Project Z1000 Part 2

It's been a long time without an update to our Project Z, so it's seen several modifications since we last checked in. So many, in fact, we can't fit them all into one article. This time around we'll tell you about a new heads-up display that significantly ups its gee-whiz factor, plus we added a couple of cosmetic tweaks to clean up its appearance. In addition, we've spooned on some new tires we really like, and we continue trying to sort out the Z's suspension.

First off, we'd like to apologize to our readers and to Kawasaki for our woefully irregular updates about our exciting Z1000 long-termer. Somehow, in the midst of riding/testing more than 80 bikes since we received Kawi's baddest naked bike, it often fell toward the back of the garage in favor of the newest machines that you clamored for information about.

We're also apologetic for the abuse we've inflicting upon the green meanie. It's endured endless wheelies, stoppies, dyno runs, harsh commutes, racetrack thrashing and general neglect for two years, but the Z keeps coming back for more like a loyal puppy.

Well, perhaps the term "puppy" isn't quite accurate. The Z1000 is a veritable pit bull. There is nothing subtle about this bike, whether speaking of its in-your-face angry streetfighter appearance or its bottle-rocket power explosion when it comes on the cam at 7000 rpm, jumping 30 hp in 3000 revs. Although its humane ergonomics are accommodating, make no mistake, this is no ride for newbs.

Heads-Up!

SportVue's MC2 is one of the trickest new gadgets to come along in a long time. Heads-up displays first saw the light of day in fighter planes 30 years ago, and now they've finally made it to the motorcycle world.

The $349 MC2 is identical to the $249 MC1 except it has a provision to pipe in a feed from a radar detector. Either consists of two major components, the "Head-Mounted Display" and the "Motorcycle Sending Unit." The MSU is typically mounted under the passenger seat (like on our Z) or within a fairing panel, and it wirelessly sends signals to the HMD at 2.4 GHz. The HMD displays speed, gear position and rpm with red-orange numbers on a dark background. The color of the display, 650 nanometers, is the same as the military uses because it has the least effect on night vision.

I'm not, unfortunately, one of those motorcycle gearheads who is especially handy with wrenches, and this installation project seemed daunting. Having a SportVue rep do it for me proved that I could've done it myself if I had the patience. Completion time for the total install took less than two hours, so a klutz like me might do it in three.

The MSU connects to the bike via four wires. Speedometer readings are supplied by a wheel-speed magnet that attaches to the rear brake rotor, with data reaching the MSU through a wire from the wheel-speed sensor. Engine rpm is obtained by tapping in to the crank-position wire on the bike's ECU with 3M T-clip (the kit also includes a Positap connector that can alternately be used). The unit is powered by tapping into the taillight, and it's also grounded to the bike's battery. The Y-harness for the radar detector display simply clips in series with Molex-type clips.

The next step is to mount the HMD to a helmet's faceshield. Because the unit is glued to the faceshield, test-fitting it to your lid is a crucial step. After determining the rider's dominant eye through a test included in the directions, the horizontal placement of HUD over that eye needs to be optimal. The next step is to get the approximate vertical angle, which later can be adjusted by a set screw. Finally, a sanding mask is applied to the faceshield to scuff its surface for a secure adhesion. The last step in the process calibrates the MSU to learn gear positions and the rev counter.

Once installed, it takes awhile to get accustomed the MC2 being within your field of vision, and it require subtle tweaks to get its angle set for optimum readability. With its power source of two AAA batteries, it weighs only 2.5 ounces, so a rider can't feel an appreciable increase in weight of the helmet. A battery life of 20 hours is claimed, and that depends on the brightness levels set on the display. The lowest power drain occurs in daylight when the natural ambient backlighting suffices. Two levels of battery-powered LED backlighting are supplied for night use.

The idea of any heads-up display is, of course, to keep important information within easy "reach" of your eyes. While a motorcycle's instruments force a rider to look down and away from the road, the MC2 keeps the information easily accessible. The image is within your normal field of view and, since it is focused out near infinity, your eyes require very little focal adjustment.

The speedometer and gear-position indicator are the SportVue's two most useful features - the speedo because it's easy to read, and the gear position because it gets looked at more often than you might imagine. The tachometer actually functions more as a shift indicator than a rev counter. It displays no numbers, only a 32-segment bar graph that runs along the top of the display, so it's harder to see and doesn't provide as much information as a normal tach.

Radar-detector users might be the ideal candidates for a SportVue. The MC2 is simply hooked to your detector via a wire to its audio output jack. The MC2's refresh rate of three times a second ensures you don't miss any urgent messages.

The SportVue's tremendous ability to start conversations will be either ego-enhancing or annoying depending on the kind of person you are.

So, is this the best thing to come along since foot shifters? Well, not quite. Not yet. Yes, it provides information more readily than looking down at a bike's instruments, and its gear-position indicator proved to be quite handy. It was also cool to be able to see your speed while scraping pegs leaned over in a corner. But it's debatable if you really need to be constantly referencing this info. I didn't find the tach's limited information and high placement to be of much value. And even though I got used to having the display in front of my eyes, it never became entirely unobtrusive.

For now, this is a clever design that is just beginning to scratch into its potential. The MC2's radar display is already a big benefit, and someday soon it'll probably be able to pipe in GPS instructions. SportVue promises some exciting ideas for their next generation of HUDs, and the technology will only get better.

And wouldn't it be cool one day to walk in to your dealer and order your 2008 Gixxer with the optional heads-up display?

Getting Tired

As we mentioned in our last installment, the Dunlop D218 tires we swiped from a GSX-R600 test bike didn't work well on the Z. The contours of these tires were a poor match for the upright Kawi, and the bike was very sensitive to road camber. Worse, steering effort on turn-in was highly progressive, meaning that the Z requires continual inside bar pressure to hold its line. This becomes problematic when hitting a mid-corner bump, which has the effect of adding unwanted bar pressure to the steering. The D218s also proved slow to warm, as I unexpectedly spun up the rear several times. Two more points about the 218s. First, they induced no steering awkwardness when they were on the Gixxer. Second, they're now being replaced in Dunlop's lineup with the much improved Qualifiers.

Those Dunlops, however, proved to last a long time. Too long, really, as I'd begun to think of the Z as a poor-handling bike. But swapping the 218s for Michelin Pilot Power rubber transformed the Z's quirky handling, changing it from wobbly and untrustworthy to quick and neutral. The Z1K now feels like a totally different bike, handling far better than it did on any of the other tires we've tried on it. And, yes, it's a 180-section rear tire, not the stocker's 190. The 180s steer lighter but have a lower butch factor.

The bike is now much better in the twisties, feeling smaller than its actual size. Its pilot is well-advised to grip the tank with his knees to keep weight off the bars, weight that would otherwise have a negative effect on handling. Suspenders When it comes to the Z1000's suspension, I was never able to achieve a satisfying setup despite numerous tweaks to the stock components. The stiff shock proved to be the most problematic, having too much spring for the available rebound damping adjustment (and no compression damping adjuster).

The solution to our suspension problems was found at Race Tech, but we're going to save that project, and a whole bunch more, for an upcoming installment.

In the coming weeks (no, really...), we'll bring you a full report on how we got more power out of the Z by making mods to its intake, fuelling and exhaust. We'll also share our thoughts on what the Z1K has been like to live with for two years, how the bike reacted to the addition of braided-steel brake lines, and the addition of a few more cosmetic upgrades.


Share your thoughts on our Z1000 Project Bike in the MCUSA Forum.