Kawasaki Z900 ABS Review: The 2025 Update, Specs, What the Tests and Owners Found, and R219,995 in South Africa

The Kawasaki Z900 ABS is the sub-litre naked bike that keeps winning the argument nobody expects it to: a 948cc inline four with 91 kW, a steel trellis frame, radial Nissin brakes and, since the 2025 update, a six-axis IMU with cornering ABS and traction control, cruise control, a two-way quickshifter and a 5 inch TFT with navigation, for R219,995 from Kawasaki Motors South Africa. Motorcycle News has given every generation four stars, its owners average 4.4 with reliability at 4.8, and ZA Bikers’ Dave Cilliers called it smoother than a smooth thing and a true rider’s bike with absolutely no rough edges.

Unlike most of the bikes we review, this one has a real South African price, a dealer network and a decade of history behind it. This review covers what the Z900 is, what the 2025 update changed, what the British, European and South African tests and twenty-odd owners found, what it costs to run here, why it needs a Code A licence, and how it compares with the MT-09, 990 Duke, CB750 Hornet and F 900 R a South African buyer is actually choosing between.

This is a research based review. Scooter125 has not ridden the Z900 and the bike was not supplied by Kawasaki. Specifications come from Kawasaki Motors South Africa’s 2026 specification sheet, Kawasaki USA and the 2025 launch material. Riding impressions come from Motorcycle News’ Carl Stevens on the 2025 bike and Michael Neeves and Simon Hargreaves on the 2020 bike, 1000PS’ launch test, ZA Bikers’ Dave Cilliers on South African roads in 2023, and thirteen owner reviews on Motorcycle News. Prices are the importers’ list prices at the time of writing. The running cost sums are our own, at the October 2026 fuel price.

What you need to know first

The Z900 ABS is a 948cc liquid-cooled inline four with double overhead cams and sixteen valves, 73.4 mm by 56 mm, 11.8:1 compression, four 36 mm throttle bodies with ride-by-wire, an assist-and-slipper clutch and a six-speed gearbox, making 91 kW (124 PS) at 9,500 rpm and 97.4 Nm at 7,700 rpm. It has a steel trellis frame with an aluminium swingarm, a 41 mm upside-down fork with 120 mm of travel and a horizontal back-link shock with 140 mm, both adjustable for preload and rebound, twin 300 mm front discs with radial four-piston Nissin calipers and a 250 mm rear, a six-axis IMU behind cornering ABS and four-level traction control, Sport, Road, Rain and Rider modes, cruise control, an up-and-down quickshifter, a 5 inch TFT with Bluetooth and turn-by-turn navigation, full LED lighting, 17 inch wheels on 120/70 and 180/55 Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres, a 1,450 mm wheelbase, an 830 mm seat, a 17 litre tank and 213 kg with fuel.

Kawasaki Motors South Africa lists the 2026 bike at R219,995 in Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray, Ebony and Candy Lime Green, and RBS Yamaha in Pinetown lists it at the same figure. Motorcycle News rates it four stars: a confidence-inspiring, stable machine that is happy to be pushed, with a plush but limited suspension set-up, a snatchy initial throttle, strong but soft-biting brakes, a roomy and comfortable riding position and electronics that are now a step up on the class, at a price below the Street Triple R, MT-09 and 990 Duke in Britain. 1000PS gave it 4.5 and called the modernisation masterful. ZA Bikers called it the consummate smoothie with the heart of a Ninja.

What the Z900 is

The Z900 arrived in 2017 to replace the Z800, which had grown out of the 2003 Z750, with a sleeved-down version of the Z1000’s inline four, a trellis frame inspired by the supercharged H2 and no rider aids beyond ABS. It became Kawasaki’s best-selling naked bike and, in Britain, a steady seller second only to the sport-tourers. The 2020 update brought Euro 5, LED lighting, a 4.3 inch TFT, power modes and traction control, a taller 820 mm seat and stiffer suspension that turned a wafty roadster into, in Simon Hargreaves’ phrase, a fully fledged sporty naked. The 2025 update, which is the bike South Africa sells as the 2026 model, brought the IMU, cruise control, the quickshifter, the 5 inch dash and the Euro 5+ engine.

What it has always been is the quiet option in a loud class. The Triumph Street Triple and Yamaha MT-09 steal the limelight, Michael Neeves wrote, but the quality Kwak is smooth, refined, well balanced and satisfying, and every bit as fast and fun as a super naked in the real world at a fraction of the cost. The Z900 SE, with Öhlins at the back, Showa forks and Brembo calipers, sits above it in Europe and America; Kawasaki South Africa lists only the standard bike.

