Got a sorta offer yersterday
 

Guy I know rode by the dealership yesterday on an '03 Z1000 he picked up a little while back. Asked if I wanted to work out a trade for my bike. I'm sure the Z would be fun but I don't know if it'll be a good long distance/all day riding bike. I want an FZ1 but this one's is tempting....:idk: Throw some thoughts and opinions. Anyone had a Z1000 to give me more insite?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...69/03Z1000.jpg

I had one and it was a wheelie monster. It was also a bit buzzy in the pegs, and ther is no respite from the wind blast. The FZ1 would be a better long distance bike IMHO. FWIW.

TAKE IT!!!!

It actually has a modified ZX-9R motor in it. Its known as the wheelie monster.... the front is so light. Supprisingly its comfortable, but comparitively speaking, has no wind protection vs. the FZ1.

Of course i havnt ridden one, but i like them, so ive read up on them quite a bit.

Do some reading, take a test ride. When he said he would work out a trade.... did he mean he was going to be paying you???? The first gens aren't really super expensive.

That color is sweet too. :drool:

He'd have to give me some boot with it. Mine is worth about 1600 more book value without any of the stuff I've put on it. I know that's not much of a factor but 7K worth of mods I'm gonna get something for it.

I'd love to have it as a "second" hooligan bike, but can't do 2 right now :(

The Kawasaki's are vibe happy by nature. At 4Krpm the rear view mirrors became useless. I had the little brother to the Z1000, aZ750. They are comfy enough for an all day ride, but not as comfy as the FZ1 as the bars are a little higher on the Yamaha. And like everyone else has said, they are wheelie monsters. Great low end torque but they don't have much of a top end. 140-150 tops. Not that you'll ever need to go that fast.

I'd take the Z over an FZ. As long as you're not slabbing all day, I wouldn't think wind blast should be a problem. Anything is better than a cruiser :whistle:

You're right, not that I'd need more speed but the FZ tops out around 160 or so I think. That's not a big issue really.


I don't do much slabbing if I can help it but I do all day rides on 2 lane highways around here and that's about the same over a day.




I think I might ask him if he wants to trade out for a day or two next weekend so I can get a feel for it and see if I'd like it enough to trade.

I have a friend that took a trip from Denver up through Nebraska to mid Illinois and back with his woman on the back. he says it's pretty good in the twisties around Denver too.

that's exactly what you need to do... find a nice weekend... and trade it out... or just plan a long route with him... something that has a little bit of everything, slab, twistys, sweepers, lights... ect... and swap bikes.

we talked about the Z1000... and you know I like the FZ1 much more... only because if I was buying something like that... long trips would be on the books.

good luck either way...

If I had to have a Kawi, I would get any ZX-11 or a 1998 or newer ZX-9. Instead of the Z1000, I would rather have a 1998 ZX-9. The fairing is a zillion times better, and with the money I saved I could upgrade the suspension and brakes. Plus, I think the 9 looks much better than the Z. As for the carb problem on the 9, a 5-cent shim under the needle cures it.