Got the Z900 2020 model at the end of last summer . candy plasma blue . rode it in sport mode UNTILL the 600 mile brake in oil change . after that put it rider mode been ripping it up sinse. The bike is a rocket . BY THIS BIKE you will not regret it
Excellent review. Honest and informative. I'm in a similar position as your good self and your review has given me the confidence to buy the Zed. Cheers.
Thanks for this video, it's good to hear that this bike can be beginner friendly. My girlfriend currently has a Z400 (about 1 year of riding) and has had her eye on the Z650 and Z900 as her next upgrade but was scared off by other riders from getting the Z900 by telling her "it's too powerful for a newer rider it will rip your face off". Once she'd found out that the Z900 in rain mode had a similar power output to the Z650 it meant she could have a bike to grow into without needing another purchase. Only feedback is your audio is a bit messy, not sure if you're moving around when speaking. Good riding and don't worry about being slow for the first few hundred miles, it's better than being over confident and hurting yourself, you'll become a much better rider for it. Great video!
Go with the Z900 for sure! As long as the insurance is not too high. She will never have to upgrade from the 900. I bout my plasma blue z900 last weekend; upgrading from a ninja 300. The Z900 is so much fun. Maybe test ride both the Z650 and Z900 to see which one feels better for her
changing the front sprocket to 17t and the rear to 41t completely changes the nature making it an absolute pleasure to ride. can not believe how great it is. smooths out the the jerky throttle. night & day!
as soon as I heard GUN, GIRLS,CARS & MOTORCYCLES, I liked and subscribed. + why is the pink stuff is on sale ? i dunno....I guess nobody buys it....except me. that was sooooo hilarious !!!! NICE REVIEW BUD, KEEP GOING !!!! cheers
Perfect analogy..in my opinion...I've been salivating over this bike, however I'm in the same boat..my last bike was a shadow 750 15 yrs ago ..I want back into it, and the ergonomics on the z900 fit me great...unfortunately, here in the southern states. Dealerships Do not allow test rides.. ..thanks your this vid, I'm now convinced I'd be just fine on this bike...its not a beast unless u ask it to be
Thanks for making this video. I started riding 10 months ago on my 2008 Suzuki GS500F. I started wanting something with more power a couple of months ago. I thought about the SV650 but I didn't want to buy another bike that I would outgrow again. The Z900 looked like it would fit my needs with the rider modes and other technology. I ordered one two months ago but the chip shortage has delayed delivery. Today I was curious about how much horsepower rain mode actually had and my search led me here. 75 horsepower in rain mode seems like a perfect transition from the 40 horsepower of the GS500F. If you remember your GS500, the vibration at 5000 rpm is ridiculous! You cannot see what is in your mirrors. Looking forward to a smoother engine and better suspension! Take care and ride safe!
Same reason for me. My first bike is the Z400. Great beginners bike. After 2 years I feel ready for an upgrade and the Z650 was the logical choice. But saw that the Z900 in low power mode runs at about the same as the Z650, so its the both bikes in one. I assume the torque uscreduced as well, as it's this aspect of the Z900 that will get new riders. As I get use to it, I will slowly move up to full power, and not need a new bike. BTW, your riding , nice and slow is perfect. I'm the same way. I'm 51, and dont see the need to rush things and dont drive reckless. Nice and easy is best your you as you gain confidence and the new bike breaks in.
Thank you for the kind words. I have tried the full power mode and i really haven't much noticed much difference with the way I ride. I haven't opened the throttle more then 50-60% yet and at less then that the modes really feel the same. I love the 3 levels of traction control too. For me the price difference with the 2020 on sale vs 2021 new i felt it was worth it to have the traction control and modes. Also, i like the torque on this engine. i routinely leave stop lights in 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear with no problem. Less shifting. My old suzuki 500 was really hard to launch smoothly in 2nd gear.
i havent ridden the MT07, but man, when you get the inline 4 over 8000rpm it starts pulling and the induction noise is screaming. its pretty awesome lol
Yea I love how you said that you have to work for the power and that's perfect, I mainly will be commuting and was scared if I hit a bump and it made me twist the throttle that it would spin up on me. Z900 will be my first bike and I have no intention to speed everywhere I go, I've have a 19 mustang GT and that was good up to 150
@@chunkyninja6988 yeah its really docile below 7000rpm and even above there it builds smoothly and doesnt hit you out of nowhere and throw you back. For the first 1500kms i always rode a gear or two higher then necessary and its a great commuter. I went with Z900 over MT07 to have the traction control just in case. Enjoy and safe riding!
