[Lumberjack]

Well guys, I'm in the club now! Bought a black one today at a local dealership

I tried to get over the obsession but just couldn't - and really, I can afford it right now though of course $10k could always be saved for a future down payment on a house or whatever..

Have put 45 miles on it so far - riding it somewhat gently but also bringing it up to 7-8k briefly with some strong acceleration here and there - bike seems to like it! Feels like it's already running better than it did the first 15 miles or so...

Have to say I'm very impressed - the handling is terrific - so smooth - I enjoy slaloming in my lane on my 650r and so have been doing that on this bike - the Z1000 flops to either side gently and sort of lazily while also quickly and precisely - hard to describe but feels really smooth and nice - bike draws a very artistic and flowing line...

Power seems there in abundance - I don't agree about the 6th gear roll-on's at lower speed though - when I had it in 6th going 50mph and wacked the throttle wide open it certainly accelerated forward somewhat quickly, and with increasing fervor, but it didn't slingshot by any stretch - bike feels like it wants to be further up in the RPM before it will do that.. 1st 2 gears not the case though - power feels like all I'd want at any RPM point in either of those 2 gears! 2nd gear is a freakin hoot!

Smooth? Well this is interesting - below about 5k in the lower gears the bike is smooth as butter, but once the powerband starts to kick in there is a definite vibration through the handlebars, especially the throttle-side handlebar... Do other people experience this? In 5th and 6th the vibration doesn't start till more like 7-8k... My buddy's 1992 FZR 1000 feels similar - smooth as can be at lower RPM's but vibrates unpleasantly at higher RPM's - is this just an inline-4 characteristic?

On my 2009 650r there is no vibration whatsoever at any RPM in any gear (my buddy's 2007 650r has nasty vibration though) - the Z1000, both in the handlebars, and in the tank where my knees are gripping, produces a good bit of vibration when the engine really turns on... And I haven't even really opened it up in the 7-11k zone - if the vibration got even worse I doubt I'd want to..

Would thicker handlebar grips help this? They feel thinner than the 650r grips in general in that they feel harder/less comfortable - does this effect the vibration much on a bike?

But if I keep the rpm's lower, or don't roll on the throttle too aggressively, the bike is smooth as can be - engine is so nice and silky at lower rpm's..

Z1000 vs 650r - obviously its too soon to do a thorough comparo, and obviously the Z1000 is the superior machine - but I can't say I wouldn't want to ride my 650r also - I'm actually struggling with the idea of selling it, even after riding the Z1000..

My 650r is modded though - Power Commander, custom tune, Yoshi exhaust, Sportsbars 2.0, custom modded seat, no windshield - with these mods and the lack of a windshield the bike is fast and sounds great and just has a super fun torquey powerband with crisp throttle response - the stock 650r is nothing like the bike I have now - doesn't handle the same, sound the same, feel the same, respond the same - comparing the stock Z1000 to a stock 650r makes the 650r seem like crap - but the stock Z1000 (pre break in) compared to my modded 650r is not such a runaway victory...

Anyhow, I'm jazzed on this new bike - I expected a powerhouse of a bike, but did not anticipate the dreamy handling - bike flows like it's in water... Now if I can solve the vibration issue I'll be totally thrilled

 

[Black Sheep]

The vibration you feel at 7-8K in the rpm range is the warp drive coming online... once you hit 9K, things smooth out a bit - although you are hanging on for dear life at that point.

 

[Lumberjack]

Ok, drove the bike to work today (really have to get it insured huh? Will do that while I'm here - my agent didn't get back to me yesterday) - first off - wow, what a sweet engine - It is hard to keep that thing near the speed limit!

Paid more attention to the vibration - the vibration is more of a "buzzy" feeling - not dramatic, just a buzzing that is in the footpegs, throttle side grip, and the seat - it only comes on above about 5k.. Dunno why its only in the throttle side grip..

The bike also makes a rattling sort of sound from inside the front right fairing somewhere when I reach this RPM - that sound does not sound right at all, but it also doesn't sound serious - more like something is loose - maybe it's in the throttle assembly somewhere, I can't really tell... Anyhow, the bike is going straight back to the dealer tomorrow when I'm off work so they can look at it - but I don't know if this amount of buzzing is to be expected or if maybe the engine isn't bolted in right or something - this bike had been sitting in the showroom since I bought my last bike back in February so maybe stuff came loose?

Black Sheep - warp drive sounds great! Looking forward to playing with that a bit once the bike is broke in a bit more I thought the 2010 was sposed to have done away with the vibration though - maybe they just meant they had reduced it substantially? In any case the 650r has basically zero vibration compared to this bike..

 

[nopulse95]

Check the knob that adjusts the gauges, it may be loose, or not fully engaged in one of the holes.

As for the buzz, I think its just a characteristic of an inline 4. You have double the moving parts traveling at a higher RPM range than your parrallel twin 650.

I'm not sure if you have ever ridden the first gen Z, but if so, then you would understand why we refer to the new Z as being so smooth, there is no comparison.

Enjoy the new ride, I know i am !

 

[rvzjr]

Lumberjack- I had a vibaration type rattle coming from the console area also. i checked to see if it was the pivot mount like what has been mentioned. I took it to my dealer and they found that there was a latch on the small fairing in that area that looked to be worn out and not holding the parts together correctly. Thus causing a vibration around the 4 to 5K range. They ordered the part and replaced it and now the noise has gone away. This might help some other owners with the same problem. Good luck with the new bike!!

 

[RobG]

Congrats!! You must be loving it!

I wish it would stop raining here so I could ride mine.

