Those were my exact thoughts as I let out the clutch for the first time on the new 2015 Yamaha FJ-09. Why? As anyone who regularly reads our site knows, I have a love/hate relationship with the Yamaha FZ-09, which uses the same engine and frame as the new FJ-09. The FZ's combination of power, torque, price, and the level of thought that went into its creation blew my mind at its initial launch, but I often refer to it as the "most fun bike that's always trying to kill me," given its snatchy throttle and terrible suspension. So the first thing I wanted to know is whether Yamaha improved the throttle response on the FJ-09. Fortunately, the surprise was pleasant. When I came home from the launch of the FZ-09 around 18 months ago, I told the guys at Yamaha that if they fixed the fueling and suspension and gave it an upright riding position and some wind protection, they would have created a bike that had no direct competition and a bike I would buy. They did exactly that with the 2015 Yamaha FJ-09. The bike The 2015 Yamaha FJ-09 borrows a lot from its naked brother. The mechanicals of the 847 cc three-cylinder engine are completely unchanged, as are the frame, fork, and brakes. This means the FJ-09 should make the same 115 horsepower and 65 foot-pounds of torque.  The same three-cylinder engine from the FZ-09 powers the FJ-09, but with improved fueling. Photo by Brian Nelson. Yamaha did, however, take our concerns about the throttle seriously, and the FJ-09 comes with re-worked fuel maps to help smooth out the ride. It also comes with traction control (which can be turned off) and ABS as stock. It has three riding modes: A (most aggressive), Standard, and B (best for dodgy conditions). The internals of the suspension have also been completely re-worked. The fork springs are now progressive units, which get more firm as they're engaged. Yamaha claims the compression damping has been increased by one and a half times, and the rebound by two and a half times. The rear shock is the same unit, but Yamaha increased the compression damping by two and a half times and doubled the rebound.  The newly designed seat is much more comfortable. Yamaha photo. Yamaha made a whole range of changes to the FJ to make it more distance-worthy. The subframe was increased by 130.6 mm to make room for the new seat, which now is split for rider and passenger. The seat is both wider and more flat, and is adjustable to gain 15 mm more height. Yamaha also re-shaped the seat so it has a more rounded edge, compared to abrupt edge found on the seat of the FZ-09.  The FJ-09 adds both a little leg room and a closer and more comfortable reach to the bars. Yamaha photo. The riding position is more upright than the FZ's. The handlebars are now 20 mm higher, 17 mm closer to the rider, and 40 mm wider than the bars on the FZ. You can adjust them by rotating the stalks, which will give you 10 mm more room. The entire front end of the FJ is new, from the windscreen (adjustable by 30 mm), to the LED headlights, and the hand guards. Other improvements for touring include a fuel tank that holds 4.8 gallons, 1.1 gallons larger than the FZ's, which gives the FJ a range of about 180 miles, and Dunlop Sport Max D222 Roadsmart II tires for increased tire life.  The instruments are all new on the 2015 Yamaha FJ-09. Photo by Brian Nelson. The instrument panel is all-new, and its dual-screen display offers all of the information you could want, while also making it easy to scroll through menus or engage things like the heated grips. The heated grips on the models we rode are optional accessories, but I was quite pleased to learn that the grips come wired to plug directly into the bike's wiring harness and, once you've done so, are operated through the bike's onboard computer system. The entire setup feels like an OEM inclusion, and not some afterthought.  The optional panniers stayed waterproof in the rain we encountered. Photo by Brian Nelson. The hard panniers are available as an additional option. To add them to the bike, you'll need the saddlebag mounts ($93.99), saddlebags ($399.99 each), and a lock set ($79.99) for a grand total of $973.96. I don't know if it's the total price or just the way they lay each item out as a separate charge, but figuring out the pricing left a bad taste in my mouth as I kept realizing each number I saw wasn't the final price. I will say that the bags were nice in quality, were easy to operate, and didn't leak during our wet ride. The low-slung exhaust allowed the bags to be made narrower (75 mm narrower than on the FJR1300) and the same size and shape on both sides. Testing the Yamaha FJ-09 To test the FJ-09, Yamaha took us on a 200-mile loop through the mountains near Santa Barbara, making our way over to the I-5 freeway, and then coming down the Grapevine grade. Our day started cold and wet. Unfortunately, that meant that the best part of our ride, Highway 33, would be spent on wet roads, dodging oil spots and debris washed onto the road by the rain. Trying to look nice for a photo while avoiding the oil slick in the turn and not sliding into our lovely camera guy made things... interesting.  