Kawasaki Releases Second Teaser Vid for Z900RS

Kawasaki Releases Second Teaser Vid for Z900RS

Mean Green rolls out another teaser video for its increasingly anticipated retro-styled 900

The W650 has been Kawasaki’s only attempt at exploiting the lucrative modern-retro market, and though it hasn’t been a total flop, the decade-old model one of the least popular machines of the genre. Because the modern-retro market has become more and more oversaturated with offerings, Kawasaki opted to remain patient. The company held off on introducing a new model, instead biding its time and figuring out how to deliver the best possible vintage-inspired scoot.

Kawasaki’s patience has seemingly paid off, as its upcoming Z900RS is generating an increasing amount of hype despite the fact that the machine has yet to be fully unveiled. Over the past few months, Kawasaki has dropped hints and glimpses at specific areas in teasers videos for the Z900RS, the second of which has now been posted.

READ MORE: Kawasaki Hints at Retro Standard Z900RS for 2018

The new half-minute video features more of a cameo from the RS, with the majority of the clip showing some hipsters in the desert spliced with some footage of a generic modern alt band’s concert. This kind of promo video is easy to poke fun at, and the marketing techniques for this class of motorcycle are becoming increasingly cliche as they continue to be recycled again and again, with most ads displaying some version of hipsters hanging out in cool settings. So long as these advertising efforts keep resulting in ample sales though, manufacturers will keep making them.

Despite the short video only revealing quick glimpses of the machine from very carefully selected angles, we can still glean some info on the upcoming model in the little screen time it does get. First off, the new headlight can be very clearly seen. It appears the 900 will get an LED version of the traditional mono circular unit with accompanying micro LED indicators on either side. The exhaust on the Z900RS also gets a relatively decent amount of time on screen. While ever tightening Euro4 emissions regulations continue to result in bulky and unsightly pipes, the RS’s exhaust unit actually looks pretty snazzy. A few quick cuts also give a look at at least one of the color options the Z900RS will be offered in, and many will be happy to learn that Kawasaki has decided to use a retro paint scheme, furthering the modern model’s vintage heritage.

READ MORE: Kawasaki Offers First Glimpse of Retro-Styled Z900RS

Lastly – and I’d argue most importantly – is the fact that the upcoming Z900RS’s appear to have fairly high-spec front brakes, as VisorDown also recently pointed out. Almost every modern retro is based on a vintage machine with performance that’s considered extremely long in the tooth by today’s standards. Though this may be keeping in line with the true nature of the original models, it results in a motorcycle that sacrifices raw performance for trendy old-school aesthetics. Though this could be a one-off upgrade, this suggests the possibility that the RS may be fitted with high-end performance parts and that Kawasaki very well may decided to build a bike with ’70’s styling and modern performance, like a more widely accessible Japanese version of Magni’s MV Agusta Filo Rosso.

READ MORE: New Electric Kawasaki on the Way?

The official unveiling of the Z900RS is scheduled for the Tokyo Motorshow that starts on October 25th. Time will tell how close to the Z900 this new retro model will be, but in such a highly competitive genre of motorcycles, superior performance could be Kawa’s way of separating itself from the rest of the hip two-wheelers in the class.