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2005 Kawasaki Z750S: Remember "streetbikes?"

By Lance Oliver

The conditions were sometimes more appropriate for a Kawasaki KLR650 dual-sport bike: water streaming across canyon roads, mud and gravel scattered around blind corners by floods, and the ever-present threat of rain.

But instead of a dual-sport, Kawasaki was introducing, in the midst of record rainfall and mudslides, a bike that is one of the best examples of that old-fashioned term you may have forgotten: "streetbike." In an age of specialization, the new 2005 Kawasaki Z750S is intended to be a do-it-all tool for real-world conditions.

Which raises a couple of questions.

Europeans have been buying bikes of this style for years. Will U.S. buyers consider a motorcycle that doesn't appear to be trying to win a custom cruiser show or make the starting grid of the Daytona 200?

And secondly, why did we ever abandon such sensible and versatile bikes in the first place?

The latter question comes up because, despite the sometimes-challenging conditions, the Z750S showed it could handle everything from slippery, mud-stained pavement to a blast along the curvy Ortega Highway on grippy roads in a rare moment of sunshine.

Kawasaki expects the Z750S to appeal to buyers who want a modern machine with sporty performance but aren't willing to pay the costs of owning a racer-replica sportbike—and not just the costs of buying the bike, but also the expense of insuring it and the cost in the form of sore muscles after a long ride. To reach those buyers, Kawasaki has to offer one bike that can do it all, from running errands around town to sport-riding in the canyons on weekends, commuting to work on weekdays, and maybe even taking the occasional two-up trip.

To come up with the Z750S, Kawasaki pulled some existing parts from the warehouse and developed a new model that slots between its competitors, both in terms of displacement and cost. The 750 is clearly related to its big brother, the Kawasaki Z1000, but there are several key differences, beyond a $1,400 price break.

Gone are the Z1000's most distinctive styling elements, from the G-string fairing to the cocktail-fork exhausts. The Z750S has a three-quarter fairing that offers real wind protection and styling that retains that creased look, but takes a step or two toward the mainstream.

The Z750S also borrowed its big sibling's motor. Check the spec sheet and you'll see that Kawasaki sleeved down the Z1000 powerplant. The stroke figures are identical. Even the radiator is identical.

Since price and modern performance are both important to the customer Kawasaki has in mind for the Z750S, it's interesting to see where the engineers cut costs and where they splurged. Notice upscale touches such as the electronic fuel injection, the LED taillight stolen off the company's flagship ZX10R, and the lightweight 17-inch wheels in common sizes, which allow you to choose from the wide variety of 180 rear and 120 front tires, from sport-touring rubber to sticky track-day tires.

Some money was saved through use of a steel frame and limited suspension adjustability, with a 41mm fork and a rear shock with preload and rebound damping adjustment only.

Climb on board and the seating position feels neutral and natural. A genuine tubular handlebar places you in a slight forward lean, and the flat, firm seat is 32.1 inches off the ground. The footpegs are high enough to make long-legged riders feel a bit tight on long rides, but you won't have to worry about dragging them in corners.

Just a touch of the starter button brings the engine to life, even without using the fast-idle lever. Ah, the joys of fuel injection. In the time it takes the analog speedometer and tachometer to sweep through their range, you're ready to ride. The dash also offers a fuel gauge, two trip odometers and a clock.

The fuel injection continues to work wonders once underway. You can roll on the power from 3,000 rpm on up. Kawasaki engineered the Z750S to have a broad powerband, and this is not your hypersports, peaky, inline four.

The only drawback with the engine is some buzziness that can be felt through the bars at almost any speed. In the midrange, it wasn't bothersome to me, but some people are sensitive to that tingling sensation.

Once you hit 7,000 rpm, however, even the less-sensitive rider will notice the buzzing through the footpegs, and objects in the rearview mirrors appear fuzzier than they are. At 8,500 rpm, you'll feel the vibration through the seat, too. But surprisingly, once you hit five-digit engine speeds on your way to redline at 11,500 rpm, the vibes virtually disappear.

Fortunately, 5,000 rpm in sixth gear gives you an indicated 70 mph, meaning that even on long highway rides, you'll have to spend very little time in the vibration zone.

That's good, because this is a bike worthy of taking on a nice long trip. One thing Kawasaki got just right was the fairing. Unlike some competing machines, which have fairings that are located too far ahead of the rider and cause buffeting and turbulence, the Z750S gives the rider a calm pocket of air in front of his chest and a clean, buffet-free stream of air over his helmet. A slot at the base of the windshield allows some air to flow through, meaning no weird vacuum effects pushing you forward. The fairing just works.

You'll still want to stop on a long ride to stretch your legs, because of the high footpegs, and also to remind yourself that flat and firm seemed like good attributes for a seat to have a few hours earlier, when you set out. But the Z750S makes a more accommodating travel companion than most of the top-selling motorcycles in this country.

Add in nimble handling, brakes that are strong but more user-friendly than some sportbike binders, and unexpected premium touches such as adjustable clutch and brake levers, and the Z750S has the potential to be a lot of things to a lot of riders, for a price of $7,099. The question is, here in the land of the free and the home of niche marketing, will a "streetbike" get a fair hearing?

The court of public opinion is now in session on that one, and you can cast your yea or nay vote at your Kawasaki dealer.