Our route for the day. Yamaha photo. Despite all that, it was clear from the first time I let out the clutch that the FJ-09 was what I hoped it would be. Fueling is much better across the board, allowing you to make inputs to the throttle both mid-turn or from a stop without the jerky motions brought about by the FZ. I spent most of the morning in B mode and was impressed by how much fun I was still able to have. While I expected to engage the traction control a bunch, the rear only tried to step out on me once. The Roadsmart IIs actually gave me really nice grip despite the poor conditions. They felt great leaned over, wet or dry, and even didn't feel completely like race slicks when we hit a few flooded muddy areas of tarmac on top of the mountain.  Riding the FJ-09 in the hills near Ojai, Calif. Photo by Brian Nelson. The back side of the mountain, as we cut over to the Grapevine, had some really nasty roads, paired with some tight turns and elevation changes, and the still-somewhat-soft suspension felt much like that of the FZ when asked to take all of these factors into account. Not that this is necessarily a negative. Keep in mind I'm riding a $10,500 sport-touring bike, and not a KTM 1190 Adventure R. There was bound to be a limit, and this was it. As you'll notice from the video review, most of our day was flummoxed by bad weather, slow riders, and slower drivers who refused to let us pass. Luckily, we made it back to the hotel in time for me to take one last solo run up Highway 33 to film some point-of-view GoPro shots for the video. After spending most of my day riding a bike slowly, I was pretty eager to see just what the FJ could really do as I rode up the hill with the sun setting behind me. While the bike is still not perfect, it's very, very good (again considering price and purpose). Conditions were still a little dirty and wet, so I didn't feel great about really hammering these roads in A mode, but both it and Standard feel worlds better than the FZ-09 I rode a few months back. More importantly, the suspension feels like a completely different motorcycle. You couldn't pay me enough money to get me to try to hang off the FZ, for fear it would buck me off should I need to make any additional inputs, but the FJ just begs for it. Just 22 minutes and 35 seconds after I left the parking lot, I pulled back up to where the bikes were staged. The bike handler said, "I'd ask what your thoughts were, but your face says it all."  Riding in dodgy conditions, the smoother fueling was appreciated. Photo by Brian Nelson. FJ-09 highlights The FJ-09 stands alone in its class — a true, multi-purpose bike that's good for riding around town, traveling long distances, or enjoying the twisties. Last year, I fell in love with the Kawasaki Versys for its abilities to be a great commuter and all-around bike and still pull touring duty. The FJ-09 is all of that, with the addition of almost double the horsepower, 50 percent more torque, and way more smiles.  A bike suitable for the long haul. Photo by Brian Nelson. Both the fueling and suspension are vastly improved and, while not perfect, will be much more appropriate for a larger percentage of riders. I look forward to tinkering with the suspension settings when we get a unit in for longer testing. The entire package has been well thought out. Everything from the new seat to the new instrument panel are improvements, and making things like the heated grips operable through the onboard menu systems is a really thoughtful touch. Aesthetically, the FJ is a nice-looking motorcycle. Part of me can't wait to see what it will look like with the front windscreen removed and a fender eliminator kit. Seriously, how long are companies going to let Ducati get away with being the only brand to find an alternative for that rear license plate hanger? I really appreciate that Yamaha isn't trying to claim the FJ is part of the adventure bike market. Just because you sit upright doesn't mean a bike needs to be able to go off road and, by not attempting to claim such abilities, Yamaha was better able to outfit the bike for the on-pavement duty that people are actually going to use it for. FJ-09 lowlights There is still an abrupt difference between on and off throttle, especially in the A and Standard riding modes. While it isn't as intense as with the FZ, and doesn't make mid-turn inputs feel unsafe, it will be a little jarring for new riders. If I were to buy an FJ, I'd probably still get a Power Commander.  