kyokushintiger posted this awesome Wayne Gardner riding video to YouTube. I first saw it on VisorDown‘s Bugsplat email #126.

What can we learn from the comments?

• According to fackorf (if that is his real name): “It’s a honda VFR750 from 1987, codenamed 6X as it had titanium valves and a few other sweet mods.” Interesting: a rare factory “prototype” that looks like a production bike.
• sprcampbell tells us that this is Oran Park in Australia, and until [February 2010?] you could ride this track but it is being replaced by houses.

Santiago Villa is racing AMA Pro and CCS Florida this year. He also likes to go home to Columbia to race every year.

Why “the Ironman”? You know how riders used to stay on the bike during endurance-race re-fuelings? Santiago was badly burned: ending that practice. He went on to race with major burns and broken bones! Santiago is the type of racer that inspires fans even without (yet) winning the AMA Pro championship.

Here is the video:

How-to login to your WordPress.org-based stand alone Web site

If you installed WordPress.org software on your own hosted Web site, than add “wp-admin” to your URL in order to get to your login page. If your URL is: http://dangerismymiddlename.com/ Then your login page will be: http://dangerismymiddlename.com/wp-admin

How-to login to your WordPress.com blog

If you would like to login to your WordPress.com blog, then use this link instead:

http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php

The above link will work for any user that wants to login to WordPress.com, regardless of how many WordPress blogs one participates-in.

It is also possible to specify a language via the third-level domain. In other words I could use this link if I want my administrative screens in English (note the “en”): http://en.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. And I could use this link if I want my administrative screens in Spanish (note the “es”): http://es.wordpress.com/wp-login.php.

If I am interested in logging into the “dangerismymiddlename.wordpress.com” blog on WordPress.com, then I could also use this an URL in this format: http://dangerismymiddlename.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. And if I am interested in logging into my wife’s blog on WordPress.com, then I could also use this an URL in this format: http://kilefamily.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. These work just like this URL that was mentioned above: http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php.

Image owned-by, linked-from, and linked-to http://www.leopoldobloom.it/ Click on image to follow.

This is an old post that I updated on 2010-06-21.

A few years ago I purchased Valentino Rossi’s hardcover comic book by Milo Manara. Most of Signore Manara’s art is erotic, and this comic isn’t an exception: adults only please.

The comic book is called “Quarantasei” (46 in Italian), and is only available in Italian, although there is an image of a Spanish cover here.  I still haven’t translated it, so the accuracy of my description may be in-question, but here goes: A secret organization is attempting to steal Valentino’s genes in order to create superclones, but first they steal Valentino’s good-luck charm affecting the outcome of the race.  It’s up to Guido, and Osvaldo the Chicken to save Valentino! Rossi talks to the ghosts of Steve McQueen, Jim Morrison and Enzo Ferrari in his dreams. The book contains real-world MotoGP events amidst the fantasy elements.

Remember Valentino Rossi’s 2006 Mugello helmet?  That was to commemorate the publishing of this book.

Image owned-by, linked-from, and linked-to http://rossihelmets.com/ Click on image to follow.

Interested? Back when I purchased Quarantasei the publisher’s Web site was Italian-only. The good news is that they now have an English option. The book gets shipped directly from Italy, and if I remember correctly, I received it in just a few days. The DVD version is Region 2 only, and Italian only, so that won’t work on American DVD players (Don’t you just love the DVD consortium? Not.), but books can be viewed by anyone.

• Quarantasei may be purchased via this link to Leopoldo Bloom Editore.
• Go here for the Limited Edition version of Quarantasei signed-and-numbered by Valentino Rossi, and Milo Manara (I wonder who got #46?)!
• Quarantasei ArtBook is available from Leopoldo Bloom Editore via this link.

Jorge Lorenzo’s “Lorenzo’s Land” comic book was published in 2009 by Panini Comics and created by Estudio Fénix. Jorge wakes up from a brutal crash and cannot remember being a grand prix motorcycle rider. According to the publisher: “Fiction and reality, celebrities and circuits, are intertwined in the search for a destination that brings us closer to the actual figure of Jorge Lorenzo creative, restless, tenacious, meticulous…”.  [2010-06-21 UPDATE] You previously were able purchase “Lorenzo’s Land” directly from Jorge Lorenzo’s official merchandise site. It is not currently listed there.