@@rexdaledave yea the mt07 is my other option but I really want the traction control and ride modes but glad to hear that it is docile unless I get on it and I will definitely be in a higher gear. Thanks safe riding to you as well!
I upgraded to the z900 from a Rebel 300, 400 miles on it so far and have not taken it out of rain mode yet, its so fast, did a pull where I reached 115mph and I felt like I was gonna fly off the bike, scary af 😂
I know this is an old video. But when I got my 900, I left it in rain mode for a few weeks. It was twitchy in rain. I was worried about yeeting myself when taking off if I changed modes. Then I got my courage up one day and went to road/street mode after getting used to the throttle. I couldn't notice any difference. Hehe. I guess all the difference really is when you are winding it out.
i dont really notice the difference between them either under normal driving..........but the one time i went full throttle on Sport , i had the wheel come up a bit and scare the crap out of me lol.
@@rexdaledave the CS racing is the cheapest “good” full system I’ve seen. About $750 and is designed to run without needing a tune. +5.9Hp -15lbs of weight. And looks clean AF
I do not ride in Road or Sport long enough to get a clear idea of what those numbers would be. I would suspect Rain mode would give the best mileage since it curtails the fuel delivery.
Thanks for that vid ! Im 46 yo 245 pounds and getting to the road bike world .. I had just motocross and a little honda 250 20 years ago and now want to get on road, was thinking about z650 and was not sure if the z900 would be too much (i dont look for speed and I have kids lol) and you reassure me more about the fact that it could still be a good choice for me .. do you think it could be comfortable enough to ride 3 or 4 hours trip ? as I would probably add some paniers at a point for some trips ... thanks for your input
i'm 6 feet tall and i find the Z900 fit me better then the Z650. The 650 felt like i had too much bend in my knees (on the showroom floor, maybe it would be better riding, but i doubt it). I have been out for 2 hour rides and the seat is really comfortable. I've had no issues with comfort. The seating position is really relaxed and upright. Plus i find i have a good 3 inches i can slide back and forth on the seat. I like sitting close up into the tank, but i do have that room to push back up against the pillion pad. The one thing i am really loving is that the inline 4 is smooth and practically vibration free below 7,000rpm. Only when you get above 7,000 that you start to feel it in the pegs. Hope it helps :)
@@Cyjodev its really not that bad if you drive responsibly. I've grabbed handfuls of throttle in RAIN mode - second and/or third gear and i have never even come close to getting the front wheel off the ground or even getting the traction control to kick in. (i'm probably not going as wide open as i think i am lol). i find that the power is totally linear. there are no sudden surges even when you get up to 9k -10k rpm. I have tried putting full power and full traction control and giving it some throttle and to be honest at 40-50% throttle i can't feel any difference. i'm still too scared to give it more then that lol. if i can handle it, anyone can handle it :)
On the other hand don't feel that rain mode cuts the power as they claim. It's less jumpy to some degree gas twisting less touchy but the power it's still there. Again bike manageable to ride around traction system help 👍.And living in US how do you buy a firearm and go shooting in Canada 🤔 In US you can't even transport a gun from state to state. In theory yes in reality no
I agree. I find the low power mode is less jerky, but it feels just as powerful if you get high in the rev range. I've been pushing a bit harder and have had the TC kick in a few times. Such a fun bike. As for the firearms, we have a licensing system that involves doing a 16 hour safety course before you are even allowed to apply for you license. Then our Federal police force conduct background and reference checks on the applicant. It takes about 6 months to get a license. Then when you do get your license, you have to join a gun club to use a pistol. You are NOT allowed to discharge a pistol anywhere except approved ranges. Plus you have rigorous restrictions on transporting and storing. its very difficult and funny that they keep trying to force more rules on legal gun owners when its the illegal/criminals who are committing all the firearm related crimes.
I drove to Canton Georgia to freedom power sports from Texas in a rental van. It was closing soon whatever. Drove 12 hours back home. I slept then took it for a ride. At 31 miles my rear tire blew. Didn't wreck thank goodness. Freedom power sports is shit. To get my kawasaki z900 se. Wanted some green on my kawasaki I had to find a SE model.
@@rexdaledave I was running along a farm rd. 2004 just got off a steep bridge...about a 1/4 mile later my rear swing arm wasn't behind me anymore. I blip the throttle and grabbed a little front brake. It straightened out and I grabbed a whole hand full of the abs brake and stopped 6 inches of the opposite ditch.
