Anyone own the Kawasaki 900 RS?

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I like it. I almost bought a 2020 Cafe' but changed my mind at the last second to go with the "standard" 900 because of the higher bars. The dealer wouldn't give me the deal I wanted on the 2021 standard so I'm still looking.
The only negative I've read about at the 900 forum is some owners say it has a "snatchy throttle"? It appears to be an FI issue caused by the EPA restrictions. Many owners say the issue is very minor or even non-existent, while many other say they sent their computers to a fellow or company called "Ivan's" who flashes the computer, for $350, and sends it back to you. The owners who have their computers flashed say the bike runs very well in all conditions.
Otherwise, it seems to be a great bike. I prefer the Cafe' because, up close, it has better attention to detail, but I'll go with the standard and probably buy an aftermarket bikini fairing. I like that the 900 has a center stand you can buy. Not that common these days.
Any experience from owning this bike or riding one would be appreciated.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Ivan is a tuning god. I ran his jet kit in my FZ1 and it was stunning. His work unlocking the inner monster of the Hayabusa is also incredible.

 

[rphillips]

New member here from Odem, TX., 69Rider, started a couple of threads in the GS Owners section, back on 12/14/20. He has a 2018 Z900RS, & made a few comments about it in one of those threads. Haven't seen anything from him since the mid Dec., maybe he'll be back.

 

[trevor]

If you get one...here is a guy I have heard good things about. I had just ordered a slip on and jet kit from him just before my accident.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Dale is a nice guy. I actually had his jet kit in my FZ before I spoke to Ivan. The dyno confirmed my feelings about the difference. Dale's Bandit work is legendary, but Ivan is a mad scientist.

 

[Carter Turk]

I had an Ivan's TRE (Timing Retard Eliminator) on my old TL 1000S.

Imagine someone locally could reflash the ECU or some shop with a dyno could clean up the mapping.

 

[Guest]

I have a 2019 Z900RS. The standard model, in Root Beer. It's a fun bike but does have some flaws. For the fueling, the most annoying thing is the fuel cut on decel. There's a big lurch when you roll the throttle back on. It also surges a bit at low speeds and runs hot in traffic. I'm planning to send my ecu to Ivan for a reflash before the new season starts. Pulling the ecu is a bit of a PITA, which is why I haven't done it yet. You can read about what he does on his website:

http://www.ivansperformanceproducts.com/z900rs.htm

Stock suspension isn't very good either. Way too much compression damping, especially high speed compression, and not enough rebound. It makes for a harsh, jerky ride as it comes. I was able to play with the settings and improve it quite a bit, it's still not that great. Stock suspension on my 79 GS1000 is a lot better, So is the fueling!

Spring rates for me, at about 140 lbs fully geared up, are about right. You'll probably need stiffer springs. I'm thinking about getting the forks revalved and getting a different rear shock.

So far the only mods I've done are to put on the factory centerstand and I went +1 on the countershaft sprocket. Stock gearing is kind of low. It's a fun bike, just needs some finishing touches. I'll see if I can figure out how to post a photo. Forum sw is complaining that my smugmug photos are too big.

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Thanks, Debby!