Image owned-by, linked-from, and linked-to http://www.motogp.com/ Click on the image to go to http://www.motogp.com/.

This is what happens when the editor chooses to go off topic! This essay existed before this Web page became devoted to motorcycles. The current publish-date represents the latest edits.

If you are interested in The World’s Smallest Political Quiz, but not in my own results, and explanation, then go directly to The World’s Smallest Political Quiz.

Third-parties will always be a losing-proposition in this country.  It is simply easier to collect the magic-number of votes if there are only two large parties. (The magic-number of votes is one-more than 50%.)

According to the Advocates for Self Government: a multi-dimensional model is needed as a replacement for the left-to-right-wing straight-line continuum.

My ex-mother-in-law used to tell me that it was evil to be left-wing, because Pol Pot was left-wing, and he had all those people killed. I would follow that up with an almost identical analogy using Adolf Hitler instead. Kids: Uncle Paul does not recommend that you compare your in-laws’ beliefs to Hitler’s. This does not go well. He was young and immature at the time. [2009-01-07] Al Franken just used the same “Hitler” rebutal with Ann Coulter! Maybe he-too is young and immature?

Traditionally Libertarians are thought to be right-wing, but there are many Republican party values that aren’t Libertarian. David Nolan realized that a better model would show how much government control a person wanted over personal issues, and how much government control that same person wanted over economic issues. If we map these two dimensions, then we will have four quadrants.

(The block-quotes are from the “Advocates for Self Government’s World’s Smallest Political Quiz FAQ”. It is no longer available at its URL, so some links have been removed from this page.):

Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates “traditional values.” They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement.

Liberals usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded “safety net” to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.

Statists want government to have a great deal of power over the economy and individual behavior. They frequently doubt whether economic liberty and individual freedom are practical options in today’s world. Statists tend to distrust the free market, support high taxes and centralized planning of the economy, oppose diverse lifestyles, and question the importance of civil liberties.

The Advocates for Self-government have a Web application called The World’s Smallest Political Quiz. (Mark Shroyer: do you remember telling me about this quiz!?) Here are my results:

The red dot shows where Paul is on the Nolan political chart.

I am on the intersection of Liberal (considered to be left wing), Libertarian (considered to be right wing), and Centrist. Really. I am not a Democrat, and I am not a Republican, and neither of those parties will ever accurately represent me.

Kevin Montanaro rides motorcycles and scooters. This is his Vespa. No: it’s not the bike from the Quadrophenia album cover. That was a Lambretta. Kevin I used to hang out in Plattsburgh NY back in the 1980′s. You can find some of Kevin’s amazing art at his Web site (www.bluesmokestudio.com). Here are some pics from his scooter series.

Kay purchased a Ducati Monster 696 ABS last month. First farkle? Frame sliders.

I prefer Woodcraft’s products; Woodcraft engineers its products for motorcycle racers and it shows. The Wood family is a racing family. They are also affiliated with the Penguin Roadracing School, which is the oldest motorcycle racing school in the United States.

My first look at Woodcraft’s Web site did not look promising though. I wrote to Woodcraft: which began an email exchange with company President Eric Wood. Mr. Wood explained that they would be coming out with their standard Woodcraft sliders for Ducati Monsters within a few weeks. He also made an interesting proposition. Woodcraft engineered large four-inch frame sliders for the Penguin School’s rental bikes (Ducati 900s and 969s). They also adapted them to the Ducati Monster. He offered to send those. I made a quick-call to the company to order them. They were a little more expensive than the standard Woodcraft sliders on my 2007 Suzuki SV650S ABS, but the price was still reasonable. The person that took my order mentioned that the large four-inch sliders will not be added to the catalog. We may never run across another pair at bike night. That said: if you are interested, then by-all-means contact Woodcraft, and let them know.

Apparently one-pair of these saw 25 crashes, and is still in use at the Penguin school.

Here are some features that all Woodcraft sliders share:

• They have solid plastic pucks that will not bend and should not catch (grab traction) on the track.
• The pucks’ mounting bolt is perpendicular to the post. This allows for easy removal of the pucks. Many other sliders will distort over their mounting bolts in an accident. These will not.
• They are exactly the correct length for each application. The slider posts for my Suzuki SV650S ABS were actually different lengths in order to compensate for the fact that the engine mounting bolts are not equal distances from the bikes centerline.