What changed for 2025

The 2025 update is the bike in the South African showroom and it is more thorough than it looks. The engine gained reworked camshafts, new 36 mm throttle bodies, a redesigned airbox tuned for intake sound, shorter gear ratios and a new ride-by-wire system, which took it through Euro 5+ at a cost of one horsepower and a little peak torque, from 125 hp and 98.6 Nm to 124 PS and 97.4 Nm, and gave it more in the middle and a claimed 16 percent better fuel economy. The chassis gained a reinforcing plate behind the steering head, forks pulled 3 mm through the yokes, trail up from 105 to 110 mm, a flatter rear subframe and Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres in place of the Roadsport 2s everyone disliked. The brakes moved to radial-mount Nissin four-piston calipers.

The electronics are the headline: a six-axis IMU for the first time, driving cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control with four levels, Sport, Road, Rain and a configurable Rider mode, Full and Low power at 100 and 75 percent, cruise control, a standard up-and-down quickshifter with blipper, and a 5 inch TFT with two layouts, a lean-angle display, Bluetooth, turn-by-turn navigation and voice commands through the Rideology app. The ergonomics moved too: a wider tapered aluminium bar, a reshaped tank, a softer seat and a seat height up from 820 to 830 mm, with an 810 mm seat as an accessory. The LED headlight is more compact, the Z-shaped tail light is gone, and the weight is up one kilogram to 213.

The 948cc inline four

The engine is the reason to buy a Z900 over the twins and triples it competes with. Motorcycle News calls it one of Kawasaki’s most enjoyable engines, with perfectly judged gearing and a thick wodge of unruffled oomph from tickover to its 10,500 rpm redline, a light throttle, a dark and raucous soundtrack and so much grunt that you rarely need the bottom three gears. On the 2025 bike Carl Stevens found it picks up nicely in the mid-range and pulls to near enough the redline, at its happiest at the top of the tachometer, and that unlike the twins and triples it loves to rev. 1000PS found buttery smooth throttle response and a stronger mid-range, and ZA Bikers found a turbine-like surge and throttle response it called perfect.

The faults are consistent across every generation. The initial throttle pick-up is snatchy in full-power mode, and at low speed in first and second the bike jerks on and off the power; owners of the 2020 bike call it the one common complaint, and Stevens found the shorter 2025 gearing makes first very short and second need some clutch in town. ZA Bikers felt a slight buzz through the seat and pegs at full throttle. The quickshifter, now standard, is crisp in both directions at almost any speed, and the gearbox was super slick even before it. At Highveld altitude a naturally aspirated engine loses roughly 15 percent, so in Gauteng this is about a 77 kW motorcycle, which is still more than any rider needs on a public road.

Chassis, suspension and brakes

The frame is a steel trellis with the engine as a stressed member and a 24.7 degree rake, 110 mm of trail and a 1,450 mm wheelbase. The 41 mm upside-down fork has 120 mm of travel and the horizontal back-link shock 140 mm, both adjustable for preload and rebound only. Motorcycle News calls the set-up fairly plush, absorbing bumps and poor tarmac without too much rebound upsetting the chassis, and says it only reaches its limits when ridden hard, when the front would benefit from a little more support from the screwdriver; 1000PS found it firm and less comfortable on rough asphalt; ZA Bikers found it firm and planted yet wonderfully supple over bad surfaces. Everyone agrees the bike is stable: remarkably so at speed, in Cilliers’ words, and confidence-inspiring and happy to be pushed relatively hard on the front end, in Stevens’.

The brakes are twin 300 mm semi-floating discs with radial four-piston Nissin calipers and a 250 mm rear with a single-piston caliper, both through cornering ABS. Motorcycle News finds solid power but not the strongest initial bite and an ABS that still intervenes in heavy braking; ZA Bikers found them powerful and confidence-inducing from all speeds; the one 2025 owner says reviewers are wrong and that they impressed him twice when he threw the anchor out. The Dunlop Q5A tyres are a real improvement on the old Roadsport 2s, with reasonable feel in wet and dry; most owners of the older bike changed theirs for Michelins at the first opportunity.

How it rides

Simon Hargreaves’ account of the 2020 bike in Motorcycle News’ three-way test still describes it best. The lifted seat and stiffer suspension put the rider in touch with the front end, the Z900 careers along back roads with sure-footed intent, it is set up like a sportsbike to damp small movements, the motor is very inline-four, turbine smooth, you can cane it without feeling you are giving it any pain, and it picks up speed very quickly and is faster than it feels. Against the BMW F 900 R and the Yamaha MT-09 it was judged sporty, comfy and dynamically better than the MT-09, and lost only because the Yamaha was wilder and more thrilling.