Test-riding the Yamaha FJ-09. Photo by Brian J. Nelson. The suspension is still slightly on the soft side for my taste. That fits with the bike's touring abilities, and most people who buy the FJ-09 for everyday riding, commuting, or trips probably won't care, but those of you who really want to enjoy this bike's sporty nature may still want to address the suspension. Located between the little guide on the bottom of the left foot peg and the center stand, the side stand is tough to get at and put down. No, this isn't a big deal, but yes, I thought about it every one of the 25 times we had to stop for one reason or another. I actually would have preferred Yamaha make the center stand an optional add on. The competition The closest competitors are the Kawasaki Versys and Suzuki V-Strom. The Versys 1000 LT costs $12,799, comes with panniers, and weighs 550 pounds. Its 1,000 cc four-cylinder engine makes 125 horsepower and 75 foot-pounds of torque. The V-Strom 1000 is available in two trims. They only list the weight for the regular version, which weighs 500 pounds. The V-Strom has an MSRP of $12,699 while the V-Strom Adventure (which comes with hard bags) will run you $13,999. Its 1,000 cc twin engine makes 95 horsepower and 76 foot-pounds of torque. The next closest competitor is the Triumph Tiger 800 XR, which starts at $11,399. The Tiger weighs 470 pounds and its triple engine makes 95 horsepower and 58 foot-pounds of torque. Hard panniers will be made available sometime next year, but pricing has not been released. The FJ-09 is physically smaller and lighter than all of those bikes. It has the best power-to-weight ratio, and is by far the cheapest at $10,490 ($11,464 if you factor in the hard saddlebags). Conclusion I'm a huge fan of what Yamaha is doing these days. Between the FZ-07, upcoming R3, Star Bolt, and new R1, I think Yamaha is doing the best job of seeing the holes in the current motorcycle market and creating products to fill them. The FZ-09 is already Yamaha's best-selling motorcycle, but I would expect that's about to change. The FJ-09 is better at pretty much everything, including going fast, given that its updates help you access and use all that power better and more safely. Between this bike and last week's launch of the Ducati Scrambler, buyers have two excellent new options that bring a ton of value for their money.  The Yamaha FJ-09 offers a lot of sport-touring capability for the price. Photo by Brian Nelson. If your touring often includes a passenger or you need more bells and whistles, like an electronically controlled windscreen or cruise control, you may need to look at something bigger, but be prepared to spend 50 percent more for those luxuries. But, if you're looking for something that's great for around town and daily riding, will capably take you across the country, and will still be sportbike-level fun in the twisties — look no further.

Is that a Ducati? Sometimes I imagine Ducati and Aprilia are brothers, with Aprilia constantly trying to get out of Ducati's shadow and win recognition from riders who love Italian motorcycles. Sometimes, they try to create their own path, like with the V4's, creating motorcycles that are completely different from their Ducati rivals. Other times, however, they create very similar versions to compete with Ducati directly, like with the Shiver or Dorsoduro. 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 ABS Travel Pack. Aprilia Photo. The Aprilia Caponord 1200 ABS fits into the latter category. In fact, I'd been riding a Ducati Multistrada the week prior to getting the Capo and, on numerous occasions, motorcycle-loving friends asked me, "isn't that the same bike you were riding last week?" The bike The 2015 Aprilia Caponord marks the return of the platform after Aprilia sunset the ETV 1000 CapoNord in 2007. Instead of borrowing the engine from the V4 range (Tuono or RSV4), the Caponord gets a 1,197 cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine similar to that found in the Dorsoduro 1200. Aprilia says the engine and electronics are tuned for more mid-range power, which is aided by including 52 mm throttle bodies instead of the 57 mm ones found in the Dorso. The Caponord makes a (claimed) 125 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 84.6 foot-pounds of torque at 6,800 rpm. Power delivery is modified through three riding modes: Sport, Touring, and Rain. I preferred Touring mode most of the time, as it offered full power, but smoothed out the delivery slightly. Sport was slightly twitchy, although not so much that it made it unusable, as is the case with many bikes with a sport mode. Rain mode limits the power to 100 horsepower and smooths the power delivery even further.  The Capo's cockpit is quite roomy. