Motorcycle Message Board - Motorcycle USA

Motorcycle USA Forums : Join the Revolution

Motorcycle Message Board - Motorcycle USA > MotorcycleUSA.com! > Bike Reviews > 2004 Kawasaki Z1000

Forum Quick Jump

163 posts in this thread.
Viewing Page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

[ << Previous Thread | Next Thread >> | Show Newest Post First ]

bmadson
MCUSA Scribbler

Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 1038

Posted 4/10/2006 8:08 AM (GMT -8)

Okay, let's blow the dust off of this thread. I know it's been a while since we gave an update on our Z1000 Project Bike, but the green machine hasn't been idle in our garage. We've added a host of upgrades to tell you about in a couple of upcoming installments.

Post Edited (bmadson) : 4/10/2006 4:34:25 PM GMT

YellowDuck
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 4130

Posted 4/10/2006 8:20 AM (GMT -8)

Wow, that heads up instrument display makes the view from the saddle look exactly like a yellow Ducati SSie. Great improvement!

I can't complain...but sometimes I still do.

Life's been good to me so far.

RedDog
Retired SportBike Bum

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 11268

Posted 4/10/2006 8:39 AM (GMT -8)

YD, THAT's funny! You need to see the demo video on the SportVue site. Guess you love that.

This was great too:

"And wouldn't it be cool one day to walk in to your dealer and order your 2008 Gixxer with the optional heads-up display?"

BTW we have a SportVue unit here that we are testing ... I will have some riders test it, cause so far there are some different reactions to the "view".

RedDog

Travel Light & Leave Your Fears Behind You!

Normal People Scare me!

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/10/2006 8:52 AM (GMT -8)

I'd be interested in hearing comments from your riders, 'Dog. From what I've found out, some riders have no trouble getting used to it while others find it distracting. I was somewhere in the middle.

-KD, MotorcycleUSA Editor

RedDog
Retired SportBike Bum

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 11268

Posted 4/10/2006 9:13 AM (GMT -8)

Exactly.

I am one of them that found it destracting cause I did not find a position that avoided me refocus on the numbers/view. I have two ex navy pilots testing the unit next, but I will also give it another shot myself - cause the idea is awesome.

Flicking down the back roads here, coming up to this 25 mph corner and starting a debate with yourself if you are in 2nd or 3rd could be slightly time consuming and not fitting into the schedule at that point. Now if your are on a big twin, without slipper clutch, this info is very important. I know, I messed up a couple of times on my CBR929, banging into a lower gear than assumed, and leaving a sweet, long black snake aiming for the armco. Nothing more than that happened those times but ...

If the gear you're in could be showing right there, staring at you, would be cool. Looking down on the cluster is an option, but we don't have to much time too refocus here.

It will take some time though, Kevin, cause we are all retired ...

RedDog

Travel Light & Leave Your Fears Behind You!

Normal People Scare me!

Post Edited (RedDog) : 4/10/2006 5:18:59 PM GMT

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15445

Posted 4/10/2006 10:01 AM (GMT -8)

I might be way off here, I don't have time to check out the feature. What springs to mind is WTF? There has never been a time when I wanted/needed/desired, more info than what the bike delivered. All I have room for is what I see, looking at what is in front of me, and what could be getting involved from the sides and behind. How the bike feels, (I know that's covering a lot of things, but that's kinda the point).

Focus the forces, Be The Force

Tros
Global Moderator

Date Joined Apr 2004
Total Posts : 7309

Posted 4/10/2006 12:49 PM (GMT -8)

I'm being lazy by not reading the article right now, but I never feel the need to check what the gauges are telling me when I am riding. Hell, if you can't tell when you need to shift, how how controllable your pace is, then... well... start learning! I've always like the speedo and tach to be right on the bars, and call it good.

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

Johnny L
Registered Member

Date Joined Sep 2005
Total Posts : 836

Posted 4/10/2006 1:10 PM (GMT -8)

Kansas said...
I've always like the speedo and tach to be right on the bars, and call it good.

Hell, I know guys who run without those.

Sportbike Attack

OhioSteve
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 861

Posted 4/10/2006 4:00 PM (GMT -8)

I think that I would have to experience the heads-up display before I made a judgement. My initial reaction is that louemc is right. The feel of the bike should be sufficient in most circumstances.