On the 2025 bike Stevens found the same character with more polish: a slightly sharper, more refined feel, electronics that stay in the background, a Sport mode that allows short controlled wheelies, a precise quickshifter and a riding triangle that is roomy and comfortable. It is not the sharpest sub-litre naked, he wrote, but it will happily oblige being ridden harder. The thing the Z900 does that its rivals do not is make a fast road feel easy; it is the one you would pick to ride all day and then go out again in the evening.

What ZA Bikers found on South African roads

Dave Cilliers tested the 2023 Z900 for ZA Bikers in June 2023, when it cost R184,500 and its rivals at least R20,000 more. His review is worth reading in full because it is the only one on South African roads. The engine, he wrote, is smoother than a smooth thing and pumps out 125 hp and a grunty 99 Nm; the throttle response is perfect; the bike is easy to turn and remarkably stable at speed; the brakes slow it with confidence-inducing ease from all speeds; the suspension is firm and planted yet wonderfully supple over crappy surfaces; the rider perch is comfortable and the bike feels effortless to ride for hours on end; the TFT is neat, tidy and legible in all light. His complaints were the slight buzz at full throttle and the lack of a quickshifter option, which the 2025 bike has since fixed, and his conclusion was that it is a true rider’s bike with absolutely no rough edges and a strong value that needs no aftermarket spending.

The price has risen since: R184,500 in mid-2023 became R219,995 for the 2026 bike with the IMU, cruise, quickshifter and TFT, which is about a 19 percent increase for a considerably better-equipped motorcycle, and Kawasaki South Africa’s page notes the usual caveat about change without notice.

Seat height and comfort

The seat is 830 mm, up from 820 on the 2020 bike and 795 on the original, with an 810 mm accessory seat for shorter riders. Motorcycle News calls the 2025 riding triangle spacious, with a soft, supportive seat that allows hours of comfortable riding, and as nakeds go both roomy and comfortable; 1000PS found the new position sporty without being extreme. The owners agree: a six-foot-five rider with a 35 inch inside leg finds the peg-to-seat dimension works, a rider with arm trouble did 200 miles without pain, another rides a couple of hours at a time with a bad back, and ZA Bikers found it effortless for hours. The pillion seat is small and hard, by two owners’ accounts, and there is no wind protection; the accessory screen makes a difference at speed. The one 2025 owner finds the suspension a little soft for his 80 kg out of the box.

Electronics, equipment and colours

The 2025 electronics put the Z900 ahead of its own price point. The six-axis IMU drives cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control with four levels and Kawasaki’s corner management function; the four riding modes, two power levels, cruise control and up-and-down quickshifter are standard; the 5 inch TFT offers two layouts, a lean-angle display, Bluetooth, turn-by-turn navigation and voice control through Rideology, which is free for a year and then a subscription and which Motorcycle News had not yet been able to test. The owner who has one says he appreciates the cruise control and quickshifter more than the IMU, that the quickshifter is better than his 2023 Z1000SX’s, and that the charging port is cheap and neat.

Lighting is full LED with a compact headlight and a new tail light. Suspension is adjustable for preload and rebound only, and there are no heated grips or USB-C as standard on the base bike; the SE adds Öhlins, Brembo, braided lines and a USB-C port in Europe and America but is not listed here. South African colours for 2026 are Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray, Ebony and Candy Lime Green; the Candy Persimmon Red in the riding photographs is the American colour, and the gold-framed black bike is the Ebony and Metallic Matte Carbon Gray scheme. Accessories include the lower seat, a screen, crash protection, luggage, an Akrapovič exhaust and 12 volt and USB sockets.

What owners say

Thirteen owners of the 2020-on Z900 have reviewed it on Motorcycle News, twelve of the 2020 to 2024 bike at 4.4 out of 5 with the engine at 4.8 and reliability at 4.8, and one of the 2025 bike at five with reliability five. The praise is the same from every one: a smooth, powerful four that will plod at 30 mph in sixth and then go, in several owners’ words, like stink; comfort that lets riders with bad backs and bad arms do 200 miles; excellent build and finish that still looks new after a winter; 48 to 55 mpg in normal use; and a price that makes it, in one owner’s title, the best naked bike bang for the buck. Several came to it from comparisons with the MT-09 and GSX-S750 and say the consensus was that the Z900 is the best of the three. One owner with six Kawasakis says all six have been super reliable.

