Okay, I have to admit, this one snuck by me. I was actually going on to Kawasaki’s website to check on the 2017 line up as I had heard rumors that the up-coming Z900 would be replacing the Z800 AND the Z1000. Thankfully, the Z900 and Z1000 will coexist in the Kawasaki dealers for one year at least, and this lead me to the discovery of the Z1000R.

What is the Z1000R? Well, like many R’s in both the 2 and 4 wheeled world, the R is supposed to be the alpha of the pack. The meanest, most powerful, race oriented ass-kicking version of the bike. As everyone knows, the more “R”s you have, the more alpha you are right?

I bet you are all wondering what kind of power bump the Z1k gets? Well it doesn’t get any extra power. The 1043cc inline 4 warp drive under the tank has not had any hardware changes, still throwing 143HP through the Z’s 6 speed. But new fuel mapping means a smoother power delivery and lower emissions. The instrument panel, however, gets a gear position indicator added to it, as well as a user adjustable shift light. A metallic black/grey paint scheme with neon green accents help with recognizing the R from its lesser brethren.

So what’s actually been changed on the Z1000? For starters, (or stoppers, as it would be. I’ll see myself out) the standard 300mm petal discs and monoblock calipers that handle the duty up front have been swapped for a set of Brembo 310mm floating disks, which are now paired with Brembo’s M50 calipers. Stainless steel braided lines finish off the new and improved braking package.

Suspension wise, the Z1000’s Showa big piston forks have been given a once over, and the settings all revised to work with the center piece, an Ohlins S46DR1S rear shock. This little piece of Swedish gold offers full adjustability, with the pre-load being remotely adjustable. This necessitated a new rear linkage to go along with the shock.

The Z1000R will go on sale for $14,499 up here in Canada, a modest $1,200 bump over the base Z1000. Seeing at those brake calipers alone are close to $2k, I’ll call that a deal.

Recently, one of the biggest shifts in the bike industry has been in the adventure bike category, where 1000cc+, 600lbs machines once ruled. Now, many are looking to trade that giant adventure bike for something a little bit smaller and more nimble off the road. So, a slew of new 300cc Adventure bikes have been launched, including BMWs 310GS, Hondas updated CFR250L, and this, the all new Kawasaki Versys 300X.

An all new frame, the Versys 300 nabs the 296cc motor out of the current ninja 300 and retunes it slightly for better fuel economy and more torque. Lower compression pistons also allow the bike to run on regular gas, instead of premium. Kawasaki also added an assist-and-slipper clutch to the bike, to make the pull at the lever lighter and easier for riders (not that I have ever found the clutch on a 300 to be anything remotely heavy, but I digress) A shroud behind the radiator fan help guide the heat from rad down and away from both the rider and the 4.5 gallon gas tank, which should help with comfort.

The frame of the bike is a backbone style frame, using a uni track rear shock and 41mm Showa forks up front. Kawasaki claims they are ‘long travel’ forks, but after doing a little digging, I found out that they only have 150MM of travel, a paltry 10MM more than the ninja 300. We shall have to see how well this translates to riding off road. A 19 inch front and a 21 inch rear wheel do give it SOME off-roading cred, especially as they are spoked and not cast wheels. So there might be hope for the little Kawasaki yet.

The dashboard of the bike incorporates a large analog tachometer, digital gear indicator, speed, clock, trip/odo, your standard array of idiot lights and a fuel level gauge (why fuel level gauges were so rare on motorcycles, I will never now) tucked up neatly behind the fairing. Speaking of which, the small screen coupled with the up-right riding position, rubber foot pegs and low seat should make this a comfortable runabout for anyone interested.

As with any adventure bike that wants to be taken seriously, there will be a range of accessories offer by Kawasaki themselves, including side bags, a center stand, engine guards, hand guard shells and a taller seat.

At 370lbs, the little kawi is still on the heavy side for a true dirt machine, but better road manners and more wind protection, as well as available ABS will help move the 300X off the show room floors and into the wild.

First thing we did was head over to another buddy’s house to pick him up. Once our motley trio had converged (the SVX-R, the buzz saw, and a early 2000s R6) we meandered down to MotoSocial and took a walkabout.