New topic. Why is the Z1000 such a slow seller? I mean, the bike looks great, has gobs of power, and it is reasonably priced. Yet it is common to see two year old new Z1000s on a showroom floor.

I am the foremost expert on my opinion.

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/10/2006 4:16 PM (GMT -8)

OhioSteve said...
Why is the Z1000 such a slow seller?

Good question, Steve. IMO, it has as much or more personality that just about anything from the Japanese of late. Plus, I've seen leftover Zs selling for as little at $6000 new! That said, it is a little vibey and its suspension needs sorting.

I think the problem can be illustrated by the Ninja 650. First seen in Europe as the ER6n, a cool little naked bike, Kawasaki's U.S. product planners said the bike won't sell over here without a fairing. It seems like Americans just aren't interested in a sportbike without a fairing, whether it's because of the style or enhanced weather protection. Same with Suzuki's GS500. Sales of the ancient GS took off when it got a full fairing in 2004. Also, Triumph's fun and inexpensive Speed Four never really found its mark, despite taking the win in our Reality Bike comparison.

There is a vocal group of Americans who love naked bikes, but it appears as if they're in the minority. I can't wait for the Triumph 675 Speed Triple to test my theory.

-KD, MotorcycleUSA Editor

OhioSteve
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 861

Posted 4/10/2006 4:59 PM (GMT -8)

I have already seen pictures of a naked ZX-14r online. That is probably why Kawasaki is nagging you. They want to push out those last few Z1000s. They know it is ALREADY tough for the dealers to move them, and it will be even tougher when the new bike arrives.

My dad was a car dealer and I can tell you how it works. With an unpopular model, each dealer is forced to buy a certain quota.
Frankly, if I wanted a badass sportbike, and I did not want much aftermarket stuff, I would wait until Kawasaki announces that new naked bike. I guarantee that the next day Z1000s will be even CHEAPER. I suspect you could hammer a dealer down to $6000 otd on a Z1000.

It is a strange situation because the Speed Triple is one of the hardest bikes to buy in the US. Dealers charge way over MSRP for them, setup fees are high, etc. And the Speed Triple is quite similar to the Z1000.

I am the foremost expert on my opinion.

YellowDuck
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 4130

Posted 4/11/2006 5:15 AM (GMT -8)

Well, I can honestly say that I would be much more likely to buy a naked FZ1, SV1000 or Bandit 1200 than any of the faired versions, but in all three cases only the faired model is available in Canada. The least the manufacturers could do would be to offer the parts do to the conversion at a reasonable price. In most cases we are talking about a different headlight and mounting brackets, and maybe some pretty covers for the backs of the instruments. Possibly different front turn signals too.

I can't complain...but sometimes I still do.

Life's been good to me so far.

rcozine
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 4

Posted 4/11/2006 10:26 AM (GMT -8)

I've been waiting for an update to the project Z1000, but I want dyno charts and suspension info. A motorcycle isn't a fighter jet; I can't think of a reason why I would ever need or want a heads-up display. I use computers and other electronic gadgets all the time. The last thing I want when I ride a motorcycle is to deal with more gizmos. I look forward to the next installment in this series with more practical, meat and potatoes mods.

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/11/2006 11:01 AM (GMT -8)

Early adopters of new technology are usually forced to endure a product's initial downfalls, but they pave the way for better and more useful evolutions that are down the road a bit.

Might you feel different about a heads-up display if it was integrated into your next helmet as an option and worked flawlessly?

Meat and potatoes to come...

-KD, MotorcycleUSA Editor

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15445

Posted 4/11/2006 11:13 AM (GMT -8)

Depends on how a rider looks at riding. For the ones that a GPS is valuable, a heads up display of the map, with in helmet sound would be great (I'd think). For me, I don't even look at the speedometer/Tackometer. I've been looking at things go by for so long, it isn't a wild guess how fast I'm going, and the feel of the engine tells me how fast it's spinning, and what gear I'm in is, how the throttle responds as well. I don't need more, I don't want more. And I don't feel sorry for the poor racers that make it around a track with the handicap of no heads-up display either.

