It's official, I'm a squid.

[tabasco]

Wow Paul! See ... S&G's can always be found! Have fun!

[Tbeck]

Jeffco, believe it or not, even though the power to weight ratio looks good for wheelies, they won't without some technique. Straight up power wheelies require the technique I mentioned, or of course the old clutch flip, but that's rough on the gear box.
I had to get a young kid that rides crotch rockets to give me tips, Lol.

Mattsunn, so you out having some fun again? And you damn well better remember that 3 month rule. Keep us posted on your progress

[wally w]

I remember coming off of 270 onto Lindbergh on my Rf900R and when I was fairly pointed straight cranked the throttle open in 2nd gear and the bike wheelied quite nicely but rather surprised me.

[old time rider]

My old 1400 was the one that would get you in trouble if not aimed right. They sure were not bad but felt like they were [emoji2] .At a stop light and doing a hole shot it would lift the front a few inches so easy with the wife on behind.Some times you would not know till front started drifting as you hit second.Now my old GS750 took to 843 with HC pistons and Yos cam would look at the sun if you came out at red. Street and drag strip if no bar best to come out as slow as you could with out bogging then wide open if no spin.Some times it would do 3rd gear way too high! .
Laugh now but one of the worse at the time was on the 1983 GS1100ES. it had snowed a few days then cold and snow still on sides but black top all clear.Low 30s and rode it in that night to 3rd as work bike had a flat .Got behind the kind you see in FL a little old lady in a big deville with head just above the seat.Right behind her on the on ramp at 15mph. As we get to top she all most stops as if a stop sign. Not a thing and see no one other side of four lane.Good time to blow the big 1100 out [emoji2] .Swing over to far side of left as she crawls out and give it wide open from a roll.It starts to spin a little then hits some wet snow and then dry road and lifts front way up while side ways! She was looking right at me and could tell in a scream .I thought for sure was going in her door but it came down and missed her front fender by inches as I was slowing down. All ways been a little crazy and often close to dead.

[jeffcoslacker]

My old 1400 was the one that would get you in trouble if not aimed right. They sure were not bad but felt like they were [emoji2] .At a stop light and doing a hole shot it would lift the front a few inches so easy with the wife on behind.Some times you would not know till front started drifting as you hit second.Now my old GS750 took to 843 with HC pistons and Yos cam would look at the sun if you came out at red. Street and drag strip if no bar best to come out as slow as you could with out bogging then wide open if no spin.Some times it would do 3rd gear way too high! .
Laugh now but one of the worse at the time was on the 1983 GS1100ES. it had snowed a few days then cold and snow still on sides but black top all clear.Low 30s and rode it in that night to 3rd as work bike had a flat .Got behind the kind you see in FL a little old lady in a big deville with head just above the seat.Right behind her on the on ramp at 15mph. As we get to top she all most stops as if a stop sign. Not a thing and see no one other side of four lane.Good time to blow the big 1100 out [emoji2] .Swing over to far side of left as she crawls out and give it wide open from a roll.It starts to spin a little then hits some wet snow and then dry road and lifts front way up while side ways! She was looking right at me and could tell in a scream .I thought for sure was going in her door but it came down and missed her front fender by inches as I was slowing down. All ways been a little crazy and often close to dead.

[wally w]

My 82 sporty had ported and polished heads sifton barracuda cams a close ratio tranny Barnett clutch yadayadayada. Anyways one day after I had changed sprockets for more acceleration and less top end on the 1st to 2nd shift all I saw was sky and scared the crap outa myself.

[old time rider]

Wally w like the old tales [emoji106] and that one yet another flash back. At the cruise in /car show Sat. a friend I met back in 1992 Got best of show in the bikes on his 1948 80ci flathead chopper. On 8-26- 1992 the day I got my 1993 FLSTN-N had parked it near a shade tree near the insurance office.Coming back to it with the change over papers to it from another bike. A really strong looking short young guy was looking it over . He told me how much he liked it and that he had a 1963 FL.Anyone close to or older than me that had Harley's when every other person did not own one have met the ones that tell you about ...the bike..they have at home.Close to half are usually junk and not ran in years if old.He had moved to Ky. from NewYork city! Told him to come ride with us that week end on Sunday. He did and had a really nice panhead. Called him pan man from that time on and the name stuck.He seems to like it.
Fast forward to 1995. I did not need a new bike but the gal that worked at the H-D shop sent word a new in the box 883 could be had for list! Went right away and got it that day,$5,840 tax and all.A month later was out riding it with pan man and we were at the edge of a small town were the two lane went into a four and a hill. Red light no cops so we are raping the pipes and the other bike behind looking around.Light turns and I hole shot him but in it a little too much and dam near slide off the seat. Glad it was a low bar but by far the best wheelie ever on a harley for me . It came down for second and after next stop he said",Dam I had a old iron head and it would not do that!""Hell I do that all the time",I lied .Never told him it was never ment to be.He was telling me Saturday that he was 50 now and old age sucked."Hang in there PanMan its gets a lot better,"told him.

[wally w]

What gets better is if something new don't hurt.

