[notabiker]

maybe i am not a typical sport bike rider. i am not out to set my personal best track day time every time i ride. my skills were never a threat to a good canyon carver.
i am a bike and car drag racer . it is just hard to believe that my 2004 ZED has poor handling and not so great brakes. my bike feels very light ,i can flick it around much better than any other bike i have ever owned. it would put my old ZRX 1200 to shame in a handling contest. the brakes perfect.
i think some of the complaints are EGO driven. buba is so dam fast , any bike less than a full on race replica is junk to him he is so fast.
my 04 is more bike than i need. my cup runith over.

 

[2wheelin]

it doesnt really have a bad rep. but when you compare it to newer models than obviously most of the time the newer model will always come up top. plus reviews arent something you should rely on. theyre basically opinions of people. like any opinion some of them you might agree with while some of them you wont. whenever i read a review i use it so i have a vague idea what to expect. but i still always have to see and feel for myself before i pass final judgement on it.

 

[notabiker]

it doesnt really have a bad rep. but when you compare it to newer models than obviously most of the time the newer model will always come up top. plus reviews arent something you should rely on. theyre basically opinions of people. like any opinion some of them you might agree with while some of them you wont. whenever i read a review i use it so i have a vague idea what to expect. but i still always have to see and feel for myself before i pass final judgement on it.

very good points
magazines will not sell telling riders a new 2010 is not the latest and greatest.
i find britt bike mags are more honest about what is better or not better. they recently stated that a 05 GSXR750 is just as fast as a brand new GSXR and a few LBS lighter. also the emission standards on new bikes are harder to meet and keep performance down. notice how big and ugly motorcycle exhaust are getting.

 

[jrick56]

i've heard a lot of what i percieve to be negatives about a lot of bikes. i personally have been waiting for several years to buy a z, 07 almost had me. probably wouldn't have bought 2010 if the price hadn't been so good , and the trade very fair.the look of the 010 is growing on me. really liked the photoshoppped post. but this bike does what i need it to do.love the way it handles.after 45,000 miles on zrxs, this is like heaven to me, zrx light on steroids, don't have to be in the stratosphere to have fun. 30-75mph wheeeeeelies, are a blast. my son rode past me and his son last night at 103 on the back wheel with the rev limiter popping in 1st gear on his 09 zx10r. too much for me. i like my fun at a slower pace.maybe an akro and pcv some day. but right now i'm lovin' it. rick

 

[BeastIncarnate]

Unbiased magazines also claim superiority - the '10 is a better bike, as all new models should be. If the next gen Z isn't a significant improvement, Kawi isn't doing their jobs. That said, the '10 is a drastically different approach to the same idea, and it's much better off for it.

The main thing to keep in mind is how many bikes moto journalists get to ride. They can tell the difference between good and great suspension. They become very sensitive and aware of things that an average rider might not be.

If you like your bike, that's what matters.

 

[jrick56]

ditto

 

[2wheelin]

Unbiased magazines also claim superiority - the '10 is a better bike, as all new models should be. If the next gen Z isn't a significant improvement, Kawi isn't doing their jobs. That said, the '10 is a drastically different approach to the same idea, and it's much better off for it.

The main thing to keep in mind is how many bikes moto journalists get to ride. They can tell the difference between good and great suspension. They become very sensitive and aware of things that an average rider might not be.

If you like your bike, that's what matters.

thats exactly my point. as long as you like it why should any other opinion matter. you're the one riding it daily and not them.

 

[H.I.M]

That doesn't mean that writer's opinions shouldn't be taken into consideration though. A review is what made me eventually go test ride the 09' Z1000 I currently own. I never really thought a naked bike could be fast at all, but the review I read on Motorcycle.com. Check out this pic they posted of a 2010! Although I don't do any stunting, this looks sick!

 

[notabiker]

i am 6-1 200 lbs and 63 years old. my 04 fits me like a glove. the riding position is almost perfect for my body. except for a short blast on a safe street my bike is pampered. i have never had the front wheel off the ground. i love the gearing that makes taking off from a stop light nothing more than letting the clutch out and go[ no clutch slipping like say a DUC]. i feel no vibration under 6,000 rpm which is 90 % of my riding. shifting and breaking are as smooth as glass. the seat only gets rough on the BUM after 75 miles. 5 minutes after riding i feel 100 % normal and ready to go for another ride. my 04 is a snap to do my own servicing becouse everything is right out in the open.
but mostly i like my 04 cuzz it is really a naked sport bike that i never get tired of looking at. i hope you love what you have as much as i love my bike.

 

[jrick56]

next best thing to sex, if i remember right. rick

 

[2wheelin]

That doesn't mean that writer's opinions shouldn't be taken into consideration though. A review is what made me eventually go test ride the 09' Z1000 I currently own. I never really thought a naked bike could be fast at all, but the review I read on Motorcycle.com. Check out this pic they posted of a 2010! Although I don't do any stunting, this looks sick!

thats what i was saying. read the review but dont treat them like the ten commandments. use them as a mere suggestion on which direction to go to. but your own opinion should matter more than anything. most people that review bikes have way more skill and can push the bikes to their limits. unlike your average rider. so sometimes something that might bother an experienced rider wont really affect a novice.

p.s. that pic is sick. i think the guys on motorcycle.com are a bit wheelie happy. they have more than a few pics from reviews of them lifting the front wheels.

 

[BeastIncarnate]

I put a pretty comprehensive write up about this in another thread, tweaking it and putting it here so there's an actual answer:

Here's a summary of the engine differences. The 03-06 had great peak HP, but the midrange suffered. The 07-09 made up for that but sacrificed peak HP. Both are typical problems of adapting a sportbike engine. The new engine manages both, which can be attributed to a purpose-built engine. Take a look at the Sport Rider dyno charts to see what I mean. Here are some links and a few observations of each:

2003 Z1000 - Check the power dip and flat spot ~4,500 RPM. Ouch, but great top end. Midrange power really hits 6,500 RPM and pulls strong all the way from there.

2007 Z1000 HP Torque - Look how smooth the HP is, but where did the old top end go? Midrange comes in earlier at 5,250 RPM, but drops off at 9k RPM. This is arguably better for the street than the '03.

2010 Z1000 - HP combines the top end of the '03 with the smooth delivery of the '07. Midrange power hits hard as low as 3,500 RPM and doesn't stop till redline. You can tell this is a purpose-built engine.

How noticeable is all that when riding? It depends on your background. But it's easy to look at the dyno charts and understand why some might make a big deal about the performance differences - especially someone who gets to put a few hundred miles on each bike. All of that is aside from the other performance enhancements in the new model. Better frame, better suspension, lighter weight - all of those add up. The Zs have always been good bikes that were outstanding with some aftermarket work. The new one is great right out of the box and that's wonderful news for everyone who loves naked bikes.