BMW F 900 R versus Kawasaki Z 900 RS
BMW F 900 R
Kawasaki Z 900 RS
Year of construction / RRP / Test report
Competitors
- Engine
- Basic price
- Comfort
- Successful design
- Precise handling
- Fragrant sound
- Windbreak
- Pillion comfort
- Handles for the pillion passenger are missing
Dimensions & Weight
Length : 2.140 mm Height : 1.130 mm
Seat : 815 mm
Weight : 211 (max: 430 ) kg
Length : 2.100 mm Height : 1.150 mm
Seat : 835 mm
Weight : 215 kg
Engine
Displacement: 895 ccm
Hub: 77 mm
Hole: 86 mm
Cooling: flüssig
Drive: O-Ring Kette
Aisles: 6
Displacement: 948 ccm
Hub: 56 mm
Hole: 73 mm
Cooling: flüssigkeitsgekühlt
Drive: Kette
Aisles: 6
Performance
Performance: 105 HP at 8.500 U/Min
Torque: 92 NM bei 6.500 U/Min Tank contents: 13 Litre
Consumption: 4 l
Reach: 310 km
Performance: 111 HP at 8.500 U/Min
Torque: 99 NM bei 6.500 U/Min Tank contents: 17 Litre
Consumption: 5 l
Reach: 320 km
Chassis
Bridge frame in shell construction (steel) Front suspension:
Upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm (travel 135 mm) Rear suspension:
Directly hinged central strut, spring base hydraulically adjustable, rebound damping adjustable (travel 142 mm)
Rear suspension:
Aluminum two-arm swingarm Tyres at the front: 120/70 ZR 17
Rear tyres: 180/55 ZR 17
Tubular space frame (high-strength steel) Front suspension:
41 mm upside-down fork (travel 120 mm) Rear suspension:
Horizontal back-link strut (travel 140 mm) Tyres at the front: 120/70ZR17 M/C (58W)
Rear tyres: 180/55ZR17 M/C (73W)
Brakes
Double disc brake, floating brake discs, 4-piston radial caliper (∅ 320 mm) Rear brake
Single disc brake, 1-piston floating caliper (∅ 265 mm)
Double disc brake (∅ 300 mm) Rear brake
Single brake disc (∅ 250 mm)
Ideal for a sporty short trip
If things go the way they did with their predecessor, BMW has a potential bestseller in its range with the F 900 R. Why not: The machine is quite cheap for BMW ratios and at the same time quite good.
You just have to know what you want. This bike is ideal for a sporty excursion without great travel ambitions. Whose wish this was always: Test drive please!
The test bike was provided to us by Bergmann and Söhne in Pinneberg near Hamburg.
Conclusion - what gets stuck
A really successful bike which is really fun but above all looks really good. Now, of course, you can still find something to complain about. For example, among the more extreme retro fans, there may be those who miss the two-sided struts compared to the legendary Z1. Or find the LCD between the round instruments superfluous. The Most strikingly missing is the Z9000 RS compared to the Z1 but certainly the exhaust system with 4 silencers. But who ever wants this can fulfill this wish for about 3000€ at the company Hattech https://www.hattech.de/380-kawasaki/z900-rs-z900-rs-cafe. Otherwise, the motorcycle test crew agreed that the Z900 RS in Candytone Brown makes an even better figure than our test model in Sparkle Black which would be worth us the 300€ surcharge in any case. But that's a matter of taste, of course.
The test machine was kindly provided by Heller & Soltau.
