Kawasaki made an impression at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, debuting the new Z900RS standard. The premise was simple there: take the potent Kawasaki Z900 street bike, and dress it in retro clothing.
The effect was something that looked incredibly like the Kawasaki Zephyr of old, but with modern brakes, suspension, traction control, and even a slipper-assist clutch. Now we see that Team Green plans on already expanding the line, debuting today the 2018 Kawasaki Ninja Z900RS Cafe.
Basically the Z900RS with a bikini fairing, this modern café racer should be a perfect fit for those riders that want an older looking motorcycle that doesn’t run like an older looking motorcycle.
Mostly a visual exercise, the basic stats of the 2018 Kawasaki Ninja Z900RS Cafe don’t stray too far from the donor bike from whence it came.
As such, 110hp is on tap (slightly less than the 125hp on the Z900), with 73 lbs•ft of torque from the 948cc inline-four engine. The Kawasaki Ninja Z900RS Cafe weights 476 lbs at the curb.
LED lighting abounds, and the traction control comes with only two settings (plus off). The front brakes are 300mm discs, mated to radial four-piston calipers and a radial master cylinder. The 41mm forks are fully adjustable, while the rear shock has rebound and preload adjustments.
There’s no word yet on US pricing or availability, though we can’t imagine Kawasaki USA passing on this hiptastic motorcycle.
Source: Kawasaki Europe
As always, Asphalt & Rubber will be covering all the new bikes debuting at EICMA this year. Be sure to follow our coverage for the most recent news and photos.
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