging mount, vibration damper and extension lead from quad lock. Mounted the cradle to the bars and ran the wire down the left hand side of the tank and plugged it in to the rear aux power socket behind the ECU. I took the left side panel, and left front side panel (the small black one at the front) off for better access. The front small black panel has one of this push clips facing forward, you press the centre in to release it, then push the pin back through, reinsert the pin, then push the centre flush with the clip to fix it back into place. I hope that makes sense.
@@Jay-hr9ci these are the items I bought from quad lock, I must have bought a small extension cable elsewhere Motorcycle/Scooter - 2 x Spacers 10mm) Motorcycle - Wireless Charging Heads - USB Weatherproof Wireless Charging Head Motorcycle - Vibration Dampener Motorcycle - Handlebar Mount - Handlebar Mount PRO
I’m looking at getting a Z900RS, maybe the SE model maybe not. I’ve seen another RU-vid video where a guy thought the SE seat height was significantly higher than his standard RS. He felt he needed a “low seat” with the SE but not with the RS. What do you think? I’m a bit on the shorter leg side so this is an important consideration for me. Your thoughts would be quite helpful - thanks in advance…
@@davesbikes thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I hate being on my tip toes coming to a stop so maybe the stock seat height will be fine for me once I put my weight on the bike. I’ve heard the stock seat is quite comfortable so I was hoping that a low seat wasn’t necessary.
I originally wanted the 50th Anniversary but I missed out. I loved the gold wheels and honestly I think it just looks better. The paint job on the tank has the tear drop shape instead of the horizontal line on the green bike.
You can put on okford or kaw heated grips, ecu flash,windshield, Seattle bags, sliders, like the green coler most,it's the best all around bike u can buy, it's bullet proof and never brakes down or had problems no matter how fast u drive the perfect bike and the retro feal ,have to have the chrome bar for back seat it's the feal and how it rides and sound is awsome🧝🌟☀️🌴⚡💃🇯🇪
Hi Chris, it was just listed as Green Metalic, sorry I don’t have any more info, it may actually have a paint code, I’m not sure, you would need to ask the question on one of the Aus Z900rs pages
Congratulations on getting the SE. Is it me or does the standard model sit up higher? The seat looks a little different. Just mulling over if I want to pay for the SE. I'm sure the upgraded suspension feels better. They both look great to me. Also the retro badges are a nice touch but to me the bike looks so good, hell I was even intrigued with the badges removed. Very nice sir.
Thanks, seats are exactly the same, funny you ask about the seat though, I’m about to order a Core seat from the UK. I went for a 470km ride last weekend on Sunday, and my man parts were numb until Monday morning. The suspension is definitely better than the standard, but I thought the brakes on the standard were good enough, but the Brembo’s and braided lines do look feat too.
@@davesbikes LOL, well sorry about your "numb parts" problem but it's a review worthy detail. Please let us know about the new seat and how it holds up on the longer rides. I stand at 183 cm and actually prefer a higher seated position. It was what I was used to riding as a little kid. So I would also be interested in what you had to say about the ergonomics and comfort for longer rides. Cheers.
I personally don't like yellow colour of SE and would prefer to buy non se version and upgrade the suspension. Is that possible and would it be enough to match it to SE ?
The 2023 Z900RS SE is 10mm taller, I have measured it beside my 2018,and 2019 Z900RS Jaffas. It's because of the Ohlins suspension, rides taller and better than the standard RS's. Love all my RS's and the SE in particular. They are beautiful bikes, they are the best bikes I have owned.
@@davesbikes quindi la vernice nera originale non è pastello ma metallizzato? Pensavo nero e giallo non metallizzato... Un'altra domanda... Saresti in grado di recuperare il codice colore del giallo? Mi serve per verniciare la mia. Grazie mille.
Both beautiful, have the candytone green/yellow but don't see the reason to get an yellowball, Kawasaki should have made them Limited with more changes then i would have gotten one, beautiful bikes though
Yes I think you are right, when I bought the yellow ball, I understood they would be limited, but more have just been imported. For me though, it was the look, I love the gold wheels and missed out on a 50th edition.
I could NOT have a bike for a week and not ride it! Put about 400km on the first day I had my T120. Love your attention to details but hey, bikes need riding.
I went out on the Fireblade the first day I got it, it was raining but not heavily. But that was because I had to ride it home from the dealer. Not sure I would have gone out in the rain if the bike was already at home.
The thing with the SE though, we only got 50 of them in Australia and I was lucky to secure one. I still had the green RS in my shed at the time (it’s now sold), so I knew how it would ride. Yes I would have liked to get out on it, but I have worked hard all my life, broken lots of bones, and become a little more patient about the choices I make as I really don’t want to knowingly put myself in situations that are riskier for me or my bike. I fully understand your thinking though 🤜
「Kawasaki」より「KAWASAKI」の方がカッコいいですよね👍👍👍 "KAWASAKI" sounds cooler than "Kawasaki" シートを交換しましたか？ 日本では、Z900RS SEとZ900RSは同じシートが標準装備です。 Did you replace the seat? In Japan, the Z900RS SE and Z900RS come with the same seat as standard.
@@davesbikes 返信ありがとうございます。 シート交換のレビューアップしてたのですね。気づきませんでした。 今から観させて頂きます。 Thank you for your reply. I didn't notice that you posted a review about the seat replacement. I'll take a look at it now.
