Kawasaki Z900
Kawasaki's middleweight super-naked — 948cc inline-four, 125bhp, aggressive Sugomi styling. UK from £9,900. Sweet-spot for experienced riders wanting big inline-four character without sportbike posture. 2024 update added cornering ABS, traction control, three rider modes, and TFT dash standard. Lighter than the rival Yamaha MT-09 inline-triple while offering smoother inline-four power. Not A2 restrictable in stock form.
- Engine
- 948 cc
- Power
- 125 PS
- Weight
- 212 kg
- Seat height
- 800 mm
- A2 licence
- —
Liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four
wet
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 50 · Insurance 52 · Theft 35
The Kawasaki Z900 holds its value about as well as most bikes (around 30% lost over three years, against the 25-32% bike norm) and costs about average to insure (around £580/yr typical). Theft risk is high. The main thing to check on a used one is the stator (rare).
A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better.
Pick your version
Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.
Engine
Petrol · 948cc
Power
125 ps
Torque
98 Nm
Weight
212 kg
Seat
800 mm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Economy
45 mpg
Standard Z900 — 948cc inline-four, 125bhp, full electronics suite from 2024 (KCMF, KTRC, IMU-based ABS). TFT dash. Not A2 restrictable.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.
Estimated market value
£6,719
Range £6,047 – £7,391
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Holding value
Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.
New
£10,499
At 5 years
£6,299
At 10 years
£4,410
Value loss by phase
Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.
UK new price by year
How we estimate this
Phase depreciation derived from observed UK used-bike pricing — classified ads, dealer asking prices, and end-of-auction figures. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count, and crash-damage signatures. The figures here are indicative for clean, fully-stamped examples.
What it costs to own
Indicative running costs at 8,000 miles a year — the UK rider average. Chain-drive bikes carry a chain/sprocket consumable line; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.
3-year total
£2,339
Per year
£780
Per mile
£0.10
Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at £1.45/L. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.
Estimated insurance
ABI motorcycle scheme · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Licence
Age
No-claims bonus
5 yearsRisk profile
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39
£580/ year
Roughly £48 per month
Typical
Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-21 | £957 | £1,276 | £1,786 |
| Age 22-29 | £587 | £783 | £1,096 |
| Age 30-39Selected | £435 | £580 | £812 |
| Age 40-49 | £383 | £510 | £715 |
| Age 50+ | £348 | £464 | £650 |
How we estimate this
Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Theft risk
Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting
UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.
Theft risk score · 1 to 4
3/4High risk
High risk
Frequent theft target — appears regularly on UK police hot-lists, especially in London. Expect insurers to demand Thatcham chain + ground anchor + disc lock; tracker can knock 10–15% off premium.Theft hotspot postcodes
Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.
What this means for you
Z900 is high on UK most-stolen sportbike lists — light, valuable, strong parts demand. Ground anchor + chain + disc lock all essential, garaging strongly recommended.
How we set this band
Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.
What goes wrong
5 known issues · sorted by severity
Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.
High severity
1
Medium
2
Low / cosmetic
2
| Severity | Part / issue | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| high | Stator (rare) Charging issues from a failing stator — checked at service 30k+ mi | £400-600 |
| medium | Chain & sprockets 10-14k mi | £220 |
| medium | Cam chain tensioner Rattle on cold start known on older Z900s — automatic hydraulic tensioner replacement 25k+ mi | £300 |
| low | Front brake pads 8-12k mi | £90-110 |
| low | Tyres (Dunlop Sportmax stock) 6-8k mi rear | £280 pair |
How we score severity
High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Kawasaki Z900, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
All variants
| Trim | Engine | PS | kg | Seat | A2-restrict? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z900default | Liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four, 948cc | 125 | 212 | 800 | — |
| Z900 SE | Liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four, 948cc | 125 | 213 | 800 | — |
Strengths
- +Inline-four character + smoothness rare at this price
- +Light for an inline-four (212kg wet)
- +Full electronics suite from 2024 — cornering ABS, KTRC traction, modes
- +Cheaper than rival Triumph Street Triple 765
- +Strong used market — easy to sell on
Watch-outs
- −Theft target — high on UK most-stolen sportbike lists
- −Insurance high (~£580 typical)
- −17L tank short on long rides at ~150 mi between fills
- −Not A2 restrictable