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The Caponord also uses the same Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) as the RSV4, though it does not have wheelie or launch control. If you're thinking wheelie control and traction control are similar, keep in mind that wheelie control slightly alters fueling to keep you from looping a wheelie, while traction control is going to chop fueling altogether and end them as quickly as they start. If you want to wheelie, turn ATC off. The three setting system works well, though I found ATC 3 (the most intrusive) activated a little too easily for my taste - even in the wet.  2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 ABS Travel Pack. Aprilia Photo. The Capo uses a steel trellis frame mounted to a steel subframe. Aprilia lists its dry weight at 502, which puts wet weight somewhere in the 550-pound range. Front suspension is handled by a 43 mm Sachs inverted fork while the rear gets a Sachs dynamic monoshock absorber. The Aprilia Caponord is fitted with Aprilia Dynamic Dampening (ADD), which pairs a fully active rear suspension with a semi-active front fork to modify the settings automatically as you ride. The system measures the weight of the load, wheel speed, throttle and brake position, and input from sensors on the fork and swingarm to set rebound and compression damping up front and rebound, compression, and spring preload in the rear. Or, if you're unhappy with how the system is setting the suspension for you, you can lock it in one of four combinations of rider, passenger, and luggage. Stopping power is delivered through two 320 mm floating discs up front, which are paired with Brembo monoblock four-piston radially mounted calipers fed through a steel-braided brake line. The rear gets a 240 mm disc mated to a Brembo single-piston caliper and also gets a steel-braided brake line. The Caponord also comes with two-channel ABS as standard. The U.S. market only gets the Travel Pack edition of the Caponord, which comes completely kitted out with a manually adjustable windscreen, hand guards, grip warmers, 29-liter hard panniers, and cruise control. For those of you in colder climates, rest assured that the bike comes with a 690-watt alternator that can easily power any and all of your heated gear and electronic devices.  It may not look pretty, but it sure sounds pretty. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The Caponord 1200 is fit with 17-inch Dunlop Qualifier tires, which should be a pretty clear statement that Aprilia is not trying to make this version of the Caponord off-road-capable. Testing the Caponord 1200 I got the chance to put about 3,000 miles on the Caponord 1200 over the length of the bike loan, which included numerous day trips, a ton of playing in the twisties, and using it for several weeks as my everyday commuter. I actually hadn't done much research on the bike before I picked it up, and for some reason I thought it was the Aprilia version of something like the Moto Guzzi Stelvio, which is more of your typical touring bike. The accidental wheelie I pulled leaving Aprilia's office let me know I was in for a much different experience than I expected. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the Capo is the sound it makes. I get the chance to ride a lot of really nice and really fast bikes, but if I'm honest, I have to admit I tend to mellow out pretty quickly once I see what they can do... unless they have an exhaust note like the Caponord's. That sound made getting on the gas a little too hard and a little too early just never seem to get old, something I tested at length — strictly for scientific purposes, of course.  The Italians are so good at modeling. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The next most noticeable thing about the Caponord is the amount of torque it makes, as well as where it makes it. While the Caponord's peak torque of 84.6 hits at 6,800 rpm, most of it is available as low as 3,000 rpm. Not only is getting off the line seamless and easy for such a big bike, it's downright addicting. I rode the Caponord on numerous day trips, logging more than my fair share of freeway miles. The bike does well on freeway and all that torque means you can leave it in sixth gear regardless of whether you need to slow for congestion or make passes. Wind protection is adequate in keeping most of the wind off of the rider, but I found it created some booming in a variety of helmets I wore on it. The seat is wide and flat and made long rides surprisingly comfortable, even for my bony little butt. For the sake of testing this bike by every measure possible, I took a really pretty girl I like on a long day ride — again, just for science. Between the power, the high-caliber brakes, and the automatic suspension, the Caponord is excellent for riding with a passenger. The luggage is a bit small for any serious two-up touring, but the panniers were perfect for a camera and a few extra layers for when she (and by "she" I mean "me") got cold. Now if only I could get her to stop head-butting me.  I'm ready to go when you are. