The much rumoured and eagerly anticipated 2018 model year machine christened the Z900RS is an up-to-date modern classic blessed with a multitude of references to the Z1, the machine that not only acted as a crucial stepping stone for Kawasaki as a brand but also changed the face of performance motorcycling forever.
 
Tagged  a “Retro Sport” thanks to its RS moniker, the new Z900RS has been painstakingly created by Kawasaki’s styling department and factory engineers as an all-new machine owing little to the recently introduced Z900 supernaked family.
 
Although sharing some lineage with the four-cylinder water-cooled Z900, the Z900RS will appeal to a totally different rider group encouraging those who currently ride to possess a machine with outstanding style, curb appeal and the true spirit of riding satisfaction while “re-awakening” the desire to return to two wheels among licence holding dormant enthusiasts.
 
Of course the 900cc class capacity serves to underline the connection with the 903cc Z1 of 1972 but the Z900RS is very much a motorcycle of today complete with a new chassis and new engine specification. Equipped with a distinctive LED headlamp, LED indicators and tail light, distinctive wheels, a striking exhaust delivering a rich sound experience plus numerous detail features, the Z900RS will have knowledgeable Z enthusiasts nodding in approval.
 
From its Z1 derived paint scheme to the typeface and surface treatment of the complex side panel badges, the Z900RS successfully blends past, present and future even down to the polished cam cap covers on the cylinder head and highlighted cylinder fins just like those that appeared on the original Z1. And speaking of paint schemes, the Z900RS will be available in three evocative colour ways for its debut season including an homage to the 1972 Z1, a classic looking black with gold and silver pinstripes plus the contemporary urban cool of matt green with accentuated 900 graphics on the side panels.
 
The Z900RS made its international debut on the Kawasaki stand at the Tokyo International Motor Show on 25 October; the Z900RS effectively turns a page in Z history and starts a new and exciting chapter for Kawasaki and motorcycling.    
 
There’s no place for fake in the lifestyle you choose. Kawasaki alone has the heritage to deliver yesterday’s values to today’s riders in a truly authentic Modern Classic bike. The visceral spirit of a 1970s legend – Kawasaki’s original king of cool Z1 – finds expression in the Z900RS, to satisfy the very essence of the rider you are now.


Be one of the first to see the new Z900RS in the metal in the UK, visit the Kawasaki stand in hall 3 at Motorcycle Live Show, 18th-26th November, NEC, Birmingham. For more information, see: www.motorcyclelive.co.uk. Get your tickets in advance and you won't only benefit from cheaper prices than on the door, but also be in with the chance of winning one of hundreds of on-the-spot prizes in the show’s Golden Ticket promotion, which includes 2 x Free Taster Sessions with Kawasaki Rider Training Services.