2013–2017 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Honest Speed, Zero Drama
The Z 800 is what a middleweight naked looks like when the engineering budget goes into the motor and the chassis instead of the dashboard. The 806 cc inline-four makes 113 hp at 10,200 rpm and 61 lb-ft at 8,000 rpm, so it pulls with real intent through the midrange and keeps climbing to a genuine 145 mph (233 km/h). A stiff frame with a cast aluminum subframe, an upside-down fork, and adjustable suspension at both ends give it a planted, grown-up feel. No ride modes, no traction control, no screens to scroll. Just a strong four and a chassis that can carry it.
That analog layout is the whole appeal. You lean on your own right wrist and your own eyes, and the bike rewards a rider who already knows what they're doing. It stays composed at speed, holds a line on a long sweeper, and has enough lean clearance to keep going when the road gets serious. Kawasaki built it to last, and the parts that wear are cheap and everywhere. The honest caveat: at 505 lb (229 kg) wet with a 32.8 in (834 mm) seat, this is not a bike you flick around a parking lot, and the real power lives above 7,000 rpm.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 113 hp (83 kW) @ 10,200 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 61 lb-ft (83 Nm) @ 8,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 806 cc |
| Engine | Inline-four |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Seat height | 32.8 in (834 mm) |
| Wet weight | 505 lb (229 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
| Top speed | 145 mph (233 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
None of what follows comes from my own logbook. It's the running conversation I've had with Z 800 owners over the years: talk in paddocks, chats at club nights, and the messages that arrive in my inbox from people living with one. The pattern holds steady. The motor and the ride quality are what riders bring up unprompted, and the gripes are the same handful every time.
The engine leads every conversation. Riders describe power that's there from low revs and keeps building, with an eagerness at the top of the range and clearly more shove on hand than the Z750 many of them stepped off. Ride quality is the other constant. Owners talk about a plush, controlled feel over rough surfaces that settles the bike and builds trust. Comfort follows close behind, with the wide bars and neutral seat drawing praise across a range of body types and taller riders especially content. Price comes up too: many say they paid less than rivals asked and never felt it.
Weight dominates the complaints. Riders say it shows up in quick changes of direction and tight corners, though most add that it disappears once the bike is over on its side. Vibration through the bars and pegs at higher revs is the next recurring theme, and owners call it tiring on long days. Wind protection draws steady criticism, with a bigger screen a common fix. The missing gear indicator and a fuel gauge nobody quite trusts finish the list.
Where this Kawasaki Z 800 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Z 800 is actually built for.
For Angeles Crest and the rest, the Z 800 has the lean clearance and the composure you need. Just know it's a physical bike, and there's no traction control catching your mistakes.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
On the Dragon and Cherohala, the feedback is honest and the chassis tells you what the front tire is doing. The weight costs you a little in the tightest hairpins.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
It handles the long slab out of Austin better than most nakeds, then wakes up on the Twisted Sisters. Wind pressure will tire you on a full day, so plan your stops.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2011–2013
Reliable Middleweight, Honest Fun
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Kawasaki Z 800. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2017–2019
Speed With Nothing Wasted
Roughly $1,600 pricier used than this bike at 9 yr
Competitor · 2014–2017
Dirt-Trim Triple With Soul
Roughly $1,800 pricier used than this bike at 9 yr
Competitor · 2007–2012
Triple Soul, Razor Handling