Smart very smart ,you got reviews of mt 07 Ninja 650 sv650 which is a total waste of time and money. Video is very helpful rather then put in sport mode and going through the city like being on the track ,like those guys that ride all the bikes in the world. Really have no good opinions about any of them
@@rexdaledave Do you stall on the first gear I mean I'm not popping a clutch but my z900 have to work on the first , stalling a lot and tend to race from the start. Does it happen with yours
@@oswiecaczciemnoty3612 no i dont have that problem at all. i find the assist clutch makes it easier to get going. i tend to let the clutch out slowly (probably too slow) and i have had good results with it.
I was at the dealer and it was your bike that convinced me to get the 2021 red one. I have the exact same situation and questions that you had. I’m going from a ZX-6R last ride 6 years ago. Based on your opinion, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. Just waiting for delivery now.
Got the Z900 2020 model at the end of last summer . candy plasma blue . rode it in sport mode UNTILL the 600 mile brake in oil change . after that put it rider mode been ripping it up sinse. The bike is a rocket . BY THIS BIKE you will not regret it
Thanks for this. I’m waiting for my Z900 to arrive, so I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
This video was great!! Have been looking for a video like this on the 900! Very in depth!
Thanks!!! It’s phenomenal bike
Just picked mine up and I agree, Rain mode is perfect my needs. Smooth.
Awesome. I hope you’re having better weather then me 😜
Just about to pick one up myself 🤙
Excellent review. Honest and informative. I'm in a similar position as your good self and your review has given me the confidence to buy the Zed. Cheers.
Glad to help. Awesome bike. If kawi outs a quick shifter and cruise on this thing they'd have a serious contender.
Thanks for this video, it's good to hear that this bike can be beginner friendly. My girlfriend currently has a Z400 (about 1 year of riding) and has had her eye on the Z650 and Z900 as her next upgrade but was scared off by other riders from getting the Z900 by telling her "it's too powerful for a newer rider it will rip your face off". Once she'd found out that the Z900 in rain mode had a similar power output to the Z650 it meant she could have a bike to grow into without needing another purchase.
Only feedback is your audio is a bit messy, not sure if you're moving around when speaking.
Good riding and don't worry about being slow for the first few hundred miles, it's better than being over confident and hurting yourself, you'll become a much better rider for it. Great video!
Go with the Z900 for sure! As long as the insurance is not too high. She will never have to upgrade from the 900. I bout my plasma blue z900 last weekend; upgrading from a ninja 300. The Z900 is so much fun. Maybe test ride both the Z650 and Z900 to see which one feels better for her
@@TrendingHeadlinesTV She went with the 900 in the end and loves it! Very smooth bike and nice to ride.
Brought this beast 3 days before .. and rode it on RAIN mode and really it's awesome .
Thanks for making this vid I had the same mind set traded my z650 as my 1st bike for z900 keep up the good work.
Congratulations. You’re going to love the power. Drive safe!!
Finally, i got the same questions for 2 months. It's the same reasons i got this bike.
changing the front sprocket to 17t and the rear to 41t completely changes the nature making it an absolute pleasure to ride. can not believe how great it is. smooths out the the jerky throttle. night & day!
I just got a 39 rear. Should i still get the front 17?
as soon as I heard GUN, GIRLS,CARS & MOTORCYCLES, I liked and subscribed.
+ why is the pink stuff is on sale ? i dunno....I guess nobody buys it....except me. that was sooooo hilarious !!!! NICE REVIEW BUD, KEEP GOING !!!! cheers
Very great video and info! , nice to see a fellow rider in the GTA, I'm picking up my z900 tomorrow upgrading from a ninja 650 ..cant wait !
congatulations!! you are going to love it. i finally put it in road mode and opened it up........you better hold on. it pulls like heck
Great review. Love the blue
Perfect analogy..in my opinion...I've been salivating over this bike, however I'm in the same boat..my last bike was a shadow 750 15 yrs ago ..I want back into it, and the ergonomics on the z900 fit me great...unfortunately, here in the southern states. Dealerships Do not allow test rides.. ..thanks your this vid, I'm now convinced I'd be just fine on this bike...its not a beast unless u ask it to be
You won't be disappointed. It's so smooth and easy to operate in stop and go traffic. Good luck
Thanks for making this video. I started riding 10 months ago on my 2008 Suzuki GS500F. I started wanting something with more power a couple of months ago. I thought about the SV650 but I didn't want to buy another bike that I would outgrow again. The Z900 looked like it would fit my needs with the rider modes and other technology. I ordered one two months ago but the chip shortage has delayed delivery. Today I was curious about how much horsepower rain mode actually had and my search led me here. 75 horsepower in rain mode seems like a perfect transition from the 40 horsepower of the GS500F. If you remember your GS500, the vibration at 5000 rpm is ridiculous! You cannot see what is in your mirrors. Looking forward to a smoother engine and better suspension! Take care and ride safe!
