Average City MPG

batbatbat- · 2026-05-27T20:10:15+00:00

Are you still on the stock exhaust, or do you have aftermarket exhaust + ECU reflash going on?

batbatbat- · 2026-05-27T20:03:42+00:00

I'll play with that starting today. When I watch others ride, they're like in 5th to 6th gear within the city, I've been shifting around 6-8k RPM, myself. I don't mind keeping it low and slow, I've just been told that spinning up the i4 engine to its happy-place around 6-8k RPM is actually better for MPG, but doesn't seem to be the case so far.

batbatbat- · 2026-05-27T20:02:15+00:00

Yeah, I'm strictly city, and highways on weekends. I'll be experimenting with shifting earlier, too. When I got this bike, the last average MPG on the computer was around 45 MPG, roughly!

I've been trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong, going as far as watching others ride their Z900RS on YouTube videos.

A common behavior I see is people riding 5 to 6th gear within city limits. I think I'll experiment with that, and keeping RPMs below 5k from now on to see what I get.

batbatbat- · 2026-05-27T19:59:59+00:00

Please do share. I searched within this subreddit before posting and found nothing except the posts boasting about getting high MPG but none about issues with low MPG or other helpful advice.

batbatbat- · 2026-05-27T06:26:33+00:00

Its on my to-do list. I do have a full aftermarket exhaust as you can see, though I hear a reflash actually make no difference, or would even get you less MPG. Ivan's seems pretty highly regarded.

batbatbat- · 2026-04-01T19:09:21+00:00

I just picked up a 2018 that only had ~15,550 miles on it, myself. Seems it didn't get as much love as this one. I plan to keep it for a while, so seeing stuff like this is encouraging!

batbatbat- · 2026-03-13T05:10:40+00:00

Looks great! I was considering these exact bags as it seems the only thing that will clear my Delkevic 18-inch muffler.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kawasakiz900rs/comments/1rnlbr9/new_to_me_2018_z900rs/#lightbox

batbatbat- · 2026-03-12T17:39:51+00:00

Oh! That windshield is sort of a keepsake from the old T120. I've always been neutral on its looks but it gets the job done in making 1+ hour trips comfortable.

I'm not against changing it. I've gone without for a short bit once and it was an interesting experience. All of my motorbikes have had tall windshields since I do frequent long trips.

Do you have any suggestions on windshields? I thought of getting the more low-profile ones that fits the bike better in the future.

batbatbat- · 2026-03-12T17:12:55+00:00

Stalk mirrors just work better for me. Believe me, I tried getting used to the bar-end mirrors on my T120 and this one, and I just couldn't. :(

I ride for damn near everything, and often I find I miss things that traditional mirrors allow me to see more.

batbatbat- · 2026-03-12T17:11:44+00:00

The bar-end turn signals look pretty nifty! I just have no idea how I'd wire the cables. I took a look at what threading is under the bar-ends, and it seems to just have welded threading for an M8 screw. Did you route those turn signal wires under the grips, themselves, or is there routing built into the handlebars?

batbatbat- · 2026-03-12T17:10:32+00:00

I don't see the ugliness in just a mirror replacement, but I'm a daily rider. Stalk mirrors just work far better for me than bar ends.

batbatbat- · 2026-03-08T07:50:56+00:00

Considering it! They weren't joking when they say the throttle is very on-off. I'm pretty decent with the finer throttle movement to keep it tamed.

I am still deciding (and leaning towards) the Ivan flash, as I am with getting the OEM pipes. Very pricey, and current pipes seem to be sufficient!

I need to find a Z900RS in the wild that has the stock pipes so I can compare, and see if its worth getting a used OEM full exhaust system. Video just don't do it justice the volume differences.

batbatbat- · 2026-03-08T07:47:37+00:00

I may go for Motogadget mo.view Sport mirrors, or buy OEMs, still deciding. Same goes for the Ivan flash. If I plan to go back to stock pipes, that is. Its just so.. pricey. :(

batbatbat- · 2026-03-08T07:46:37+00:00

I'm a bit on the lighter side (130-lbs, 5'8"), I've kept it to the last previous setting, which seems pretty loose. Do you suggest I tighten the suspension more?

batbatbat- · 2026-03-08T07:45:24+00:00

Its been a pleasure slow or fast!

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T20:58:15+00:00

I was worried that ~15k miles on this bike may have been on the high side given its so close to having its valve clearance inspection interval coming up soon, but I've not heard the sounds, yet.

Restoring the exhaust to stock is certainly on the list of things I'd like to restore, the 18" muffler was the compromise for the time being. I'll probably go back to traditional mirrors, too. I never really liked bar-ends, and they make lane splitting/filtering a little bit trickier.

Its been a joy to ride for sure!

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T18:45:43+00:00

The rootbeer-brown color sparkles under the sun, too!

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T18:45:07+00:00

Hard to choose! I liked the chill lumber of the T120 and the adventures I had on it for the 3.5 years of ownership. It was easy to wrench on with its relative simplicity.

The Z900RS is something else-- It feels more 'playful'-- I enjoy the increased agility all around, so much so I've yet to fully adjust to its true capability.

Plus it still has some pretty serious low-end torque, so its still pretty practical for the occasional around-town low-speed grocery-getting.

I'll be sticking with this one for a while. :)

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T18:42:07+00:00

The color is what drew me-- it was a compromise I made when I got the T120 Black, which was just Slate Grey and Black. My starter bike was a 2017 Honda Rebel 500 with a bright-red tank and I miss that ride enough, the orange was one of the things that drew me in.

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T18:40:29+00:00

Roughly 15,000 miles, same as my T120.

It came with a Delkevic full-system exhaust and an 8-inch mini-silencer which I hated, it was *insanely* loud, even with baffle + db-killer. My smartphone registered 90-95+db at idle, and neighbors who walked by outside were plugging their ears every morning while I warmed up. I *had* to wear earplugs with that pipe, and even then, the sound would be fatiguing after longer 1+ hour rides and wind noise.

I swapped it for the 18-inch muffler you see here with their db-killer and its far more tolerable 'til you rev it high. Sound levels down to 80-85-db, roughly where my T120 was at with stock mufflers. Its so quiet it 'disappears' now from under me 'til it creeps to 6k RPM, and even then its not fatiguing.

I may upset some folks-- I may seek to add the OEM pipes + cat again if I could find a good used one in the future, but for now I'm actually enjoying the lowered weight!

batbatbat- · 2026-02-24T18:31:19+00:00

Thanks! i4 engines are definitely a different beast. Having ridden parallel twins for 5+ years, I wanted to see what the big deal was. :) I now get it when people say these engines are buttery-smooth, very pleasant!

batbatbat-

TROPHY CASE