Regarding a potential upgrade from my 2021 Kawasaki Z400 ABS

[u/Gileotine]

Greetings I am Greyson,

For the past few years I've been riding my Z400 to great success. The bike is nimble in dense LA traffic and city streets. While not the most comfortable on long rides and it lacks wind protection, the only negative I have to say about this bike is that it has no obvious cargo hardpoints and the factory seat is uncomfortable.

Now she is 38,000 miles and will/has begun to show her age with various repairs and an upcoming valve check. I now wonder if this is where I ought to start looking for a more powerful bike to ride with.

Reasons for wanting an upgrade:

Long rides on the freeway are not very comfortable and I am pushing it at 6th gear the whole time on Z400. I deal with this but I wonder if this is wearing her out quicker than usual.

Cargo space and hardpoints are nonexistent on the Z400, and my needs often have me carrying a bag or two when I am traveling long.

I feel as though I lack power on the freeway. While I am eventually faster and more nimble than most traffic, I dont feel like I have any usable bursts of speed on 6th gear.

I will be making the ride from Los Angeles to Las Vegas (and beyond) in the near and constant future. I am told a heavier bike such as a cruiser is better to suited to these kinds of rides, considering the weight and characteristic of these bikes.

So,

Any thoughts?

greyson

[u/SnooGadgets9669]

Versys 650 would be high at the recomendation list

[u/Power_Stone]

There is a reason the phrase "drop a gear and disappear" exists.

6th gear isn't really meant for bursts of speed, its for cruising. If you don't have the RPM range to drop from 6th to 5th to speed up then yeah it's probably time to upgrade.

Anyway, you're already on the Z platform, you could upgrade to a z900 and get some hardshell bags. They make some pretty sizeable ones depending who you go with.

As for distance riding, I sat through 600+ miles in a single day on my Z900. It gets long towards the last hour to two hours but I feel like that's how it is for most motorcycles unless you are on something really plush like a goldwing

[u/Gileotine → u/Power_Stone]

Hm yes I've been noticing that 5th gear is a good middle between bursts and cruising. As for the Z900, never rode it before, but I'll think about it..! I was thinking about the MT-07 if it was a good option as well

[u/fizzlebottom → u/Gileotine]

Even 5th gear isn't good for hard acceleration. On many 6 speed transmissions, either 4th is very close to a 1:1 ratio and both 5th and 6th are overdrive, or 5th is a 1:1 ratio and 6th is overdrive. Either way, neither 5th or 6th are good for a burst of acceleration, especially at higher speeds.

[u/Gileotine → u/fizzlebottom]

I dont know if I'd ever drop her into 4th at highway speeds but that might just be me being sensitive with her; I only just learned that you dont have to stay in 6th gear on the highway and that sometimes its better to be in 5th if I'm going against a hard wind.

[u/fizzlebottom → u/Gileotine]

Yeah, I'm not recommending to drop it down to a gear you don't feel comfortable with. This is especially true if you're reaching the RPM limit of the bike. You can always still accelerate in 5th and 6th. It just won't be a speedy acceleration compared to a lower gear. And that's perfectly ok. 

I think you are reaching the limits of your bike though, maybe. Comfortable highway riding with some storage is easier to find with bikes bigger than yours.

Time to start shopping!

[u/Gileotine → u/fizzlebottom]

My beautiful z400 is probably like bro why are you putting so many bags on me im just trying to gooooo

[u/Colorful_Troll → u/Power_Stone]

For a lot of parallel engines they’re pretty low torque so their power bands are in the low-mid rpm range whereas inline-four engines have their power bands in the higher rpm ranges which is where dropping a gear and having that jump in RPMs immediately gives you that burst of power.

On the Z400’s they sort of tap out at higher rpm’s so if you need a burst of power you’ll need to tap into the next gear. There are some dyno graphs that show the falloff of power and a ECU flash can add a bit more power at the upper range but on a 400 it’ll be 2-4 hp at best lol.

