KZ's vs Sportbikes

Please give your opinion, on the performance of KZ's vs the morden day sportbike. What are the strong points and weak points of each type of bikes.

I haven't ridden a truly modern sport bike. My last crotch rocket was a 93 GSXR1100, with a 94 FZR600R before that. I switched to vintage stuff after selling the GSXR cause I was tired of having the same kind of bike as everyone else on the road, and I wanted to be able to wrench on them easier. That being said, you can't really compare with the out of the box power and suspension that's on the newest gen or sport bikes. Those things are SICK. On the downside, they keep getting uglier and uglier, and more and more homogeneous.

I wrapped a lot of work into getting my kz650 cafe racer to the point that it's at, and it's still a lot slower than any of the current 600 cc rockets out there, but I get a lot more looks on mine because it's not a clone of the squid next to me's bike.

Hmm.. KZ vs sportsbike.. Yes the power that the new sportbikes have is hard to beat, but I love the KZ's for the fact of being the original "SUPERBIKE" since the first time they made they're way onto the road in the early 1970's, everything that kawasaki has done with their 4 cycle 4 cylinders are based off the KZ's. KZ's are unique, and not a single one is the same, so give me a choice between a KZ and a Sportbike and that KZ will be between my legs in a heartbeat..

I have owned quite a few sportbikes:

1992 Honda CBR600F2
1999 Ducati Monster 900 (with tons of work done... big bore, flat slides etc)
2001 Ducati Supersport 900
2002 Triumph Daytona 955i
2004 Honda RC51
2003 Triumph Daytona 955i

All of these bikes will handily out accelerate, out handle, out brake and out run this KZ... but none of them are quite as cool. I made this analogy to one of my riding buddies that the KZ is like an old muscle car... loud and pretty fast and designed to keep you in touch with your mortality on a daily basis... It's heavy, doesn't stop, doesn't turn and is running on 30+/- year old technology. Today's bikes are designed and built for one purpose... to go really fast! The term repli-racer is very accurate!
Now with some mods, I'm sure that the KZ could be a terror from stoplight to stoplight...
Just my .02 I am new to KZs, but have been around bikes for a long time!

Picture a 1957 fuel injected Corvette vs. 2009 Corvette. The former is a beautiful classic that was King Kong in its day and whose value is appreciating everyday. The latter is a nice car that can blow the '57 away with speed, handling, and braking; will lose value everyday for the next 25 years; and looks pretty much like every other modern Corvette on the road today. The '57 will turn heads EVERY time and attract the crowd, plus it's still fast enoungh to keep your attention. I'll take the classic. Ed

Depends on the rider as well. A skilled rider on a KZ650 can surprise an average rider on a new 1000cc sportbike in the twisties. Cousre as soon as you get out he's gone, but it was fun while it lasted. I've done that many a time to my friends, they are always surprised that I can keep up.

The straight line speed is the only thing I find lacking in the KZ. But that should change with an extra 25-30hp this summer due to the 810 kit and everything that goes with it.

Picture a young lady and an older mature lady. The young girl is fast and good to go. Maybe not always graceful to look at at times but you just know that you could ride those curves all day and all of the night. Exciting to ride but man you sure are sore when you dismount her. The older mature lady has the poise, the character and the style and for sure can give it a good go and while although not as fast as the young has plenty of potential and gets all the looks because she knows how to move and she feels just right and you are used to riding her because you don't get all sore. She is broken in and is a perfect fit and for those in the know the best ride around town. She always keeps you coming back for more. Oh did I mention that if she goes to the gym she can be just as buff as the young girl is and scary enough to make you get butterflies but if you know how to ride her just right you can handle anything that comes up and enjoy riding her just as much if not much much more than any new girl that comes your way.
The beauty is that she won't get jealous of other younger girls. She knows where she stands in life and will allow you to ride any young girl you like and know that in the end you will always be in love with and never leave her.
My girl is going on 30 some years old and she is the ride I love best even after all of the other girls I have ridden and believe me I have ridden quite a many. They excite me but don't sway me from the feel I get riding her nice and hard. If I ride some of the girls hard like I do her they would break, break me or get me put in jail for playing too hard and contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Reading saxjonz's post leaves me thinking I need a cold shower. :blush: :S

Well sounds like saxjonz could go for a ride about now.....:laugh:


As far as KZ's vs Sport bikes that is one sidded fight on the street. But the real fun happens when its KZ's vs hopped up cruisers. There can be some real shame when a $400 KZ reminds the owner brand new full dress bike with all that shiny chrome and loud pipes, that most v-twins are anything but fast.

Notice I said most, there a few out there that can haul ass.

Why do we have to choose?
I've got a busa now as well as a bunch of z's...I ride the Z around town and when me and momma want to bugger off for a little adventure...but when its time to blow my hair back...its the turbo busa....
just my .02 cents

I love the old z's. IMO, even though the new bikes are much faster, they are almost a boring ride compared to my z. Sure, the crotch rocket will beat it any day. buIt always puts a smile on my face when the very crude object i am sitting on is screaming and fighting while i am trying to hold on. Doing the same work on a new sportbike is almost effortless. I test rode the zx-14 at sturgis, and the only way you even knew you were going fast was by looking at the speedometer. All that said, i do see myself owning a newer sportbike someday. So far the busa is about the only bike that has interested me so far. Loads of aftermarket parts available as it has been around for a while. It would definately not be stock, and would prolly look something like irishwill's. Irishwill, that is one kick @$$ bike!!! just like all your others, haha