The complaints are few and consistent: the low-speed jerk in first and second that Motorcycle News also describes, the stock Dunlops on the pre-2025 bike, mirrors and a pillion seat that are small, a front brake lever that sits far from the bar, front pads worn out at the first service by one enthusiastic rider, one bolt lost from a heel guard in 8,000 miles, and an engine management light that went out on its own after a change to E10 fuel. One German owner finds the engine too flat at the top and prefers his Street Triple. The 2025 owner reports no issues at all in a year, finds the suspension a little soft for his weight and the bike thirsty when ridden as it should be, and would recommend it to a friend. No owner reports a mechanical or electrical failure.

Price and availability in South Africa

Kawasaki Motors South Africa, which has imported the brand for forty years, lists the Z900 ABS 2026 at R219,995, the same figure as the 2025 bike on its site, in three colours, and the dealer network runs through the major centres; RBS Yamaha in Pinetown lists it at the same price with four interest-free Payflex instalments offered on the deposit. The SE is not listed here. That puts the Z900 about R15,000 under the Yamaha MT-09, R30,000 under the KTM 990 Duke and R50,000 under the MT-09 SP, and about R20,000 above the BMW F 900 R and R40,000 above the Honda CB750 Hornet.

On the used market the 2020 to 2024 bikes are plentiful and hold their value, and because the engine and chassis changed so little between generations a 2020 bike with the TFT and traction control is the value buy; the things it lacks are the IMU, cruise control and quickshifter. Browse the naked bikes for sale on Scooter125 for current stock.

What it costs to run

Petrol is at a record. The October 2026 adjustment took inland 95 unleaded to about R30 a litre. With 11.8:1 compression the Z900 wants 95; inland 95 is fine.

Kawasaki claims 4.8 litres per 100 km, which is 16 percent better than the old bike. Owners of the 2020 bike report 48 to 55 mpg, which is 5.1 to 5.9; 1000PS measured 6 to 6.5 on the 2025 launch; Motorcycle News says 34 to 40 mpg ridden hard, which is 7 to 8.3. We have used 6.0.

• A full 17 litre tank costs about R510.
• Range is roughly 280 km; Kawasaki claims 354.
• Fuel costs about R1.80 a kilometre.
• A 40 km round-trip commute costs about R72 a day, or roughly R1,580 over 22 working days.

Services fall every 12,000 km, which Motorcycle News calls generous, and British owners pay £200 to £270 a year, which is R4,500 to R6,000 at a dealer; a South African Kawasaki dealer will be in the same region. The 180-section rear tyre and the brake pads are the consumables, and the owners who ride it hard replace both early. Insurance on a 91 kW naked bike is a full Code A premium and will depend on the rider more than the bike.

Licence requirements: Code A from 18

The Z900 needs a Code A licence, the unrestricted motorcycle class, which you can get from the age of 18 after a learner’s licence and the test. A Code A1 holder on a 125 cannot ride it, and there is no restricted version. Our guide to what a motorbike licence costs in South Africa covers the fees and the tests.

As a first big bike it is more forgiving than its power suggests, which is why so many of its owners bought it as their first motorcycle in twenty years: Rain mode cuts power to 75 percent with heavy traction control, the IMU catches a clumsy brake in a corner, the engine will pull from walking pace in any gear, and the chassis is stable rather than nervous. The things to learn are the low-speed throttle jerk and the fact that 91 kW arrives faster than it feels.

Z900 versus the alternatives

South African prices are the importers’ list prices or dealer prices at the time of writing and change often.

Yamaha MT-09

R234,950 from Yamaha South Africa, R269,950 for the SP with Öhlins and Brembo. The 890cc triple that Motorcycle News calls the purest motorbike of the group: wilder, lighter at 193 kg and more thrilling, and R15,000 more. The Z900 is the smoother, more comfortable, better-value bike; the Yamaha is the more exciting one.

KTM 990 Duke

R249,999 from KTM South Africa, R284,999 for the R. The sharpest-handling bike in the class, with a 947cc parallel twin, WP suspension and the most aggressive chassis. R30,000 more than the Kawasaki and a harder-edged proposition.

Honda CB750 Hornet

About R179,950 from Honda South Africa. A 755cc parallel twin with 67 kW, 190 kg and a lower price, which is the Z900’s problem in Britain too, where Honda’s CB1000 Hornet undercuts it with more power. Read our Honda CB750 Hornet review and our Honda CB1000F review for the Honda alternatives.

BMW F 900 R

About R200,000 on Scooter125. The grown-up of the class in Motorcycle News’ test, with a 77 kW parallel twin, flawless ride quality and heated grips, and an engine that has to be ridden harder than feels right to match the Kawasaki’s fun. Browse the BMW bikes for sale on Scooter125.