FWIW, I haven't noticed the vibrations you're all talking about. Maybe mine has them and I don't notice them because of how much smoother it is than my ER-6n. I also wonder if maybe my ER wasn't quite right, since it vibrated a LOT. Plus it had issues where many times, 1st to 2nd shifts (or 2nd to 1st shifts) would end in Neutral. Very frustrating.

Anyway... I'm very happy for you!

Rob

 

[Lumberjack]

Yea well RobG is more overdue than I am! I will get some pics though..

Per the vibration, I'm not the only one evidently - here's a review http://www.smartcycleshopper.com/motorcycle-reviews/2010-kawasaki-z1000-motorcycle-review/ that discusses the cause of the vibration:

"Previous models suffered from pronounced vibration, particularly at high revs, so this one wears a balancer shaft to counteract the second-order vibes that afflict inline fours (because of con-rod angularity differences in the up/down cylinder pairs). This has smoothed the Z1000 out considerably, particularly at low and mid-range engine speeds, but a persistent tingle can still be felt through the bars and seat at high rpm."

"There are some high-frequency vibrations noticeable along the way, but since they mainly punctuate forays to the 11,000-rpm redline, they just serve to add to the intensity of that experience"


And, I pasted this from a write up online by the Kawasaki engineers about the 2010 at this url:

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2010models/2010-Kawasaki-Z1000.htm:

"A secondary balancer, driven off a gear on the 6th web of the crankshaft, eliminates excess vibration. Of course, a certain amount of engine vibration was desired as part of the bike's character (vibration contributes to the feeling of acceleration, increasing linearly with rpm), so vibration was not totally eliminated. However, adding the secondary balancer enabled the changes to the chassis for improved handling (With the chassis changes, the vibration transmitted to the rider is about the same as the 2008 Z1000)"


So, it looks like they're saying that the vibration is supposed to be there and supposed to be part of the thrill.. I think once I get the rattling noise thing taken care of I'll enjoy the vibes more - the rattling buzzing thing comes on before the other vibration does and is quite annoying..

 

[RobG]

I got to go for a 40-mile ride earlier this evening when the rain cleared and the roads dried up. I paid close attention and did feel a little bit of vibration, but this thing is SO much smoother than my ER-6n, it will be a while before I really notice it.

Did I not already post this pic? I can't remember, mighta been on the local Pacific Northwest forum I'm on.

But I'm up to 160 miles now and I put my second tank of gas in. First tank, 23 mpg. Second tank, 32.5.

Rob

 

[bakwheeltango]

congrats! but lose the Dunflops if your bike has them or risk paying the price I did.
you can read my thread "laid it down".

 

[RobG]

My Duncraps are gone. Shiny new set of Michelin Pilot Road 2CT's went on today. The front is the almost-new one off my ER-6n and the rear is completely new. Bike already feels more planted and secure in the corners, even with the rear being brand new.

Rob

 

[ER^NPILOT]

Awesome, enjoy the new bike... I am trying to get a couple hundred miles on my bike before winter arrives.

I am curious, what gear/RPM are you running at like 50MPH?

I have not really gotten much out of 3rd gear, because even at 3500 RPM I am doing 50 or so...

 

[RobG]

I know that 60 is 4000 and 70 is 5000, and 84 is 6000. I haven't paid attention other than that.

You have a B-King?? Sweet! A friend in Texas just got one a few weeks back, absolutely loves it.

Rob

 

[ER^NPILOT]

I know that 60 is 4000 and 70 is 5000, and 84 is 6000. I haven't paid attention other than that.

You have a B-King?? Sweet! A friend in Texas just got one a few weeks back, absolutely loves it.

Rob

Are all of those speeds/RPM in 3rd gear then?

Yah, I got it delivered a week ago, been on the road since... got it out this week, had a couple of my friends over that ride, they cannot believe the size of it, nor can they believe how light it handles.

 

[Lumberjack]

Nah those speeds/rpm's are for 6th gear if his bike is like mine.. I'm running 6k at 80-85mph or so in 6th...

 

[ER^NPILOT]

Ahh, okay... have NOT had my bike to 80 in any gear, but 3rd gear hums at 50mph at 3500 RPM.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Lumberjack]

You really must get that thing going a little faster then - I don't see any good excuse for owning what amounts to a naked Hayabusa and keeping it under 50mph.. I should hope that by the end of this weekend you'll have taken the thing up to at least 80mph

 

[ER^NPILOT]

You really must get that thing going a little faster then - I don't see any good excuse for owning what amounts to a naked Hayabusa and keeping it under 50mph.. I should hope that by the end of this weekend you'll have taken the thing up to at least 80mph!

Have not had time to take it out far from home (where I can actually do 80 mph)

It isnt for lack of desire, but I am on the road 5 days a week, so I have had 2 days of IFFY weather to go for a couple short rides. Rolled over 60 miles today.

I am on the road for the next 4 days...

 

[ER^NPILOT]

Okay, at 6000 RPM I am running about 120mph... LONG legs

This is why I dont leave 3rd or 4th...

4th at 4k is comfy at 65mph... the other 2 gears are for getting tickets only.

 

[ballsdeepracing]

Rob, finally another z1000 on the PNWriders site, For a while there I thought I was the only one

 

[Lumberjack]

Okay, at 6000 RPM I am running about 120mph... LONG legs

This is why I dont leave 3rd or 4th...

4th at 4k is comfy at 65mph... the other 2 gears are for getting tickets only.

Wow that's a trip - the Z1000 is geared way different than that.. I like the short gearing though I would like if 6th was taller.. I like to cruise at about 90-95mph indicated and that's about 6000rpm or so in 6th, which is where some vibration is coming through - not bad vibration but for a leisurely high speed cruise for many miles it's not ideal...