[MattSunn]

Well, I've put a few miles on the Z900. Can't get crazy because it's still breaking in. Gonna take some getting used to. Even tho this bike has a lower seat than most squidmobiles, I still feel like I'm up in the stratosphere and the wind will really move you around. Engine and trans are wonderful. Smooth shifts and virtually no vibration; easy to find neutral. I've got to find new boots with a different toe style than what I usually wear; there's not as much room between the pegs and the shifter or brake. Just wanna find something that doesn't feel like a ski boot. If I can find 1" risers that would be good because even tho you sit up straighter than most squidlies there's still a little too much stress on the elbows and shoulders. I could live with it because I'm not gonna tour on it, but if I can fix it I will. I've read that a lot of Z900 riders don't like the brakes. Maybe they're talking about track performance because I find them to be excellent. I've turned corners in 2nd, 3rd and 4th, doesn't matter, just hit the throttle and away you go, no stuttering or lugging. 6th gear....Wonderful! My initial feeling about the seat is that it is too hard . I'll put some more miles on it before deciding to replace it. I'd like to get more sag in the rear shock when I sit on the bike. Preload is set at almost the softest setting, but maybe that's the nature of the beast. Overall, I'm likin' this thing. I'll test it a bit more after the break-in period.

[MattSunn]

What gets better is if something new don't hurt.

Amen.

[Forge]

My brother was the first of us to get a bike. It was a early 70's Honda CB360 piece of crap that he had done everything he could do to it to squid it out (including hollowing out the mufflers) on an 18 year old's part time Dairy Queen summer job salary. It was blue with a chevy orange painted engine. The starter was out, but it had a kick start on it. He let me borrow it to run to the bank and deposit my paycheck and withdraw a little cash for my date later that evening.
I pulled into the drive through and started revving the popping engine like a good 19 year old squid should then shut her down and started heavily flirting with the very cute teller that I could see through the window.
After my transaction, I told her (trying to be cool) "See you around beautiful!", put my helmet back on, and then proceeded to kick start the bike while it was still in gear. It surged forward and crashed onto it's left side. I was standing there stunned like I couldn't believe I did that and looked up and saw every single one of those teller girls laughing their butts off and pointing at me.
I picked up the bike, fired it back up, and limped it home. I don't know which was hung lower, the broken turn signals hanging by the wires, or my head.

[jeffcoslacker]

My brother was the first of us to get a bike. It was a early 70's Honda CB360 piece of crap that he had done everything he could do to it to squid it out (including hollowing out the mufflers) on an 18 year old's part time Dairy Queen summer job salary. It was blue with a chevy orange painted engine. The starter was out, but it had a kick start on it. He let me borrow it to run to the bank and deposit my paycheck and withdraw a little cash for my date later that evening.
I pulled into the drive through and started revving the popping engine like a good 19 year old squid should then shut her down and started heavily flirting with the very cute teller that I could see through the window.
After my transaction, I told her (trying to be cool) "See you around beautiful!", put my helmet back on, and then proceeded to kick start the bike while it was still in gear. It surged forward and crashed onto it's left side. I was standing there stunned like I couldn't believe I did that and looked up and saw every single one of those teller girls laughing their butts off and pointing at me.
I picked up the bike, fired it back up, and limped it home. I don't know which was hung lower, the broken turn signals hanging by the wires, or my head.

I was there for one of those moments, thankfully someone else took that bullet...

My buddy that had the '73 XLCH back in '90 or so, rare to see an ironhead Sporty anymore and he had a lotta his persona tied up in that thing...he used to "Joe Cool" with the bike on the stand and him stretched out laying back against the sissy bar, feet up on the handlebars...used to brag he could sleep like that...

So he's doing that bit at the impromptu cruise night at Hardee's one Saturday, talking to some hotties...and the stand suddenly snapped off

OMG it was the funniest thing I ever saw in my life...his shades went shooting across the lot, he got a bloody nose, broke his rear brake lever off...jeezus I had tears in my eyes, didn't wanna rub it in, but it was just too much to contain.

And you never live that shit down. Every time he gets a new bike, I always ask him if he checked the stand for cracks..."Fuck you....asshole..." is usually the reply.

[Forge]

Oh, that's a classic one!

[old time rider]

Before the... never ever owned a Harley bunch think...How the hell did the brake lever get hurt falling to the left on the broken side stand? 1974 I think was when the U.S. made all new bikes being sold in U.S. have the shifter on the left and brake on right.Most all Brit bikes and sportsters had shift on the right and brake on the left before that.Big Harley's were as now.

[Tbeck]

Paul, several companies make barbacks and risers for just about every bike these day's. SW makes some good stuff but can be expensive. You'll probably find the best recommendation's on a kawi forum.
You probably know this but kawi's tend to stick with a common design. So you might find that the Z9 shares certain design features with the versys, or some other kawi.
If you decide to change the seat consider sending the OEM out for a custom build.
I think that lowering links are available for the Z9 as well, but if you find a forum with Z9 owner's someone there has probably worked the suspension out.

[MattSunn]

Welp, the Magna's gone.

[Tbeck]

Hopefully to a good home, congrats

[MadCow]

Just purchased a new Kawasaki Z900. Traded in 2 of my Sportsters. Gonna try something different to shake off the motorcycle funk. I have a buyer for my Magna and a possible buyer for one of my other Sportsters. So, reducing the herd and we'll see what happens.

Niice! Grats!!