Here is a picture of the jumbo sliders before installation. The slider on the right shows what the parts look like when they are together. The top section of the puck is solid. It is slightly dished in order to mostly cover the post though.

Woodcraft Jumbo Sliders Before Installation, Image © 2010 Paul Danger Kile http://dangerismymiddlename.com

Here is what they look like on the bike. In the immortal words of Wedge Antilles: “Look at the size of that thing”.

2010 Ducati Monster 696 ABS with Woodcraft Slider, Image © 2010 Paul Danger Kile http://dangerismymiddlename.com

Why are the four-inch sliders (the white ones) so much larger than the two-inch sliders (below)? It has something to do with that 2*pi*r thing that we learned in geometry class.

Here is my 2007 SV650S ABS with the standard Woodcraft sliders. I highlighted the slider by drawing a red oval on the image. In this case the puck, and post, are clearly visible, in the above case most of the post is completely covered by the massive puck.

2007 Suzuki SV650S ABS with Woodcraft Sliders, Image © 2009 Paul Danger Kile http://dangerismymiddlename.com

We first learned about Bling Rockets from Aaron Colton: Bling Rockets interviewed Aaron Colton in Issue #4. Aaron is a young, professional stunter, that also does motorcycle road racing. Very cool. Learn more about Aaron Colton from his facebook posts, or from www.aaroncolton.com.

The magazine is online-only, but it’s not a Web site, its a print-style magazine that lives on the Web (read an issue, and you will see what we mean). Criticisms? NSFW bikini shots: other than that? None. It’s a very good mag.

The Bling Rockets Anniversary Extra Vol. 1 isn’t an regular issue of the mag though; instead it’s page-after-page of awesome custom motorcycle images: only this time without any NSFW bikini shots. There are no people here, and few words, just images of one non-chopper non-cafe custom after another. It’s heavy on the stretched-out drag-race-style customs, but there are some sport bikes and naked bikes too.

Want more?

• Here is the Bling Rockets facebook fan page.
• The blingrockets.com Web site has links to every issue of the magazine.

Image owned-by, linked-from, and linked-to BlingRockets eMag Anniversary Extra Vol. 1

2010 John McGuinness Video

Don Emde shared an Isle of Man TT video on facebook. This one is a 2010 video of John McGuinness! Yes, Mr. McGuinness is that good.

2009 Videos

Don Emde shared this beautiful Isle of Man TT video on facebook, and mentioned that he wants to go as a spectator in 2010. The music is “Now we are free” by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, from the movie Gladiator. It was uploaded by Mirko Guzetta. Thank you Don and Mirko!

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy 2009 Steve Plater Onboard:

Scott Harwood shared this 2009 Isle of Man TT video with us:

Scott also shared a video from this year’s TTX with us:

Larry Pegram Lean - AMA Sign - at Hearland Park Topeka, Image © 2009 Paul Danger Kile http://dangerismymiddlename.com

I really like this one. There is so much to see in it: the worn knee pucks, the details on the Sidi boots, the beautiful blues on the titanium exhaust, the miss-matched red paint, the top of the chain losing slack because Larry is opening the throttle, the fact that the Leo Vince exhaust ad off-track overpowers the Akrapovic logos on the bike. You can even read the Ohlins logo on the forks (in higher res), and brembo logo on the brakes. Larry leans so far that his tires are worn in places that aren’t even meant to touch the ground.

Ducati left US racing, for the most part, so what did Larry do?  He build a Ducati team. If Ducati ever comes back full-tilt, then they will already have a team that they can promote to factory-level support. This is what Micheal Jordan (yes, that one) should have been doing instead of using suasion to change the rules.

My lenses are cheap, my camera focuses very slowly, and neither the body or the lenses have anti shake features. My best shots involve a ton-of-luck. I see the pros not taking pictures of every bike, and I just don’t get it. Riding like this is amazing. It should be captured and appreciated again-and-again.

I am really proud of this shot. Interestingly, it almost looks as though Jason is looking down.

Valentino Rossi does look at the ground midcorner. When asked why he appears to be doing-so, Rossi said something like, “I look down to see where I am in the corner. I don’t need to see where I am going. I already know where I am going.” Kids do not try this at home.