Same reason for me. My first bike is the Z400. Great beginners bike. After 2 years I feel ready for an upgrade and the Z650 was the logical choice. But saw that the Z900 in low power mode runs at about the same as the Z650, so its the both bikes in one. I assume the torque uscreduced as well, as it's this aspect of the Z900 that will get new riders. As I get use to it, I will slowly move up to full power, and not need a new bike. BTW, your riding , nice and slow is perfect. I'm the same way. I'm 51, and dont see the need to rush things and dont drive reckless. Nice and easy is best your you as you gain confidence and the new bike breaks in.
Thank you for the kind words. I have tried the full power mode and i really haven't much noticed much difference with the way I ride. I haven't opened the throttle more then 50-60% yet and at less then that the modes really feel the same. I love the 3 levels of traction control too. For me the price difference with the 2020 on sale vs 2021 new i felt it was worth it to have the traction control and modes. Also, i like the torque on this engine. i routinely leave stop lights in 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear with no problem. Less shifting. My old suzuki 500 was really hard to launch smoothly in 2nd gear.
Thank you so much for this video
@marcosa8285 thanks for watching. It's great bike. I've rode many other bikes from yamaha Suzuki and KTM and find this one my favourite
Awesome bike, great choice, ride safe
Thank you so much for this info!! Kept debating from a z900 or a mt07 and now I will go z900
i havent ridden the MT07, but man, when you get the inline 4 over 8000rpm it starts pulling and the induction noise is screaming. its pretty awesome lol
Yea I love how you said that you have to work for the power and that's perfect, I mainly will be commuting and was scared if I hit a bump and it made me twist the throttle that it would spin up on me. Z900 will be my first bike and I have no intention to speed everywhere I go, I've have a 19 mustang GT and that was good up to 150
@@chunkyninja6988 yeah its really docile below 7000rpm and even above there it builds smoothly and doesnt hit you out of nowhere and throw you back. For the first 1500kms i always rode a gear or two higher then necessary and its a great commuter. I went with Z900 over MT07 to have the traction control just in case. Enjoy and safe riding!
@@rexdaledave yea the mt07 is my other option but I really want the traction control and ride modes but glad to hear that it is docile unless I get on it and I will definitely be in a higher gear. Thanks safe riding to you as well!
You explaining my dilemma at the moment 100%!!!
get the Z900 you won't regret it. awesome bike.
I upgraded to the z900 from a Rebel 300, 400 miles on it so far and have not taken it out of rain mode yet, its so fast, did a pull where I reached 115mph and I felt like I was gonna fly off the bike, scary af 😂
AHHAHHAHAH
I know this is an old video. But when I got my 900, I left it in rain mode for a few weeks. It was twitchy in rain. I was worried about yeeting myself when taking off if I changed modes. Then I got my courage up one day and went to road/street mode after getting used to the throttle. I couldn't notice any difference. Hehe. I guess all the difference really is when you are winding it out.
i dont really notice the difference between them either under normal driving..........but the one time i went full throttle on Sport , i had the wheel come up a bit and scare the crap out of me lol.
Need to get an exhaust. I suggest the CS racing full system
Pricing them out now. Just debating which one to get and if I want to spend that much lol
@@rexdaledave the CS racing is the cheapest “good” full system I’ve seen. About $750 and is designed to run without needing a tune. +5.9Hp -15lbs of weight. And looks clean AF
@@toofastnobrakes thats great news. I was worried about finding a tune as my local shop isn't able to do it. Thanks for the info
@@rexdaledave glad to help. They show Dyno runs on RUclips of the exhausts as well if you wanna check them out
Got this exhaust with ECU flash by 2wheeldynoworks… all I can say is WOW
Does the km/l change when changed in to rain mode?
I do not ride in Road or Sport long enough to get a clear idea of what those numbers would be. I would suspect Rain mode would give the best mileage since it curtails the fuel delivery.
