Introducing the custom motorcycles that have been submitted to the Webike Community "MOTO HACK Custom Motorcycle Contest" campaign!
Meet the custom motorcycle of Newyorkstake who rides the Z900 (2017).
Motorcycle and self-introduction
[Self-introduction]
I got my moped license at the age of 16 and bought a Kawasaki AR50, which was said to be the fastest moped at the time. After that, I rode RZ250R, TZR250, and so on. Then, as usual, I had a child and had to stop riding. I returned and rode Estrella, ER4-n, and so on, but I stopped for the second time due to work reasons. My first big motorcycle was the MV Agusta Brutale, but I got tired of the quality and maintenance, so I switched to my current motorcycle, a Z900.
[Motorcycle Introduction]
I've learned my lesson from my last Agusta, so I wanted a reliable Japanese motorcycle, 4-cylinder, no SS (lol), lightweight, good foot grounding, and cheap! I can't afford a SS (laughs). In addition, I don't want it to look like anyone else's. This is my favorite motorcycle because it satisfies my desires.
In Japan, it seems to be treated as a minor model in the shadow of its sibling, the Z900RS, but it is a very fun motorcycle with an aggressive design, light maneuverability, and an engine that is calm and easy to ride up to 6,000rpm but turns violent when it exceeds that rpm. Because it is a minor motorcycle, it is often seen when parked on the road. When I returned to the motorcycle, I was once surrounded by a group of about 20 touring men (laughs).
Commitment to customization
[Direction to aim for]
At first glance, it looks STD. I'm aiming for a casual custom look. I don't want to do anything too flashy, because I don't want people to think that I'm trying to make a minor motorcycle stand out (lol).
[Points that I think are cool]
The front screen blends in well with the normal design, the bar-end mirrors are set as low as possible. With the same design as the OEM, the exterior parts that were replaced with carbon and the black engine cover, the parts that were silver in the stock were made black. The rear tail tidy design also gives the motorcycle a very condensed and massive look.
The lowered front and raised short tail emphasize the more aggressive streetfighter look.
[Points of change in performance]
So far, the only customization that affects the performance is the titanium full exhaust from SC-PROJECT and the ECU rewrite from 10 Factory. The matching of the full exhaust and the ECU rewrite is quite a bit of work. More details to explained later...
Custom Points
- ECU rewriting service from 10 FACTORY.
I had the fuel map set up with SC-PROJECT full exhaust system, the fuel cut off when the accelerator is off, the electric fan starts temperature lowered by 5 degrees Celsius (to prevent heat build-up in the city), and the speed limiter cut.
In my case, I was able to feel the increase in torque over the mid-range and the strong power-up from 6000rpm because I rewrote the fuel map that was set up with the same full exhaust system.
After the rewrite, when I opened the second gear at full throttle for the first time, the rear of the motorcycle sank at over 6000 rpm and I felt like I was going to wheelie. I even felt the clutch slip slightly when upshifting, probably due to the increased torque. It's quite considerable.
- This is SC-PROJECT's full exhaust pipe kit and SC1-R slip-on silencer.
I chose titanium type for both exhaust pipe and silencer, so it is very lightweight.
SC's products are made in Italy, but the workmanship and finish are excellent. According to the manufacturer, the full exhaust alone increases the peak power by 9PS, but my Z is rewritten the ECU to match the full exhaust system, so I think the power is increased even more. I love the raised silencer, and the link pipe with the ring TIG welded like a MotoGP machine to make the bend. The exhaust pipes are also cool, as they get nicely colored by heat. The sound is great and racy, but the afterfire is also very loud and explosive (lol).
- The screen is the ODAX POWER BRONZE naked screen short type.
I think it's good that it blends in with the design of the Z900 and doesn't float around. If you put it down, the wind won't hit anything but the helmet even at high speed, so the windproof effect is quite good.
- The bar end mirror is Highsider Victory Blast.
The parts are all metal and the finish is nice and high quality. The visibility is fine and I like it. I was asked to take a picture at the touring place, and I took many pictures of the mirror.
- As for the guards, I added a GB Racing engine cover set, DIMOTIV fairing guards, and although you can't see them, TRICK STAR radiator core guards.
The fairing guard was damaged once, but it was useful and the exterior was not damaged. I put the engine cover on to hide the scratches on the clutch cover, but I am very satisfied with the way it looks.
- ACTIVE tail tidy kit, POSH sequential LED blinkers front and rear, SUNSTAR sprockets, and RK gold chain.
ACTIVE Tail Tidy Kit is based on the assumption that OEM blinkers will be installed, so if you use external blinkers as I did, they will be subtle when viewed from the side.
The Sequential Blinkers on the POSH Faith were a thin bar of LEDs called feathers, which I liked because they were inconspicuous and the light flowed beautifully, but I heard that even small, pea-sized blinkers are now acceptable for vehicle inspection, so the trend has gone that way.
I replaced the sprocket and chain because I didn't like the cheap look of the stock ones and I wanted to use a rust-resistant plated chain to make maintenance easier, but with no maintenance at all, even though the plate was fine, the pins were rusty and needed maintenance. I used SUNSTAR Duralumin Rear Sprocket.
Customization that I want to do in the future
I don't have much more to do with the appearance of the motorcycle, so I'd like to do some customization to make it more ridable.
- I want to use the fork bottoms of the Z900RS and change the brake calipers to radial mounts (I haven't tested if this is possible yet) and the master cylinder to a Radial Pump.
- I would like to replace the suspension with a high performance one such as NITRON, but they are all expensive. I want to change the suspension at least.
Thank you, Newyorkstake, for participating in our custom motorcycle contest! You will receive 500 points to spend at Webike!
See Accessories of ACTIVE
See Accessories of POSH
See Accessories of NITRON
See KAWASAKI Moto Index Page
See Accessories for KAWASAKI Z900
See Accessories for KAWASAKI Z900RS