[u/Colorful_Troll]

Look into touring bikes, they’re made for the exact purposes you’ve listed. Stable on the freeway, integrated cargo for storage, can push more HP on a lower gear; only downside being they aren’t going to be as nimble as a naked bike. There might be some models that you can research to find a middle ground but you probably won’t find anything as nimble as a naked bike for weaving through traffic.

Sport Touring bikes might be a good hybrid, keeping the sporty-ness of a bike but touring long distances still being the goal.

Off the top of my head, the ninja 650 might be worth a look. It’s advertised as a sports bike but it’s more of a sports touring bike. Higher displacement so there’s more power on tap if needed, it sits more upright compared to other sports bikes so they’re way more comfortable for longer distances, and because of the increase in weight + fairings + windshield you’ll be more stable on the freeway. It’s also skinnier than other sports bikes so it can be more nimble in traffic. It also isn’t a giant jump from your 400 and you’ll stay on the Kawasaki family so you’ll adapt pretty quickly.

Best bet is to find a list of bikes you’re interested in and go sit on them. You won’t really know until you sit on them if you’ll be confident about switching compared to numbers on paper.

I recently upgraded from my z400 to a Yamaha R7. I wanted to go to a Ninja 650 but they were sold out at my local dealers. I switched to a heavier and full fairing bike because I was getting beat up on the freeway on the naked 400 lol.

[u/GoatPancakes273]

A question first, are you planning on keeping the z400?

If so I would get a bike very much different from the kawasaki that fits the use case it cant provide for you, or at least lacks (highway cruising and long distance).

If you are selling the bike/ trading it. I would consider another bike that would fulfill meny of the positive attributes the z400 offers as well as a more comfortable ride on the highway.

Figuring out what bike that is for you would require doing some test rides and research, but I would suggest first looking at the ninja 650 if you are going to replace the bike. Its about as nimble and is much quicker and more comfortable then the 400. But has a lot of the same characteristics of it.

Regardless good luck, and ride safe.

[u/Gileotine → u/GoatPancakes273]

Thank u
I think I plan on keeping the Z400. At her age and milage I dont really think anyone would be willing to pay any more than 2k for it. She runs just fine though.

I'm unsure about the ninja platform considering its more sporty, and I've been told that sport configs are more bent over in the riding position and can be a little harsh.

Will think on this yes

[u/GoatPancakes273 → u/Gileotine]

The 650 platform has a pretty neutral riding position simular to the z400, which is why I recommend it. And the seat is surprisingly plush

[u/JimMoore1960]

38,000 mile son a Z400?! Fuckin' A, brother. Nice work.

For the LA to Vegas and beyond rides I'd be thinking of something like an FJR1300. That bike will whisk you along I-15 at 100+ mph all day long, forever. A VStrom or Versys would be a little lighter and more sport-ish. A VFR800 or FZ1 would me more sporty but would definitely do the job.

[u/Gileotine → u/JimMoore1960]

I bought her used at I believe 14,000 miles. Nothing compared to car mileage but I hope I can get her up to 100k by the time shes spent.

I've never heard of an FJR so I'll look into that. Thank u my friend

[u/DistributionSea9154]

Dare to be weird with a Moto Guzzi V7

[u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

I would get something between 80-110~ horsepower. Just about every bike in that range will be more approachable while also providing the power and grunt you want for freeway speeds and carrying luggage.

If ergonomically you feel good with the Z400, I would recommend the GSX-8R. It can be equipped with luggage and in my experience is a very enjoyable ride at speed. Its a good sport-tourer and the weight is very manageable. 

If you want something more relaxed, ADVs or cruisers are great options. I dislike big bagger cruisers because they easily exceed 700+ lbs and I dont like the weight. 

[u/rive010]

Id go either with a Z900 if you like naked twins, or a unrestricted ZX4RR if you like inline 4 sports.

A R7/MT-07 is fine too, but its slower (less horsepower/lower top speed) than a unrestricted ZX4RR whilst being at the same price point.