Jason DiSalvo at AMA Pro Tornado Nationals, Image © 2009 Paul Danger Kile http://dangerismymiddlename.com

Ben Bostrom getting a ride back to the pits

The previous WordPress.com version of this Web site had earned very high rankings in Google— at least compared to similar Web sites, but it’s not facebook. I really depended on that Google ranking. There are only two ways to take your Google ranking with you:

1. Don’t let your URLs change. If you want this one to work for your WordPress.com Web site, then you really need to pay WordPress.com to use your domain name from day one.
2. Use a 301 redirect to prove to Google, that yes, you really are moving, and that the new site really is yours. Unfortunately WordPress.com would not allow me to do this.

Needless to say, my traffic here was devastated. People reading my words is what motivates me, and the lack of traffic indicates that people aren’t.

Why the ads? A number of organizations were satisfied that this is a valid form of media. (Thank you Ducati, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, DMG/AMA Pro, the AMA, and the rest!) But the Dorna rep said that they weren’t interested in helping anyone with a personal Web site. Those ads were an attempt to be more professional-looking.

Other reasons why my posting slowed down?

1. The 2009 racing season ended.
2. Most of my favorite racers, and their fans, are on facebook and willing to “friend” me.

Number two is the kicker. My readers are on facebook, so I have been posting to facebook.

There is only one way out of this mess.  Move to facebook. Facebook apps are actually hosted on non-facebook servers, so I might be able to tweak this puppy so that it exists both as my Web site, and as a facebook app simultaneously.

The red line marks the point where I moved the content from http://dangerismymiddlename.wordpress.com to http://dangerismymiddlename.com. These are monthly statistics. Both axis on both graphs are different. The site reached 2,661 hits the month that it was ended, and topped-out at 4,742 hits the month afterwards.

These are weekly stats for the new site. Yes, moving without 301 redirects is that bad. Note: both axis on both graphs are different. The week that we reached 2,130 hits was a week where many people gave this page a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon.com: http://dangerismymiddlename.com/archives/3979

AMA Video: Think. Ride. Ride Straight:

Ordinary motorcycle brake lights can be difficult to see: especially when they are also functioning as running lights, and it is bright out, and one is trying to pay attention to other vehicles. I suspect that many people rely solely on other visual cues to determine that a motorcyclist is slowing down.

I learned to appreciate flashing brake lights while doing group rides in Arkansas. The intentions of motorcyclists with flashing brake lights were unambiguous. On the other hand, they always say, “I didn’t see him. He came out of nowhere.”, and there is nothing that a small flashing light will do to change that. Feel free to completely ignore that claim from folks that sell the little flashing lights.

Let’s get that first question out of the way: are they legal? Yes. It’s legal to apply your brakes, let up, and then apply them again. That would turn your brake lights on-and-off, and these products turn your brake lights on-and-off. Also, these don’t annoy people; sometimes headlight modulators do.

I have experience with two products, one of which is the Kisan TailBlazer 20W-D plug in bulb.

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive.
• Just replace the existing brake light bulb with this unit. All of the electronics are in the base, and it just works.

Cons:

• Except when it doesn’t. In my case— a V-Star 650 Classic— the bulb was mounted vertically. The base of the light holds the electronics; that’s the part that twists in. The new bulb has two prongs, and it plugs into the top of the base. There is a little “bowl” on top of the electronics (see image), and the water would collect there. For sure, the lens (the red plastic piece) didn’t have cracks in it. I believe the condensation within the lens was bad enough of a problem though. Most motorcycles mount the bulbs horizontally, and facing backwards. I assume that this system would be more reliable in that case. I kept my original tail light bulb just in case this thing stopped working, and it did.  That original bulb came in handy during this little adventure I tell ya’.
• This simple system doesn’t work for all motorcycles. Kisan does have other brake light flashing products for that case. They also have head light modulators, tire pressure monitors, turn signal cancelling systems, and more.

Image linked-from, and to kisantech.com

The little guy will show up around 2:03. Either skip to there, or watch the whole video. Matt Osman rides really well here: smooth and over 100 km/hr (60 MPH) in some corners. It’s a good video with or without the gecko, so I would vote for “watch the whole video”.

I used to catch geckos and pretend that they were my pets when I was a kid in Florida. They can see quick movements from pretty far away. It’s likely that he is experiencing the movement visually. That said: obviously I have no idea what it actually looks like to a gecko.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Laurel C. Allen, from Road Racer X’s Senior Editor, shared this awesome Italian Police Bike Formation Demonstration Video with us via facebook.

