Inline Performance Magazine |
| Posted: 15 May 2012 10:00 PM PDT |
Although the Z’s nine years old, she’s still able to zip around the streets effortlessly. Most of the recent miles racked up on the bike are commuter and sprint joy rides.
I have yet to do a trackday with this bike, but I imagine that the suspension could use a little adjustment because I'm constantly riding it like a road bicycle around the San Franciscan hills. The steering bearings also need to be replaced because they are greatly notched. Once the bearings are replaced, smoothness, lightness, and evenness will easily be noticed when handling the bike. With these minor fixes I'm sure it would show some more talent in the corners, but not much potential compared to the newer bikes and their capabilities. Riding like this makes for a good workout on city streets though.
I recently had a mini service done at 32,228 miles and the only major things changed were the rear tire and the oil. Before, the bike had a 190/50ZR Dunlop d616 rear tire which provided a wider surface area for turning, but also adding a stall to the bike's cornering. I switched to a 180/55 d616 to see how I’d like it, and I have to admit that I like it better because the turns are quicker. In addition, the look of the wider tire definitely gives it that extra badass look. I had a talk with one of the mechanics where I got my bike serviced, and they asked me which set of tires I liked compared to the ones I've had. I've been brought up on Bridgestone riding in the streets, and the last set of Bridgestones I had were the Battlax BT-023 Sport Touring tires. At the time when I had my 06' gixxer, this was one of the most modern and cheapest of the Bridgestone tires. I decided to give them a try to see if they would last longer because of the increase in my riding. Bridgestone tires have improved, but are most likely meant for bikes on the heftier side like TRLs, FJRs and bikes of that sort. The slippage feeling due to having a gixxer on flat profile tires that lack grip prove not fun, but the tire held up alright compared to the older Bridgestones I've had.
So between having Maxxis street tires and a bunch of Bridgestones, I have to say the Dunlop d616s are made perfectly for the z1000 on dry land and in the rain. These tires put the confidence in riding everywhere you go, and feeling any type of slippage is an afterthought. Best value tires for this bike because of the aggressive styling and durable performance.
Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of our new Winter/ Spring 2012 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE. Don’t worry, shipping is free!
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Posted: 14 May 2012 10:00 PM PDT
What’s up people? Check out the crew from Mission Motors stopping by Jay Leno’s Garage with their Mission-R electric motorcycle.
The machine uses 14-kWh lithium-ion batteries paired with a 120-kilowatt motor, which means it packs around 161 horsepower. Mission says it can do 60 miles per hour in around three seconds with a top speed of 160 mph. Not too shabby, eh?
The whole package weighs in at around 550 pounds and gives riders a range of 80-100 miles depending on how much they twist the throttle.
Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of our new Winter/ Spring 2012 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE. Don’t worry, shipping is free!
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