Focus the forces, Be The Force

bkorfhage
Punk Kid

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 410

Posted 4/11/2006 11:54 AM (GMT -8)

I can see it now Duke, this is going to go down as one of those "situations" (think BMW) where Kawi calls up in a couple of years and says, "uh, Mr. Duke, we noticed that a Z1000 isn't in our warehouse and it was checked out in your name in 1999...can we get it back?" :) Just giving you a hard time buddy...

go ahead, ask me anything...

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/11/2006 12:03 PM (GMT -8)

They remembered - it's gotta be back by May 1!

Always great to hear from you, Korfagio!

-KD, MotorcycleUSA Editor

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15445

Posted 4/11/2006 12:08 PM (GMT -8)

I didn't think anyone wanted a bike back after you guys "used" it. lol

Oh, PS after thought. I had a Buell that I removed, and removed and removed. everything un-needed, till it lookeed like a dirt bike with a license plate, and a headlight/tail light. A cop looked at it, and asked how do you know how fast your going? I replied, you guys seem to like to tell me how fast I'm going, as a conversation opener. We both laughed.

Focus the forces, Be The Force

Post Edited (louemc) : 4/11/2006 9:24:21 PM GMT

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/11/2006 1:19 PM (GMT -8)

Used, but not used-up. It continues to be unbreakable, even in our rough hands.

-KD, MotorcycleUSA Editor

OhioSteve
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 861

Posted 4/11/2006 4:25 PM (GMT -8)

The 2006 Z1000 looks really cool. It is light blue and silver...very elemental.

I am the foremost expert on my opinion.

rcozine
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 4

Posted 4/11/2006 10:13 PM (GMT -8)

KD said...
Might you feel different about a heads-up display if it was integrated into your next helmet as an option and worked flawlessly?

I might, but it would take some convincing. I'm not a Luddite; I own many computers and build and fix them for friends, 3 digital cameras and a few DVD players. I have (too) many electronic toys.
When I ride I do keep apprised of what's going on with the bike. I do look at the tach, although sometimes I wonder why since I ride a Superhawk of the VTR1000 kind (not the 305). Most of my riding consists of either riding around town, or day rides to the nearest twisties and back. I never tour or camp and I (almost) always know where I'm going on roads I'm familiar with. Perhaps if I did a different type of riding I would find a heads-up display more exciting.

2nsane
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2005
Total Posts : 37

Posted 4/12/2006 6:42 AM (GMT -8)

woohoooo a update. the Heads up display was a nice touch,but are there any laws outthere that prohibit them being used as they stick down infront of the visor. You guy's gotta know how tough these Cali LEO's can be. nono

as for the Pilot power's I could not be happier with a set of tires myself.

RedDog
Retired SportBike Bum

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 11268

Posted 4/12/2006 7:56 AM (GMT -8)

Out of the 7 pictures, look at the top right one. That's all you see when the SportVue is mounted correctly:

http://www.sportvue.com/media/photos.php

As far as I know, there is no legal issues yet and the mount does not affect you field of vision. I signed up with their Champion program and got sent a unit for testing, which we now do on different helmets and riders.

RedDog

Travel Light & Leave Your Fears Behind You!

Normal People Scare me!

racerraul
Mofongo Expert

Date Joined Apr 2006
Total Posts : 45

Posted 4/17/2006 5:57 AM (GMT -8)

YellowDuck said...
The least the manufacturers could do would be to offer the parts do to the conversion at a reasonable price. In most cases we are talking about a different headlight and mounting brackets, and maybe some pretty covers for the backs of the instruments. Possibly different front turn signals too.

I like the idea... sort of like with cruisers. Being able to personalize your naked in the same manner is a great idea.

bmadson
MCUSA Scribbler

Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 1038

Posted 6/28/2006 8:03 AM (GMT -8)

Duke has filed another update on our Z1000 long-term loaner from Kawasaki that we have dubbed Project Z. Check out Project Z1000 - Part 3 and, as always, give us some feedback.

163 posts in this thread.
Viewing Page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Forum Information

Currently it is Saturday, November 21, 2009 8:01 AM (GMT -8)
There are a total of 447,348 posts in 35,240 threads.
In the last 3 days there were 16 new threads and 220 reply posts. View Active Threads