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The panniers take a little getting used to, as the closing and locking mechanism can be a little tricky, but they have elastic straps inside to help hold your gear in place even if they aren't packed full and, at 29 liters, they held a surprising amount of stuff. The Caponord is an absolute blast once you hit the twisty stuff, as long as it isn't too tight and technical. For instance, the bike was excellent for Ojai's Highway 33 and its long sweepers, but trying to hustle it through Mulholland Highway in Malibu became a chore and had me wishing I was on our Suzuki DR-Z400 or Triumph Street Triple R. The bike doesn't hide its 550 pounds particularly well, and getting the bike flipped over from side to side definitely gave me a pretty intense upper body workout. You can feel the ADD system working and trying to adjust, but at my weight I found it set suspension too soft for my taste. The brakes dove too much under heavy braking on the tight stuff and the bike felt bouncy beneath me while on the automatic setting. Manually putting the suspension in rider+passenger+luggage mode definitely helped tighten it up, though if I'm being honest, this is still a pretty heavy bike to ride through that tight stuff, anyway.  While this bike may not have won any races, it's these little finishing touches that make me love Italian bikes. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The Caponord is actually a decent daily rider assuming a few things. Its difficulties in the twisties means it also isn't great for urban areas. Riding it around the wide, sweeping streets of Orange County or San Diego was a blast, but dodging cars on the narrow, beat-up streets of Los Angeles was not. With a seat that's 33 inches high and fairly wide, the reach to the ground isn't one I would call easily accessible for a rider of average height. However, once you're moving and have full access to all that torque (not to mention the sound and visual appeal of the bike), you tend to forget about all of that. Aesthetically, the bike is sort of a mixed bag for me. I respect that Aprilia didn't copy the Multistrada beak, but throwing the RSV4 front on it just doesn't seem to fit. The overall fit and finish of the bike feels Italian, but muted somehow. It's definitely a nice-looking bike, and looks expensive if you're out to impress people, but it also looks a little plain, which misrepresents its riding character a bit. Caponord 1200 highlights The biggest highlight for me is that Aprila found a bike to put this engine in. The Dorsoduro is absolute madness and is the only bike besides the stock Yamaha FZ-09 that I thought was simply unsafe for the general public. I feel sort of bad saying so publicly, because I never really want to discourage manufacturers from taking chances on bikes that are super fun, a little nuts, and possibly too much for some people, but the fueling and suspension was just not up to the job of managing all that power. Beautiful engine, but it needed a different package. The Caponord doesn't make best-in-class power, but it also isn't as race-oriented as the competition that might best it on paper. The torque is positively addicting and does a good job at overshadowing some of the bike's negatives. Gear Geek John Krause was out visiting and we did a ride down to San Diego to get some pie and ride Palomar Mountain. He rode the Capo and I followed on the KTM 1190 Adventure R and, while I liked the Katoom better, there were plenty of times I wished I had that engine and that exhaust note under my butt instead of his.  The Caponord looks like an RSV4 on stilts. Photo by Sean MacDonald. The seat is really comfortable, which is hugely important for any sort of distance riding. Compared to the wood board KTM calls a seat, the Capo's seat felt like one of those chairs that massages while you recline. In online forums, I noticed many owners mentioned the instrument panel as a negative, but I thought it did a good job of displaying any desired info in an easy-to-read package. I would have liked it to be a little brighter and offer a little more contrast, but I found it much better than many others I've been stuck behind. Caponord 1200 lowlights The handlebars are extremely wide (40 inches) and the angle of the grips made my wrists hurt after extended amounts of time on the freeway. Wide bars can be nice for leverage on a bike, but sometimes the fact that they're really big is indicative of problems elsewhere. In this case, they're needed to help steer a bike that doesn't hide its weight particularly well. The "Sport" throttle map is a little too twitchy, especially between off and on throttle. With that much power and torque, the last thing you want is abrupt changes in fueling when you're trying to hustle up a hill.  