Ernesto Fontana posted the following comment about the video on its boingboing.net page:

Hello Mr Pescovitz,

Thanks for posting those beautiful sequences of sync moto-riding. Only, I would like to be pedantic and point out that at 0:11 you can see some officials looking solemnly on, and the third from the left I believe is Giovanni Leone, at the time presidente della Repubblica. If correct, this would date the video between 1971 and 1978, Mr Leone’s period of office.

I dare say the Corazzieri guards (tall fellows with ornate uniforms, you can see one in the background at 0:11) confirm the presence of a president, and at 0:57 Mr Leone appears again right in the middle of the image, a focus of attention. Not as much as the riders anyway…

Best regards,
Ernesto Fontana (not anonymous-just too lazy to register right now)

We like the new Z1000′s looks better than the old Z1000′s looks.  We saw the videos on HellForLeather.com.  The pics videos, and words come from kawasaki.com.

One of the European Z1000s gets a snakeskin seat which is just-as-tacky as our etched dragon windscreen.  We would love to see bikes wear it. We don’t like the exhaust pipes though; they are tacky without irony.

The words-below were copied from various www.kawasaki.com Web pages, and put together here.  We also replaced the word “we” below with the words “Kawasaki” and “riders”, where appropriate. dangerismymiddlename.com is not related to Kawasaki.

2010 KAWASAKI Z1000 Videos

2010 Kawasaki Z1000 Presentation (US Version) Video:

2010 Kawasaki Z1000 Promo (High Quality) Video:

2010 KAWASAKI Z1000 For Italy “Snakeskin” Pic

2010 KAWASAKI Z1000 For USA Pics (Click on images for larger versions)

2010 KAWASAKI Z1000 Words

MSRP $10,499 as of 2009-10-07

Ergonomics

• With its smooth frame, sculpted tank and seat and upright ergoes, the Z1000 is just asking to be ridden hard.
• A dynamically designed steel gas tank, flared on the sides to let you grab it with your knees and trim at the rear for a snug fit, flows gracefully into a seat that’s low and narrow at the front to make ground contact easy, and wide and plush at the rear for a comfortable ride over uncomfortable pavement.

All-New Engine

• Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve 1,043cc inline-four offers greater torque and a stronger top-end rush than previous Z1000 models
• Bore and stroke of 77.0 x 56.0 mm were chosen to achieve the desired engine character —strong in the everyday rpm range most used by naked super bikes
• 38mm downdraft throttle bodies allow intake air to travel to the engine in the shortest possible distance
• Oval sub-throttles help keep the engine slim — a good thing since the throttle bodies are positioned between the rider’s knees
• Soft rev limiter provides good overrev; power doesn’t drop off suddenly at high rpm
• Crankshaft and transmission shafts are arranged in a straight line instead of a triangular layout, to maintain the design from the previous Z1000 — a design that offers the best look for a naked model
• The crankshaft was lowered to allow for a longer stroke without adding engine height
• A secondary balancer, driven off a gear on the sixth web of the crankshaft, eliminates excess vibration

Mass Centralization

• Moving heavy components as close as possible to the motorcycle’s center of mass makes it easier to turn.
• The Z1000′s mufflers, rear suspension, battery and rider are all packaged as near to each other as possible. With its wide handlebar and naturally positioned footpegs, it places the rider in a position of maximum command.

Cool Air Intake System

• The intake system routes cool air to the airbox from ducts above the radiator shrouds, minimizing performance loss due to heated intake air
• Positioning the ducts close to the rider allows the intake sound to be enjoyed by the rider
• A resonator inside the airbox reduces noise at low rpm, and enhances intake sound at high rpm

Exhaust System

• The exhaust system features a 4-into-2-pre-chamber-into-2 layout. Silencer end-caps maintain the quad-style image
• Main and pre-catalyzers ensure emissions are clean
• Thanks to the under-engine pre-chamber, silencer volume could be reduced. The silencers are also lighter. Overall exhaust system weight is about the same, but the new system offers much better mass centralization and contributes to a lower center of gravity
• Kawasaki carried forward the quad-pipe theme from the last Z1000 (and the first Z1), but an under-engine pre-chamber let the engineers use shorter mufflers for great looks, better mass centralization and light, quick handling.

