Kawasaki Z750s = Ichiban* (一番) among equals

I've got my paws, temporarily, on a modernish Japanese motorcycle, and very nice it is, too.
The Kawasaki z750s is something of a last gasp for traditional Japanese motorcycling. It is devoid of rider aids, ABS, catalytic converters and all that modern nonsense. instead it is a very poky 750cc DOHC liquid cooled four, producing a ridiculous 104bhp, and is a bit of a civilised sociopath. It goes like stink, but at the same time looks perfectly respectable.
When it was new in 2005, to keep its price down, the Z750 had a steel frame, non-adjustable 41mm forks and simple preload and rebound adjustments for the Uni-Trak system's single shock. It had six-spoke wheels shod with radials, an anti-tamper immobiliser equipped ignition lock, decent but simple instrumentation, an LED taillight at the back and a fuel-injected inline-four in the middle. This was a 748cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve engine, essentially a sleeved-down Z1000 motor, which was in turn a version of the much sportier ZX-9R. It was also cheaper than a Honda 600 Hornet. There is a nose fairing, the seat is low enough for the shorter rider – at 5ft 10 I can get my feet flat on the floor with my knees slightly bent. If you stick your bum in the back of the riders perch you put much of your upper body weight on your wrists, but if you slide forward you can seriously feel the bumps as you are sitting over the shock absorber.

My normal frame of reference for a 750 is either my T140 Bonneville or Guzzi V7, both pushrod twins, with the Guzzi the more powerful at 47bhp. The twin cam Z750s produces more than twice that. 104bhp (30bhp less than the Z1000), a ridiculous amount of power by comparison with the Guzzi, but the way the Zed's power comes in is fascinating, providing smooth power at low revs, and if you want more oomph, just roll back the throttle and there it is, absolutely buckets of it.
That's a 9/10 from me, and well worth a look...
More on the Z750s in the August 2025 edition of Classic Bike Guide magazine..
See you later, chums. I'm off for a ride in the sunshine.
Toodle pip!
*Ichiban: First or Number One