Not the most natural button layout I've used. Photo by Sean MacDonald. Fuel economy comes in at about 33 mpg. With its 6.3-gallon tank, you'll still get usable range, but it's something to keep in mind if you're more into the touring part of sport-touring. The cruise control works, but is awkward to set and doesn't allow you to make minor changes to your speed like you can in a car or on the baggers I rode to Washington. You have to hold the button in for a few seconds to turn the system on and then for about a second to activate, which never feels quite natural, since the button is on the throttle side. If traffic changes speeds slightly, you have to disengage the system and then re-engage it at the desired speed, instead of being able to slightly slow or increase your speed. The competition Here is where things start to get a little tricky. The Caponord 1200, at $15,499, competes mainly with bikes like the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and Ducati Multistrada, given its obvious on-road bias. Obviously, anything in the adventure-touring segment is going to compete on some level, as most of them are relegated to on-road duty the vast majority of the time, but for comparison purposes I looked mostly at other bikes that were not designed with features for off-pavement use. The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure is going to come in at the bottom end of the price range at $13,999. While it does come with hard panniers, hand guards, traction control, and ABS, it's down 25 horsepower, eight foot-pounds of torque, and doesn't have heated grips, different fuel maps, cruise control, or Italian prestige.  C'mon, just one more run. Photo by Sean MacDonald. On the other hand, there is the Ducati Multistrada, which retails for $17,695. It makes 160 horsepower, 100 foot-pounds of torque, and doesn't come with things like hard panniers, heated grips, or cruise control. Making more power and coming in about 50 pounds lighter, the Duc is a better bike for the sport purists. I would also put the KTM 1190 Adventure (non R) in the ring with the Caponord. Most people think of the KTM as an off-road machine, but the non R has active suspension, makes 150 horsepower and 92 foot-pounds of torque, and retails for $16,999. On paper, it weighs the same as the Ducati, but on the road it feels much lighter. It's much narrower than the other two and, when John and I rode up Palomar, was much better in the twisties than the Capo. Conclusion I have a hard time trying to put my finger on just who the buyer is for the Caponord, which isn't to say it's a bad bike. For the money, the performance is really impressive. The motor is an absolute blast and I liked it more than the Multistrada, until I did some canyon testing. I'm a sucker for the exotics, and the Aprilia wins points for being less common, but in the end I don't see a scenario where I would buy or recommend buying the Caponord over the competition.  Where to next? Photo by Sean MacDonald. It's better than the Ducati for touring, not to mention cheaper, but there are certainly other options for touring that cost less and get better fuel economy. It's certainly sexier than the V-Strom 1000, but the Strom costs less and handles its weight a little better in the tight stuff. For my money, the KTM would be the way to go. While not the most powerful, and certainly not the most comfortable, I like its combination of power, suspension, and weight (and weight distribution) best. If the Caponord checks all your boxes, I'm not going to tell you it's a bike you shouldn't buy. Probably the biggest problem with the Caponord is how its high-quality competition does so many things just a little better.

Sugomi: An intense aura or energy given off by a person or object of greatness and felt by the viewer. Someone, or something, possessing sugomi inspires awe, leaves an indelible impression, is imposing in stature or ability, and commands respect. “Sugomi can be seen in the crouching form of a hunting predator as it gathers energy in preparation to strike, muscles tensed in anticipation, eyes locked onto its prey.” — Kawasaki Kawasaki says the 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 ABS was designed, both in terms of performance and aesthetics, with this concept of Sugomi in mind. Sugomi influenced every decision, from the piercing headlights to the lack of things like traction control…but we’ll get to that.  The 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 ABS. Kawasaki photo. The bike The 2014 Z1000 is the fourth generation of the platform, which made its debut in 2003. The engine was bumped from 953 cc to 1,043 cc for the third generation in 2010, and this new version receives minor changes to the engine and new styling. Though the same size as the previous model, the 1,043 cc inline-four has been reworked with a new intake camshaft, new airbox, new ECU, and taller velocity stacks. These changes bump power to 142 horsepower at 10,000 rpm (up from 136 horsepower at 9,600 rpm) and 81.7 foot-pounds of torque at 7,300 rpm (up from 81 foot-pounds at 7,800 rpm). The Z1000 uses a twin-spar aluminum frame, which is derived from the one on the Ninja 1000. It’s cast as a single unit with a swingarm pivot to eliminate the need for welds. The engine, which is used as a stressed member, is bolted to the frame in three places and rubber mounted at the rear of the upper crankcase.  