Kawasaki Z800 review

A streetwise makeover turns the Kawasaki Z800 into a serious rival for Triumph’s Street Triple

We’ve never taken to Kawasaki’s Z750 in the same way as the rest of Europe. The other side of the Channel it’s been one of the Continent’s and unquestionably Kawasaki’s bestselling motorcycles, with 160,000 passing through showrooms since the first 2004 model. They liked the styling, we didn’t like the weight. It was certainly distinctive but it was also heavy for the class at around 500lb, so we Brits bought light Triumph Street Triples instead, a choice justified by more than the flag-waving, as it’s a great bike.

Now Kawasaki has given the naked middleweight Z a thorough makeover, and the first fact most of us looked at was the weight. At 505lb it’s not promising, but the bike was never going to lose much when it retains the old model’s basic steel frame and engine, albeit with an increased capacity, up 58cc to 806cc. With that has come an emphasis on increasing torque across the rev range, helped by the longer exhaust pipes that chicane pleasingly in front of the engine. The motor is also partially rubber-mounted and fitted differently into the frame to reduce vibration reaching the rider.

The design is very aggressive with its bulldog, heavy-shouldered stance, and stylised almost to the point of caricature. The “Transformers” look is so strong you half expect the gloss black tank panels to open up beetle-like and the bike to unfold and rise up in front of you. For me it goes too far, but I applaud the powerful character it lends the bike because as many riders will love it as dislike it. There’s no doubt where this bike is pitched: although it’s an urban tool it’s definitely not aimed at the Day-Glo jacket and handlebar muff corner of the market. A sharp and confident visual focus like this means the Z800 is going to be the only bike some riders want in 2013.

The urban bias goes beyond the styling and generic, unfaired layout. The suspension has been revised to provide an outstandingly comfortable and well-controlled ride at lower speeds, quietening harsh surfaces and dispensing with potholes very effectively. Chase corners at high speeds and it can get a little bouncy, especially in fast direction changes when really pulling on the bars, but the control is still good and I’d certainly not want to sacrifice that lower-speed ride quality for the sake of trying to improve really high-speed stability.

The engine is just as sophisticated. Where the 750 could be buzzy, bordering on harsh, the 800 is creamy-smooth across the rev range, making it a real pleasure to use. The added muscle makes all the difference to the feel of the bike, even though the peak power is only up by 6bhp to 111bhp, as there’s more on tap from idle onwards; so much so that Kawasaki’s middleweight Z finally feels as if it has the thrust to match its mass. It’s a shame the twistgrip response is too gentle: reintroducing the power from a closed throttle results in a soft whoosh and significant delay. The bike would certainly benefit from a crisper, more forceful action here to underline its new-found vivacity.