Fuel Pump

• Slim-type fuel pump features an integral fuel gauge
• With revised fuel tank design and the slim-type fuel pump, dead volume inside the tank is minimized; fuel capacity is 4.1 gallons

All-New Over-the-Engine Aluminum Backbone Frame

• An aluminum twin tube frame designed specifically for the Z1000, similar in concept to the ZX™-10R unit, helps make the Z1000 a narrow, compact motorcycle  that is easy to grip with the knees.
• Lightweight and highly rigid, the frame uses the engine as a stressed member, for a firm, planted feel and enhanced stability. The frame is tuned to transmit the ideal level of engine feedback directly to the rider. The frame’s five-piece construction consists of steering stem, left and right main frames, and two cross pieces. The two main frame components have open, C-shaped cross sections. As much as possible, welds were eliminated for simplicity and appearance. The frame beams and swingarm brackets are now single die-cast pieces. The new frame uses four engine mounts; three mounts are rigid, the upper rear crankcase mount is rubber.
• The rear sub-frame is a three-piece aluminum die-casting construction, light, strong and good for mass centralization
• The sub-frame is an example of form and function combined, negating the need for side covers and allowing underseat narrowness for a shorter reach to the ground

Line-beam Headlight

Clean Rear End And LED Taillights

• The sub-frame is a three-piece aluminum die casting, light, smooth and beautiful.
• With its vestigial tail light bracket, spidery passenger peg brackets and smooth tail section, the Z1000 looks totally custom. At the same time, that wide radial tire out back and 5.4 full inches of plush and controlled rear-wheel travel serve up an outstandingly sweet ride.
• Red lights behind a red lens give the Z1000 excellent rear visibility.
• Its smooth, organic frame and plenty of negative space between the rear wheel and tailsection give it a fantastic, exotic bike look too. A fat, 190/50-17 radial tire backs up the take-no-prisoners image.

All-New Horizontal Rear Monoshock

• Visible from the outside, the horizontal monoshock rear suspension contributes to the aggressive appearance of the new Z1000. The Z1000′s new rear suspension positions the shock and linkage above the swingarm, where it’s less exposed to exhaust heat, and contributes to mass centralization. Linkage characteristics are the same as those of a standard UNI-TRAK® rear suspension, with a similar wheel movement to shock stroke ratio. The shock features rebound damping and spring preload adjustability, with overall wheel travel of 5.4 inches.

Inverted 41mm Fully Adjustable Front Fork

• The Z1000’s 41mm inverted fork is adjustable for compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload — and it’s semi-protected from the elements by a cool-looking shroud.
• Calibrated for a mix of sporty backroad performance and excellent comfort on the street, the inverted cartridge fork provides stepless compression and rebound damping adjustment, along with spring preload adjustment. Wheel travel is 4.7 inches.

Tubular Handlebar

• A rigid-mount honest-to-goodness handlebar provides plenty of leverage over the Z1000, contributing greatly to the bike’s sharp, direct handling.
• The bar’s wide, flat bend offers a design similar to those on off-road bikes, for excellent comfort and control. Tapered-type grips, like those used on supersport models, also provide direct feel.

Eccentric Chain Adjuster

• The eccentric axle is how riders adjusted Kawasaki drive chains back in the day, and the rear-caliper torque arm is how Kawasaki fed braking forces back into the frame. On the other hand, the petal rear disc and the fat 190/50-17 radial tire out back are cutting-edge current technology, adding both style and performance.

Brakes

• A radial-pump front brake master cylinder contributes superb control and feel to go with the outright braking power provided by those big discs and calipers. At the rear, a single-piston pin-slide caliper gripping a 250mm petal disc is mounted below the swingarm, where it’s located by a torque rod for a little vintage flair.
• The Z1000’s 300mm front petal brake discs are gripped by opposed four-piston radial-mount calipers. (Caliper piston size is 4×30 mm)
• The rear brake is a single piston, pin-slide caliper gripping a 250mm petal disc. The caliper is mounted below the swingarm, and located by a torque rod

Instruments

• A distinctive tilting instrument panel with multifunction LCD display behind an orange lens covers all systems
• The instrument panel can be angled in three positions to suit rider preference, without tools, using an adjuster knob on the left side. Meter functions include digital speedometer, bar-style digital tachometer, odometer, two trip meters, fuel gauge and clock.

Specifications and pricing are subject to change.

onthethrottle.com and Seamus Taaffe of Yamaha Factory Racing show us how to clean brake calipers.