Z800 or Z1000?

I've decided I've had enough of the cat. It's a great bike but I'm craving something different so once the worst of the weather is over I'm buying something new.
I've spent plenty of time researching and test riding to try and find out what I want from a bike and I've settled on a naked kawasaki, problem is I can't decide between the z800 or z1000?
As I know a few of you guys have a z1000 I was just wondering what made you get it over the 800? What's the 1000 like to use on a daily basis?

I only commute around 12 miles a day and it's all town riding but I do go out most weekends for some A road hooning,
I wouldn't mind the option of hard luggage but it's not vital. Are the running costs much different between them? What about the usable power?

The sensible side of my brain keeps trying to force the er6 back into contention too as it's the most usable option for what I need but I just want the extra power when it's needed?
I've ridden the er6 and z800 but haven't managed to get my hands on a 1000 yet?
Any opinions would be great, cheers

Z1000. Don't think the er6 even comes close (yes it's probably more of a commuter) but life's too short.

Just my 2p based on what I'd do.

Y no strt triple?

Yeah the life's too short philosophy is a good one, but my other half tends to disagree haha if that wasnt the case I'd have one of them new R1s.

Not a fan of the triumph, too ugly and not keen on the triple motor.

Having owned both the Gen3 & Gen4 Z1000 I can say both are awesome bikes, good all round bike & quite nimble for its size, great commuter (but remember it's a naked) & 'Sunday blast' machine, saying that it is a big bike if you plan to use it through winter & that's where I'd consider the 800 as its smaller?
Both models of Z I've owned were low geared giving bags of acceleration but not so good for high speed cruising, I guess it depends what type of journeys you want to use it for.
Oh yeah I nearly forgot, the seat is bloody uncomfortable!

Thanks Rob, that's the kind of thing I wanted to know. Have you done anything to make yiur seat more comfortable or do you just get used to it?
I would be using it all year but I can't imagine the weight would be too much of a concern, seeing as the 1000 is lighter than the 800 somehow and both of them come in a similar weight to the 'cat

dudeofrude wrote:Have you done anything to make your seat more comfortable or do you just get used to it?

Yeah I did....... I sold it lol
(to the wife whom I'm sure will be along in a bit to give her two penneth on the 3 Z's she's owned)

That seems like a silly solution because surely it's still causing a pain in your ass ;-) haha

Never tried a Z1000 so I can't do a direct comparison, but I did have a test ride on a Z800 soon after it came out and was impressed - very smooth engine, slick gearbox and the suspension seemed well set up to give a decent ride without compromising handling. But it reminded me I'm not really into nakeds - I have to have at least some weather protection with something to keep the wind off at progressive cruising speeds. So I ended up with the Fazer8.

Are you looking at new or secondhand? The old V-twin Tuono is a pretty awesome machine, and they are very well put together. A mate has just gone over 100,000 miles on his Falco (same thing with a top fairing). And before the Fazer I had a Shiver GT, which I loved - lots of character and very comfy, but even with its mini top fairing it didn't have quite enough weather protection to be a proper all-rounder for me. But you do get a lot of bike for the money with the Aprilia V-twins.

I'm looking at either pre reg or nearly new. Nearly new would be best, something that's had the first few services out the way.
Although I've never tried the Aprilias, I've not been keen on the twins, I'm an IL4 man, can't beat that top end rush haha

I've owned three Zed's and test ridden the 800. It's a no brainer - you'd get bored of the 800 quite quickly.

Really? Even coming from a thundercat? haha
Another tick in the z1000 box is the fact they do the sx version which I really like. And there's the option for hard luggage if I ever decide to go further afield.
I'm still struggling to get a test ride on one though. I'm hoping they're letting them out at the MC Live next week

Got to be the thou every time!

I loved my Z but after just sitting on the SX knew the touring version wasn't for me, we all like different styles though.

I think the SX version is a rather different animal.

I've actually had two test rides on it. The first was just after it came out, and I wasn't impressed - it felt heavy, with vague handling, and the power delivery wasn't very enthusiastic either. Then I rode the current one earlier this year (OnYerBike near Aylesbury has/had a demonstrator, but that's probably not a lot of help!) as a possible replacement for my Fazer8.

It was a lot nicer than the earlier one, with a more refined feel to it. Supple suspension without being too bouncy, better, lighter handling on dodgy roads and nice smooth power delivery with plenty from low-down (they say the Versys 1000, which has much the same engine, is even gruntier low down, but that's not my style of bike at all). Can't see why it needs those heavy cans on both sides, though - it's going to cost whichever side you drop it! For me it didn't fire me up enough to want to fork out (or rather pay the instalments on) about five grand to do the swap. But it's certainly a good all-rounder, as a kind of upright sports-tourer, particularly if you carry a passenger when its weight would be less noticeable, and I can see why it's one of Kawasaki's top sellers.

At the same time I also looked at a secondhand Honda VFR1200. A mate had one, and loved it (apart from the short tank range) before he stuffed it into a tree in the Pyrenees. Top quality, shaft drive, and they seem to be, relatively, cheap. But the weight put me off - even just manhandling it around the car park was enough - I didn't even bother to test ride it. Excess weight, and the way that weight is often carried high up, is the Achilles heel of quite a few otherwise desirable bikes as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks Bob, very informative I did once consider the vfr 800 but the new one is hideous and finding a low mileage older shape one is neigh on impossible.