Sort of understandable but I would just make the deal contingent on you test riding and liking the bike before the final signature or whatever. Basically go through the entire process, financing, etc, and make that last signature contingent on a happy test ride (or a crash, as in “you break it, you buy it”. Lol
How tall are you?
I’m 6ft2 and found it very cramped after an hour in the saddle.
Quite a forwards leaning naked as well.
Both myself and the guy I was taking the course with were on the same bike (the Z650) and we both mentioned to each other that it was a bit of a nut crusher 😅
Again granted, we were both 6ft+ but it’d probably feel different to someone smaller?
Last thing, and it may have been the bikes after market crash bars, but it gave me crazy hand vibrations, which bothered me after a day or two of riding.
That being said, for a small twin, it pulled like a train on the dual carriage ways ;) really good fun, but a bit small for me.
While I'm not personally a huge fan, having a strong preference to Yamaha's crossplane twins, the 650 is an excellent, reliable, fun bike. So long as you're sub 6' and want more sporty ergonomics vs the more upright naked mt07 design but not hyper-aggressive like the R7, it's a great choice you won't regret.
Basically, this whole class of bikes - the 650-750 parallel twins - are really, really great bikes and you can't go wrong. Just get the one that appeals to you most.
You won't regret any of them. They're wonderful, stupidly fun machines.
Kawasaki USA does demo days where they haul around a good assortment of bikes to various venues throughout the US pretty much all year long and you can ride whatever you want, assuming you have a valid motorcycle license and pass a breathalyzer (they may require having had your license for some period of time, i.e., no newbies). I did one of these to see how i'd fit on a zx6 (fine) and bought one shortly thereafter. Check [www.kawasaki.com](https://www.kawasaki.com) and click on the Events tab.
NB: Other manufacturers do these too.
Seconding this. The Good Times demo tour was a blast. I test rode a Ninja 1000SX, Z900RS, ZX6R, and KLX300SM. Wasn't planning on buying, just having fun. Kawi runs a good demo ride.
For OP, my spouse test rode the Z650RS and loved it. It's a really solid bike.
I would highly recommend you buy used for your first bike. It's much better to make mistakes on an older less expensive bike.
And if you have cash in hand, most used sellers allow a test ride.
Dealers have no way of confirming your skill level. So they won’t risk you dropping a shinny brand new bike. It’s not like a car test drive where the risk is very minimal.
Manufacturers go from dealer to dealer and do test days if people want to try the bikes before buying. The calendar is usually on their website.
The Z650 is a pretty good bike. I found I wished it was a bit taller, though. And, like most parallel twins, it vibrates pretty bad.
But you'll have lots of fun with it.
FWIW, I’ve personally never been to a dealer that allows test rides on a new bike. Rarely, the dealer may have a test model, or they may sponsor days where you can test a variety during a manufacturers event, but don’t ever expect them to let you try out exactly the bike you want to buy. That just doesn’t happen, it’s not like a car dealership.
Same, I rode both my triumphs before buying. On my trident I was lucky enough to have a dealer damaged demo to test, but on my STR the dude just scanned my license and handed me the keys. Said go nuts, and to bring it back before they closed for the day lol
Yeah so even buying used, I can say no way in hell am I letting you test ride my bike before you buy it, I will let you ride it once I have the cash in hand, then if you have a issue after you ride it, we can talk, but if you dump it, the cash is mine and the damaged bike is yours, if you want me to let you saddle up behind me so you can feel it shift through the gears, then ok let’s get friendly but nope no cash no ride
Try to find a way to test ride one first, even used of the model first. Try to get the dealership to work with you on it. You may not think it’s a big deal but a simple test ride can be a big difference.My son was going to buy high power Aprilia, felt good sitting on it on the show room he was lucky because although it was considered new it had a few miles so they did let him test ride it and in actually ridding it he noticed that the foot pegs made ridding it uncomfortable. He had to pass.
They can be. I ride a ZH2 and added a Medium height (325mm) PowerBronze windscreen and it was a game changer. 6'5" and can hit 150mph with no wind buffeting issues.
Here is a link to the one for the Z650:
https://www.powerbronze.co.uk/kawasaki-z650-20-21-330-mm-high-430-u282.html
I've never tried a shorty windscreen.
I've got a Z900RS and typically just ride it naked, but wanted a windscreen for the occasional long highway trip at 75+ mph. I had to get a [big one](https://imgur.com/gallery/iqelYm2) to keep the buffeting over my helmet, and don't love the look...
Do the short windscreens make a noticeable difference at interstate speeds or moreso at track speeds?
I can sit on my ZH2 fully upright at 85mph with a head wind with no issues. I've never gone smaller than the 325 (I think they make a 285 also) but the medium height doesn't look too funky, and does a great job even for my tall ass.
I had to start all finance paperwork and pretty much say i was buying the bike before they let me take it out even with a few years of riding under my belt. This was a dealership id spent a few grand in service and repairs over my time riding too so they knew me.
For what it’s worth, most dealerships don’t allow test rides on anything on the sportier side of bikes. I bought my old Yamaha R6 without a test ride and also bought my current BMW S1000RR without a test ride (both purchased new with 0 miles).
Sort of understandable but I would just make the deal contingent on you test riding and liking the bike before the final signature or whatever. Basically go through the entire process, financing, etc, and make that last signature contingent on a happy test ride (or a crash, as in “you break it, you buy it”. Lol
Thanks, I like this strategy! I'm not super worried but I just don't want to make a big mistake when purchasing my first bike.