The Z1000 cockpit. Kawasaki photo. Kawasaki has stayed ahead of its Japanese competitors in the evolution of front suspension. The Z1000 uses a Showa fully adjustable 41 mm inverted Separate Function Fork – Big Piston (SFF-BP). This design makes front suspension adjustments easier, even while you're out on a ride. Stepless compression and rebound damping are adjusted on one fork leg, and spring preload is adjusted on the other. Rear suspension is handled by a horizontal back-link rear shock, which is adjustable for rebound damping and preload, and is located away from the possibly performance-degrading exhaust heat. The placement also centralizes shock mass for better overall bike balance.  Mean muggin. Kawasaki Photo. The Z1000 carries standard ABS monobloc front calipers that mate with 310 mm wave-type rotors, 10 mm larger in diameter than the ones on the Z’s full-fairing cousin, the Ninja 1000. The rear sports a 250 mm wave-type rotor with a single-piston caliper that also has ABS as standard. Styling wise, the Z1000 personifies the phrase “whole new beast.” It is the first Japanese bike to go all LED for the headlights, though we imagine most people will be talking more about their low, glaring countenance than the technology used.  The Kawasaki Z1000 instrument panel. Kawasaki photo. Kawasaki says the intent was to make the Z1000 look like a predator crouching to attack. With the low headlights, the gas tank shaped like a cat with its hair standing on end, and the wide and low handlebar, we’d have to admit they got it spot on. Testing the Z1000 The first day I got the bike, I rode it about 250 miles, which included open freeways to Malibu and a plethora of canyon miles, followed by almost 100 miles of rush hour traffic on one of the worst, most heavily commuted freeways in the nation: Interstate 405. Coming from my sportbike background, I'd expect a day like this to have me popping painkillers by lunch. However, when I got home, I didn’t have any of the aches and pains I expected. Maybe there’s something to this naked bike thing.  "Does it wheelie?" they asked. Photo by Sean MacDonald. My first impressions of riding the bike on flowing freeways to the canyons was that it felt stiff. Not the bone-jarring, thrown-off-a-rigid-frame-from-hitting-a-pothole stiff, but stiff like a true sport bike. I have hopped on friends' Suzuki SV650s and Yamaha FZ6s, and, because of what I'm used to riding, they felt like driving a car from the 1950s with spongy, obsolete suspensions. The Z1000 was the opposite. Despite its relaxed riding position, it felt much more like my sportbike roots than the other nakeds I’ve ridden. I’ve had the bike for three weeks, and have pretty much forgotten all about my three other street-legal bikes (scooter, supermoto, superbike). The only type of riding I didn’t do was off roading (for obvious reasons) and touring more than 300 miles.  For those of you who ask why we put up with L.A. traffic. Photo by Sean MacDonald. By the third day in, I found myself looking for any reason to jump on the bike. I grabbed the keys as soon as my wife needed a simple ingredient from the grocery store down the street. It was so nice to jump on a comfortable bike with more power than my 125cc scooter. The fact that it could also pull wheelies is a nice bonus. I devoted a full day to running errands around downtown to see how the bike fared in typical city riding. The Z1000 handled the imperfect urban roads well. I found myself short shifting to stay at a relaxed engine speed, but quickly realized that the Z1000 had the same linear power band that its sport bike cousins, the ZX-10R and ZX-6R, are known for, which meant I could still pull hard from even as low as 2,000 rpm.  At home in the city and in the canyons. Photo by Corey Allen. The bike really comes to life around 7,500 rpm. The “soft” rev limiter kicks in at 11,250 rpm, but provides a brief overrev feeling instead of cutting power abruptly. While having such a wide powerband allowed me to be slightly lazy around town, it also meant the bike always had gobs of power when coming out of turns during my canyon riding. From the first twisty road I hit on day one, I felt at home with the Z1000. (Keep in mind, these are roads I ride almost every weekend on a Honda CBR1000RR.) It was only a matter of a few turns before I effortlessly found my knee dragging. Whether it was a higher speed flowing road, or a tighter technical road, the Z1000’s handling conquered all.  