There were cruisers, cafe racers, classic Ducatis and state of the art super sports. H2’s, decked out R1200 GSs, and bikes whose existence I didn’t even KNOW of. Everything and everything was present. It was lively, there was good food, and everyone was having a good time.

You know what the last car meet did not have? Any of that.

Last car meet I went to, there was no laughing. No intermingling of groups. If you showed up with your R33 group, you stuck with your R33 group. All of the rich dudes who showed up in Porsches? You all grabbed a coffee and talked about wife swapping. Any show even REMOTELY muscle car related, it’s either some old guy hilariously trying to relive his youth alongside his buddies who all have five identical GTO knock offs, or a bunch of Mustangs hunting for crowds. (What do you mean Frank is hiding in a tree?) Or even worse, all of the ‘professional’ photographers that were just a lot of sub-25 year olds whose parents got them a DSLR for Christmas and now have a “business” that is *last name* photography.

And every single one of these group pretty much refused to talk to each other. The kids photographers were just standing there waiting for shots of the 45th AC Cobra replica once the crowd moved. The AMG guys were laughing at anyone that was making less than 400WHP. The off-road guys were all trying to show off their crazy articulation that they use for running over curbs.

And it’s not just big car and coffee style meets that had this. The smaller car meet we attended that night was even worse – 20 cars, maybe, and they were split between four groups. One of which was vaping out of some dude’s minivan.

And no chatter. No lively-ness. No coffee. (Well, maybe a little coffee). It was absurd.

The last bike meet I went to had NOTHING of the sort. Maybe it’s because we can cram six bikes in the space you need for ONE car. But the whole thing felt much more tight knit. As you can see in the picture above, there was no ‘section’ – you parked where you had space. Ducatis parked with old Kawasakis. Big Bavarian adventure touring bikes within licking distance of the greatest super sport from Italy.

This was parked next to me when I decided it was crowded enough to leave my helmet next to my bike. I didn’t even know what the hell it was! A Harley motor in a sport bike frame (and no, it wasn’t a Buell).

And just how approachable people were there. Every bike had a story and everyone was willing to share. I had three different people buy ME a coffee while we chatted, and I bought a few rounds as well. Even the meanest, grumpiest member of the local gang was caught drooling over an MV Agusta dragster (and I don’t blame him!) and he was chatted up by the young lady who owned it. The Ducatistis were enamored by a vintage Honda that was leaking oil a few spots away from their priceless dry-clutch monsters. Some of the Harley guys were busy trying to help one of the sport bike guys with some electrical issues that left him with no lights, and when they failed, they escorted the guy home, using their headlights to help guide him.

I have never seen that kind of camaraderie in car people. Maybe it’s because we all know the risks of two wheels and it brings us together. Maybe it’s because we all like leather and think ourselves better then cagers. I don’t really know, to be honest with you. But riders just seem to be a much more inviting group of people to talk to and get into.

I am well aware that each group has their own set of assholes, and maybe I just ran into the worst of one group and the best of another.

But after talking with more of my car buddies, it seems to be the general thing around here. The track days and hill climb meets? Nothing like that. Everyone is friendly and helpful. But the regular car meets, cars and coffee and so on? Social wasteland.

And because of that, I think I will be giving up on cars as a hobby. Not that I’m leaving Oppositelock, god no. But the whole idea of going to meets, to ‘cruises’ (sure, lets go hang out with others for ten minutes, and then isolate ourselves in metal cages for three hours, only to meet for ten minutes again and then go home), well, it seems kind of dumb when its laid out like that, no?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and track down motorcycle #8.

*Note: I started writing this piece way back on June the 3rd.

Enter, 2009 Kawasaki Versys 650. Motorcycle #7 in my stable, and the fourth with a 650cc motor.

This particular example is shod in Shinko… something or other (I tend to call them crap) tires and has been lowered two inches (one inch in suspension, one inch from a foam-ectomy in the seat). A small wind deflector on the screen rounds out the modifications.

So, where do we start? Well, first impressions are that this is a 7/8s version of the BMW F800R that I have sitting at home. Seriously. Both bikes are parallel twins, 6 speed transmissions, both riding on 17 inch wheels, and both weigh in at roughly 440lbs wet.