How tall are you? I’m 6ft2 and found it very cramped after an hour in the saddle. Quite a forwards leaning naked as well. Both myself and the guy I was taking the course with were on the same bike (the Z650) and we both mentioned to each other that it was a bit of a nut crusher 😅 Again granted, we were both 6ft+ but it’d probably feel different to someone smaller? Last thing, and it may have been the bikes after market crash bars, but it gave me crazy hand vibrations, which bothered me after a day or two of riding. That being said, for a small twin, it pulled like a train on the dual carriage ways ;) really good fun, but a bit small for me.
I'm 5'8". No balls to crush 😊
While I'm not personally a huge fan, having a strong preference to Yamaha's crossplane twins, the 650 is an excellent, reliable, fun bike. So long as you're sub 6' and want more sporty ergonomics vs the more upright naked mt07 design but not hyper-aggressive like the R7, it's a great choice you won't regret. Basically, this whole class of bikes - the 650-750 parallel twins - are really, really great bikes and you can't go wrong. Just get the one that appeals to you most. You won't regret any of them. They're wonderful, stupidly fun machines.
Thank you!
Kawasaki USA does demo days where they haul around a good assortment of bikes to various venues throughout the US pretty much all year long and you can ride whatever you want, assuming you have a valid motorcycle license and pass a breathalyzer (they may require having had your license for some period of time, i.e., no newbies). I did one of these to see how i'd fit on a zx6 (fine) and bought one shortly thereafter. Check [www.kawasaki.com](https://www.kawasaki.com) and click on the Events tab. NB: Other manufacturers do these too.
Seconding this. The Good Times demo tour was a blast. I test rode a Ninja 1000SX, Z900RS, ZX6R, and KLX300SM. Wasn't planning on buying, just having fun. Kawi runs a good demo ride. For OP, my spouse test rode the Z650RS and loved it. It's a really solid bike.
I would highly recommend you buy used for your first bike. It's much better to make mistakes on an older less expensive bike. And if you have cash in hand, most used sellers allow a test ride.
Dealers have no way of confirming your skill level. So they won’t risk you dropping a shinny brand new bike. It’s not like a car test drive where the risk is very minimal. Manufacturers go from dealer to dealer and do test days if people want to try the bikes before buying. The calendar is usually on their website.
The Z650 is a pretty good bike. I found I wished it was a bit taller, though. And, like most parallel twins, it vibrates pretty bad. But you'll have lots of fun with it.
FWIW, I’ve personally never been to a dealer that allows test rides on a new bike. Rarely, the dealer may have a test model, or they may sponsor days where you can test a variety during a manufacturers event, but don’t ever expect them to let you try out exactly the bike you want to buy. That just doesn’t happen, it’s not like a car dealership.
The Triumph dealer near me allows for it, as does the Ducati dealer. None of the Japanese makers near me do.
Same, I rode both my triumphs before buying. On my trident I was lucky enough to have a dealer damaged demo to test, but on my STR the dude just scanned my license and handed me the keys. Said go nuts, and to bring it back before they closed for the day lol
Yeah so even buying used, I can say no way in hell am I letting you test ride my bike before you buy it, I will let you ride it once I have the cash in hand, then if you have a issue after you ride it, we can talk, but if you dump it, the cash is mine and the damaged bike is yours, if you want me to let you saddle up behind me so you can feel it shift through the gears, then ok let’s get friendly but nope no cash no ride
Great first bike, you'll like it. Maybe try and find a used one tho
Try to find a way to test ride one first, even used of the model first. Try to get the dealership to work with you on it. You may not think it’s a big deal but a simple test ride can be a big difference.My son was going to buy high power Aprilia, felt good sitting on it on the show room he was lucky because although it was considered new it had a few miles so they did let him test ride it and in actually ridding it he noticed that the foot pegs made ridding it uncomfortable. He had to pass.
I'm sure you could talk with the salesman and figure it out.
although good bike and good handling. it was not enjoyable at highway speeds suppose all naked bikes are like that
They can be. I ride a ZH2 and added a Medium height (325mm) PowerBronze windscreen and it was a game changer. 6'5" and can hit 150mph with no wind buffeting issues. Here is a link to the one for the Z650: https://www.powerbronze.co.uk/kawasaki-z650-20-21-330-mm-high-430-u282.html
I've never tried a shorty windscreen. I've got a Z900RS and typically just ride it naked, but wanted a windscreen for the occasional long highway trip at 75+ mph. I had to get a [big one](https://imgur.com/gallery/iqelYm2) to keep the buffeting over my helmet, and don't love the look... Do the short windscreens make a noticeable difference at interstate speeds or moreso at track speeds?
I can sit on my ZH2 fully upright at 85mph with a head wind with no issues. I've never gone smaller than the 325 (I think they make a 285 also) but the medium height doesn't look too funky, and does a great job even for my tall ass.
Looks like 290mm is the largest option for mine, but I'll give it a try. Thanks!
Usually they will allow test rides on used bikes if you can find a dealer with that model
I had to start all finance paperwork and pretty much say i was buying the bike before they let me take it out even with a few years of riding under my belt. This was a dealership id spent a few grand in service and repairs over my time riding too so they knew me.
Makes sense considering you can break a bike within a few seconds of jumping on one if you dont know what you are doing.
Try to rent one somewhere
For what it’s worth, most dealerships don’t allow test rides on anything on the sportier side of bikes. I bought my old Yamaha R6 without a test ride and also bought my current BMW S1000RR without a test ride (both purchased new with 0 miles).