By the third corner on his first day, Bucky was already feeling comfortable on the Z1000. Photo by Sean MacDonald. Z1000 highlights The power delivery is incredibly linear, with plenty of power across the entire rev range. I had enough power to pass vehicles or get out of some soccer mom’s way while cruising on the freeway at 4,000 rpm, but could also really push the engine into the top of its powerband when sport riding. Even from launch, the Z1000 pulls away from traffic quickly and doesn’t leave you waiting for the power to hit. Lofting the front with a greedy throttle hand is effortless, even through third gear.  Yep, it'll wheelie here too. Photo by Matt Termechi. The “Sugomi” styling actually makes for a pretty comfy bike for long treks on the highway. Those low bars and high tank gave me something to lean on during the long ride from Sean’s place to mine. Kawasaki narrowed the waistline from generations past and made the reach to the ground easy at a stop. The handling is fantastic. It really feels more like a ZX-10R than a Ninja 1000. Yes, this means it’s on the stiff side, but it also means the bike feels far more nimble while dancing through the twisting canyons of Southern California.  Are you sure I'm not on a ZX-10R? Photo by Sean MacDonald. I loved the front brakes on the Z1000. They give great initial bite and a solid feel throughout their application. The ABS up front is fantastic as well, and activates very smoothly, which didn’t make me second-guess its abilities, as I have with other manufacturers' systems. Despite my best attempts, I noticed very little brake fade, even at the end of long, hard days in the twisties. The headlights are some of the best I’ve ever used. While I was a little worried they were designed only with aesthetics in mind, they lit up the road wonderfully for night riding, and the brights were well placed to throw more light down the road or let cagers know I was behind them. Aesthetically speaking, holy crap are these things tough looking. There’s a little LED light above them that serves zero purpose except to accentuate the “brow” of the bike. Sean rode in front of me on the trek up to Malibu and said they kept catching his eye in his mirrors for how neat they looked. Z1000 lowlights The Z1000’s high beams are incredible. The Z1000’s high beam indicator is incredibly bright and incredibly annoying. I kid you not when I say the first thing I would do if this were my bike is to take some of my wife’s nail polish to it. My other gripe is that the mirrors won’t fold in. They’re about the perfect size, shape, and height to hit truck and SUV mirrors and I kept found myself wanting to fold them in while filtering through traffic. That's an issue for those of us who live and lane-share in California.  This pesky ABS is ruining all my fun. Photo by Sean MacDonald. I should probably acknowledge that my background is almost exclusively sport bikes, so while I loved the suspension, it will definitely feel stiff to riders coming from other kinds of bikes. Sean complained it made his butt hurt (though with a bottom half as tiny as his, this is a common complaint). On many of the forums, some riders have mentioned that backing off the preload a few clicks in the rear sets the bike up a little better for more normal riding.  The Z1000 works for regular errands, as well as the glamour rides. Photo by Matt Termechi. If you have a bigger boot size (I am 9.5 U.S., 43 E.U.), you may find the exhaust interferes. It wasn’t too distracting for me, but I could see it being a problem for those of you with size 11 boots. While I was impressed with the ABS on the front binders, the ABS felt a little too intrusive on the rear. I feel like the rear didn’t offer a ton of stopping power to begin with, and the ABS kicked in too much, which meant I found myself abandoning it almost altogether. Funneling through the different cluster display options (average miles per gallon, trip meter, odometer, range) can be a bit tedious, since the option font size is very small. I found it nearly impossible to use while riding, having to take my eyes and hand away from navigating in ever-changing city conditions.  Photo by Bucky Bautista. The competition While the performance numbers of the competitors mostly surpass those of the Z1000, price and fuel economy favor the Kawasaki. The industry regarded best-in-class KTM 1290 Super Duke R has an MSRP of $16,999 and comes with all the bells and whistles, like ABS and traction control, and is one of the more comfortable rides. With an MSRP of $14,499, the Aprilia Tuono V4R is another favorite, along with the BMW S1000R ($14,950), for their overall performance and electronics package. MV Agusta’s Brutale 1090RR is the most expensive option, at an MSRP of $18,998, and is the heaviest, except for the Z1000.