Suzuki GSX-S1000

Special order only from Suzuki South Africa, with no list price. A 999cc inline four with 112 kW, Brembo brakes and a quickshifter, for a buyer who wants the extra power and does not mind waiting.

Browse every naked bike for sale on Scooter125 and the Kawasaki bikes for sale.

Full specifications

Figures from Kawasaki Motors South Africa’s 2026 specification sheet and the 2025 launch material. Where sources differ, both are given.

Engine	948cc liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve inline four, Euro 5+
Bore x stroke	73.4 x 56 mm
Compression ratio	11.8:1
Power	91 kW (124 PS) at 9,500 rpm
Torque	97.4 Nm at 7,700 rpm
Fuel system	Fuel injection, four 36 mm throttle bodies, ride-by-wire
Gearbox	6-speed, assist and slipper clutch, up-and-down quickshifter, chain final drive
Frame	Steel trellis, aluminium swingarm
Front suspension	41 mm upside-down fork, preload and rebound adjustable, 120 mm travel
Rear suspension	Horizontal back-link monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable, 140 mm travel
Front brake	Twin 300 mm semi-floating discs, radial-mount 4-piston Nissin calipers, cornering ABS
Rear brake	250 mm disc, single-piston caliper, cornering ABS
Electronics	6-axis IMU, KTRC traction control (4 levels), KCMF, Sport/Road/Rain/Rider modes, Full and Low power, cruise control
Dash	5 inch TFT, two layouts, Bluetooth, turn-by-turn navigation, Rideology voice control
Wheels and tyres	17 inch cast; Dunlop Sportmax Q5A 120/70 and 180/55
Rake and trail	24.7 degrees, 110 mm
Wheelbase	1,450 mm
Ground clearance	145 mm
Seat height	830 mm; 810 mm accessory seat
Weight	213 kg with fuel
Fuel tank	17 litres
Consumption	4.8 litres per 100 km claimed; 5 to 8 in use
Top speed	About 235 km/h (145 mph)
Colours (SA 2026)	Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray, Ebony, Candy Lime Green
Service interval	12,000 km
UK price	£9,371 on the road; SE £11,349
South African price	R219,995 from Kawasaki Motors South Africa

Frequently asked questions

The verdict

The Z900 is the most complete motorcycle in its class for the money, and the 2025 update removed the last reasons not to buy one. It has a smooth, strong, characterful inline four that its rivals cannot match, a stable and confident chassis, a riding position its owners describe as all-day comfortable, build quality that survives winters and a reliability record without a reported failure, and it now has the IMU, cruise control, quickshifter and dash that used to be the argument for paying more. Every tester gives it four stars and every owner would buy another.

The reservations are the ones every tester lists. The low-speed throttle is still jerky, the suspension is plush rather than sharp and runs out of support when pushed, the brakes bite softly, the pillion seat is small, the Rideology voice control is unproven, and it is not the sharpest or the most thrilling naked bike you can buy. Those are the reasons the MT-09 and 990 Duke exist, and they cost R15,000 to R30,000 more.

At R219,995 from a dealer you can find, with Kawasaki Motors South Africa behind it, the Z900 is the sensible choice in a class that is supposed to be about not being sensible, and it is fast enough and good-looking enough that nobody will notice. Browse the naked bikes for sale on Scooter125.

Sources referenced

• Kawasaki Motors South Africa, “Z900 ABS 2026” product page and specification sheet (PDF), January 2026
• RBS Yamaha Pinetown, Kawasaki Z900 ABS 2026 listing
• Kawasaki USA, Z900 and Z900 SE model pages; Wikipedia, “Kawasaki Z900”
• Motorcycle News, Carl Stevens, “2025-on Kawasaki Z900 review”, updated 7 February 2025, and one owner review, July 2026
• Motorcycle News, Michael Neeves, “2020-2024 Kawasaki Z900 review”, updated 24 January 2025, including Simon Hargreaves’ MCN250 test against the BMW F 900 R and Yamaha MT-09, 26 February 2020, and twelve owner reviews
• 1000PS, “Kawasaki Z900 2025 review”, 22 January 2025
• ZA Bikers, Dave Cilliers, “Kawasaki Z900 ABS: consummate smoothie with the heart of a Ninja”, 27 June 2023
• BikeWale, Kawasaki Z900 India page and owner ratings
• An India Kawasaki Facebook video was supplied as a source but could not be read
• Yamaha South Africa and ZA Bikers buyers’ guide for MT-09 pricing; KTM South Africa for 990 Duke pricing; Suzuki South Africa for GSX-S1000 status; Honda South Africa for CB750 Hornet pricing; Scooter125 dealer listings for the BMW F 900 R
• Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, October 2026 fuel price adjustment