Motor: This particular lump has seen a lot of duty in Kawasaki’s line up. Being used in the Ninja 650, the ER-6N, the Versys 650 and the Vulcan 650, it’s a cheap and cheerful motor, chucking about 65HP and 45ft-lbs at the rear tire through a chain. It’s not the world’s most exciting motor, and I personally dont like I-2s (I much prefer V-twins) but it does the job, and it does the job cheaply. I’m getting about 55mpg on the freeway at about 110km/h.

Brakes: I had to do a double take at these. These calipers look identical to the 16 year old units on my 2000 SV650! Truth be told, these Tokico calipers are used on just about every single “cheap” bike there is. And they aren’t THAT bad. The feel at the lever is a little wooden it must be said, but nothing a new set of pads and some new fluid wouldn’t help fix.

Suspension/Handling: Here, I’m a little annoyed. This thing has upside down forks… on such a cheap bike? Even my BMW didn’t come with UPDs until 2015. The previous owner was a shorter guy, so the whole thing sits an inch lower to the ground, with another inch taken out of the seat. This brings the seat height WAY down, and contributes to why I feel like this is a 7/8th scale F800R, and not an actual adventure bike.

As far as handling is concerned, the bike is REALLY let down by those junk Shinko tires. The chassis feels light and nimble, and eager to turn in. But a rear with a flattened middle section (at least I know the previous owner did not rag on it hard) and just a shitty tire overall really really detracts from any athleticism this bike has. Once I get a set of Michelins or Dunlops spooned on this thing it should really wake up in that department.

And to answer everyone’s burning question, YES, this can be a good beginners bike.

But thinking about it, when asked about practically of a motorcycle, a lot of people are quick to point out that it can’t carry a lot of things. Frankly, this is just plain wrong. I get told you can’t use it as a tow vehicle.

BAM. MOTORCYCLE TOWING. “…ookay, but I need to tow my sister-in-laws E46 wagon after it breaks down! A motorcycle can’t do that…”

BAM AGAIN!

Anyways, let’s get on with discussing how to add some storage space to your motorcycle and make it more practical.

1. Fork Bag

Starting front the front, we have a cruiser favorite: The fork bags. For obvious reasons, you will probably never see this on a sport bike. These are smaller bags that attach to the fork legs of the bike and can store a small amount of stuff. Your phone, wallet, some cash, maybe your smokes or a roadside plug kit. They aren’t intrusive (if mounted right, anyways) and are relatively hidden from you line of sight. This is both good and bad – good because it’s not obstructing anything, bad because if it falls off you aren’t going to notice until you stop. Wouldn’t that be just swell? These are usually pretty cheap, $50 or so.

2. Handlebar Bag

What you see if what you get. Similar to the fork bag, but mounts up on your handlebars. Again, for small stuff. And again, cheap. $25? maybe?

So, how does one go about getting their bike ready for the road? There are a few maintenance items that need to be addressed before you can hit the road.

First things first. Oil. Oil is what lubricates the bearings inside your engine and keeps your clutch cool (assuming you don’t ride a older ducati). Oil should be changed every 5000KM or so. Depending on the duty cycle.

To change your oil, the first step is to locate the oil drain plug on your specific bike. On my Suzuki for example, it’s a 14MM bolt. On my dad’s BMW however, it is a 10MM Allen key.

Once you’ve found the oil drain bolt, warm the bike up to let the oil flow a little easier. Turn the bike off, remove the oil drain plug and A: immediately make a mess because you didn’t align the drain pan right and B: drop the drain bolt in the pan where is going to be immediately be submerged in oil. Go fishing to retrieve the bolt.

Once you got the bolt out and cleaned, check for the washer. Usually made of copper, this little guy helps seal the bolt so that you aren’t dripping oil all over the road as you are riding along. It’s a pretty good idea to replace it, though if you don’t have one handy, and the one you have looks to be in serviceable condition, it’s not the end of the world to re-use it.

Now that we have the old oil out of the motor, let’s take a look at that oil filter. Most manufactures say you can replace it every second oil change. Personally, I replace them every oil change. Its $15 for some piece of mind, well worth it to me.