Thanks for that vid ! Im 46 yo 245 pounds and getting to the road bike world .. I had just motocross and a little honda 250 20 years ago and now want to get on road, was thinking about z650 and was not sure if the z900 would be too much (i dont look for speed and I have kids lol) and you reassure me more about the fact that it could still be a good choice for me .. do you think it could be comfortable enough to ride 3 or 4 hours trip ? as I would probably add some paniers at a point for some trips ... thanks for your input
i'm 6 feet tall and i find the Z900 fit me better then the Z650. The 650 felt like i had too much bend in my knees (on the showroom floor, maybe it would be better riding, but i doubt it). I have been out for 2 hour rides and the seat is really comfortable. I've had no issues with comfort. The seating position is really relaxed and upright. Plus i find i have a good 3 inches i can slide back and forth on the seat. I like sitting close up into the tank, but i do have that room to push back up against the pillion pad. The one thing i am really loving is that the inline 4 is smooth and practically vibration free below 7,000rpm. Only when you get above 7,000 that you start to feel it in the pegs. Hope it helps :)
@@rexdaledave cool so it wouldnt be too much of a killer as a bike .. or worst case if set as reduced power or rain mode ? Thanks
@@Cyjodev its really not that bad if you drive responsibly. I've grabbed handfuls of throttle in RAIN mode - second and/or third gear and i have never even come close to getting the front wheel off the ground or even getting the traction control to kick in. (i'm probably not going as wide open as i think i am lol). i find that the power is totally linear. there are no sudden surges even when you get up to 9k -10k rpm. I have tried putting full power and full traction control and giving it some throttle and to be honest at 40-50% throttle i can't feel any difference. i'm still too scared to give it more then that lol. if i can handle it, anyone can handle it :)
@@rexdaledave haha thanks a lot for the input
On the other hand don't feel that rain mode cuts the power as they claim. It's less jumpy to some degree gas twisting less touchy but the power it's still there. Again bike manageable to ride around traction system help 👍.And living in US how do you buy a firearm and go shooting in Canada 🤔 In US you can't even transport a gun from state to state. In theory yes in reality no
I agree. I find the low power mode is less jerky, but it feels just as powerful if you get high in the rev range. I've been pushing a bit harder and have had the TC kick in a few times. Such a fun bike. As for the firearms, we have a licensing system that involves doing a 16 hour safety course before you are even allowed to apply for you license. Then our Federal police force conduct background and reference checks on the applicant. It takes about 6 months to get a license. Then when you do get your license, you have to join a gun club to use a pistol. You are NOT allowed to discharge a pistol anywhere except approved ranges. Plus you have rigorous restrictions on transporting and storing. its very difficult and funny that they keep trying to force more rules on legal gun owners when its the illegal/criminals who are committing all the firearm related crimes.
I drove to Canton Georgia to freedom power sports from Texas in a rental van. It was closing soon whatever. Drove 12 hours back home. I slept then took it for a ride. At 31 miles my rear tire blew. Didn't wreck thank goodness. Freedom power sports is shit. To get my kawasaki z900 se. Wanted some green on my kawasaki I had to find a SE model.
the SE is a great upgrade i think. the better suspension and brakes are exactly what the bike is missing. how did the tire blowout?
@@rexdaledave I was running along a farm rd. 2004 just got off a steep bridge...about a 1/4 mile later my rear swing arm wasn't behind me anymore. I blip the throttle and grabbed a little front brake. It straightened out and I grabbed a whole hand full of the abs brake and stopped 6 inches of the opposite ditch.
Smart very smart ,you got reviews of mt 07 Ninja 650 sv650 which is a total waste of time and money. Video is very helpful rather then put in sport mode and going through the city like being on the track ,like those guys that ride all the bikes in the world. Really have no good opinions about any of them
Thank you! Riding a bike on city streets at its limit has never appealed to me, and really doesn't tell you what the bike is like to live with.
@@rexdaledave Do you stall on the first gear I mean I'm not popping a clutch but my z900 have to work on the first , stalling a lot and tend to race from the start. Does it happen with yours
@@oswiecaczciemnoty3612 no i dont have that problem at all. i find the assist clutch makes it easier to get going. i tend to let the clutch out slowly (probably too slow) and i have had good results with it.
I seen in a different YT video, Motorcycle Manufacturers OR Dealers are chinsin' consumers by using subpar& low grade-rubber tires.
It came with Dunlop sportmaxx 2. They were adequate. I put Michelin ROAD 6 and they were huge improvement
Drop me a line and we can go out for a ride.
For sure !!
I was at the dealer and it was your bike that convinced me to get the 2021 red one. I have the exact same situation and questions that you had. I’m going from a ZX-6R last ride 6 years ago. Based on your opinion, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. Just waiting for delivery now.
@@bgeorge5482 i don’t think you’ll be disappointed. It pulls in every gear.
@@bgeorge5482 hey, just wondering how the ZX-6R was? why you switching to naked?