So it’s not a motorway cruiser, but then no-one expected it to be. Not unless you’ve got a neck like an England prop. If there’s one good thing to come out of it, it’s that you’re unlikely to lose your licence doing triple-figure speeds on the Z800. Take it up to 100mph and it feels like you’ve poked your head out of the window of a 747 on take-off. Ease it up to 85mph and you really feel the wind blast. 75mph is comfortable, but you know you’re doing it. Sure, you don’t buy a bike like a Z800 to chew through endless motorways, but the newly-designed front fairing cowl offers next to no wind protection. If the Z800 has one weak point, it’s motorway miles. It redlines at 10,500, which is a giveaway to the fact that this is a torque-driven motor and not one you need to rev to infinity. Power feels strong all the way from 2,000rpm to 10,000rpm. I could have probably used first and second, but my tiny mechanical sympathy gland was working. On twisty coastal roads, I never went above third gear, I just used second and third. Quite frankly, the healthy bottom-end doesn’t need much help and I wonder if Z800 owners will drop the rear sprocket size by a tooth or two. That’s some change! The Z800 doesn’t need any help getting off the line, the motor feels as grunty as a Z1000 from low revs but the extra two teeth on the rear sprocket definitely help pick up the pace. While the gear ratios remains the same as on the Z750R, the Z800’s final drive is different, Kawasaki have gone two teeth up on the rear sprocket. Too often manufacturers skimp on the tyres supplied with the bike, which is a huge sin, because rubbish tyres make a good bike feel rubbish. They’re good: they warm up fast and provide plenty of confidence. Ground clearance is less than on the Z750R but I didn’t get the pegs down once. Our test bikes came fitted with Dunlop’s Sportmax D214 tyres. It’ll cut a dash down fast A-roads with ease, flicking from one side to the other at 50mph, the weight helps keep the bike on a predictable course but you notice things at the extreme ends of the scale high speed transitions are where subconscious steering turns into conscious effort. The front and rear both have adjustable rebound and preload, it felt well setup. After surveying existing customers and riders of competitor’s bikes, they know most don’t go near the suspension and fully adjustable suspension will add to the cost, but nothing more. You don’t get fully adjustable suspension on the Z800 but Kawasaki are confident you won’t need it. The ride quality feels better than the suspension on a ‘budget’ bike should be. This is a long way from the original Z750, where the front end felt soft and surface changes in the road felt magnified when the pace picked up. You don’t notice the extra weight nor can you feel the extra power but what you do feel is how smooth the ride is. On the move, the new compact clocks sit somewhere beneath your chin bar. I like that, but if you like to keep tabs on your speed, you probably won’t. When you’re in the riding position, with your hands on the wider-set bars, there’s nothing infront of you. The new compact clocks and lower headlight are almost invisible. Sat on the Z800, the first thing you notice is the expanse infront of you.
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