Locate the oil filter (some bikes may have a cartridge filter, in which case, find where the cover is). Grab your filter wrench/strap and pull that sucker off. (Word of warning: there is still some oil in the filter itself, so keep your drain pan close by). Once you have the filter off, double check the sealing surface to make sure that you didn’t leave the rubber gasket behind. Once you have established that you haven’t, you can throw that old filter out and pull the new one out of the box. Smear a little bit of oil on the rubber gasket and screw that new filter on. How tight? Refer to your owner manual. (I usually go hand tight + a turn). If you have a cartridge filter, refer to factory specs for the cover.

Now we have a new filter, new crush washer in the bolt and no oil in the bike. So, let’s put in some oil!

There are a few things you need to learn NOT to ask on a motorcycle forum.

1: what are the best tires?

2: what PSI do you run your tires at?

3: what is the best oil?

Look in the owner’s manual, choose whatever weight works best for your temperature range and get some oil.

The only thing to watch out for is that the oil is MOTORCYCLE oil. Most car oils have a few friction modifiers mixed in to help the oil lubricate better. This is all great in a car, but remember that bikes keep their clutches bathed in the same oil as the engine. Any friction modifiers in the oil will ruin the clutch plates and you will then have a very expensive bike that can’t go anywhere. So make sure you use the right type of oil and the right amount (again, check your service manual for how much is needed) Right, we have oil in the bike. What’s next? Well, that power has to get to the back wheel somehow. This is usually done via a chain, belt, or shaft.

If you have a belt or shaft, you can skip the next part. Buggers.

Still here? Great, let’s talk chain maintenance. Your chain provides the crucial link (get it? Because the chain is made of links? I’ll see myself out the door) from the engine to the rear tire. To work at its best, the chain has to be clean and well lubricated. So, step one, let’s get that chain clean.

I throw my bike up on a maintenance stand, and take a can of de-greaser and apply it liberally to the chain and sprocket. Then I take a brush, and scrub all of the gunk and crap off. Then I take a roll of paper towels, wipe off the now loosened grime, and hit it again with the de-greaser just in case I missed anything the first time around.

After the chain has been wiped dry, I take my can of lube and spray it onto the actual rollers. I see this done incorrectly a lot of the time. The lubricant doesn’t need to go on the outside of the links, it has to go on the rollers and in the actual pivot points of the chain.

NOTE: NEVER EVER EVER CLEAN YOUR CHAIN WITH THE BIKE RUNNING! It may seem like a quick and easy way to get it done, but it’s also a very quick and easy way to lose a couple of fingers in the sprocket.

Once all that is done, make sure the chain is tight (loosen the axle, turn the adjustment nuts EQUALLY until chain is as tight as you need it, right tighten axle) and you are on your merry way. Now that we have fresh oil in the engine, and our chain is nice and clean, we should check the brake pads to make sure that we still have plenty of stopping life. Checking them on bikes is relatively straight forward, as you can simply shine a light one the calipers and see how much life you have left. If you want to take a closer look, the calipers themselves are easy to take off. Two bolts (usually) hold the caliper to the mounting bracket, and once those two are undone, the caliper just slides right off.

Now with the caliper off, take a nice long look at the brake pads. Hmmm. Dirty.

When it comes time to put them back on, you may want to spread the pads apart just a little bit, to make sliding the caliper back over the brake disk easier for you. Just take a flat screw driver and use it like a lever. If you are fancy/feeling flush with cash, you can get a dedicated tool for the job. Re-tighten the bolts to w/e the factory specification is (mine are 27lb-ft) and give the lever a quick squeeze to bring the pads back into contact with the rotor.

If you have a drum brake, you will have to take the wheel off to inspect the brake pads. You pull the wheel, and then one on side you will find a removable hub that carries the lever and the brake pads. Pull it off and check to see if you still have any life left in it. Putting it back together, it’s simply the reverse process. Don’t forget to reconnect both the brake bar and the stabilizing bar.

Now we have oil, we have a nice oiled chain, and our brakes are in working order. Ready to ride yes?

Not quite. We still have ONE more thing that needs to be done. Check your tire pressures. After sitting over the winter, those big rubber bands have probably lost a couple of pounds (unlike me…curse you Christmas feasts) so it’s worthwhile to pump them back up to recommended pressure, lest something happen.

And with that, we are ready to ride. Remember as it is the start of the season, there will still be a lot of sand and salt on the streets, and people are not used to motorcycle on the road, so take extra care out there. Happy riding!