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Ponderings
Blog Date January 2025
So with the Z400 a write off I find myself once again looking for another motorcycle. I don't really want to look because I was not ready to be looking, I was perfectly happy with what I had. However I no longer have what a had so yeah... better start looking.
Nothing new appears to be on the scene which is no surprise considering it is just over a year since my last motorcycle search. My ponderings are;
Do I get another second hand Z400 but in the knowledge that it's extremely unlikely I'll find another mint condition one. Let alone another mint condition performance model. I look at lots of "for sale" advertisements. It surprises me how damaged a bike can be even when there are not many miles on it. I don't see anything I like and this doesn't come as a shock. Every Z400 I see feels like a downgrade from what I had. I can't even replace it with a new one because Kawasaki stopped production of the Z400 in 2023. They replaced the Z400 with the Z500.
My 400 was in almost perfect condition.
The Z500 has a 451cc parallel twin engine, so arguably it should have been called a Z450 but hey ho - in a world where bigger seems to be better, present company excepted, then of course you are going to call it a 500. I am told by the local Kawasaki sales guy the Z500 has more torque available slightly lower in its rev range. He has owned both the Z400 and the Z500 and in his opinion the step up is worth it.
I doubt I need to go into all the details here about the Z500 statics in detail. As BAT readers you are all on the web and I am sure you can all use a search engine to find out all the stats you may want about the Z500. I compared the two bikes on paper and read the reviews. After such research I concluded that I now had another bike to look at, that being the Kawasaki Z500.
The Z500 comes in three models. The standard model, the SE model and the performance SE model. The price rises with each type. So do I throw lots of cash at the problem and upgrade to a brand new Z500? If I do get a new Z500 do I throw even more money at the problem and buy the performance model because after all my Z400 was the performance model and you know I don't really want to feel cheated out of that... and so on. I feel my brain and bank balance begin to leak.
The 2025 Kawasaki Z500 has an asking price of £5,699.
The Z500 SE is £6,049
The Z500 Performance is £6,449
Kawasaki were at the time I was looking at the Z500 range offering 0% finance on these bikes. However, I had only paid £3,600 for the Z400 so this price increase was a bit of a stretch.
The insurance paid out 4K for the Z400. This actually equates to a loss for me as the Z400 had around 1k of accessories added onto the bike (crash bars, luggage etc). If I had been claiming off my own insurance these accessories would have been covered. However, because I was claiming from the third party's insurance, the accessories were not covered in the value of the bike. I would need to claim these as part of the separate personal injury claim.
Did I tell you I hate insurance companies? They make everything as complicated and a stressful for you as possible. The whole insurance fiasco is another story that may be told on another day. For now, let's get on with looking at buying a motorbike.
Eventually I do see a bike that interests me. It is for a Kawasaki Z500 SE performance model. It is a 2024 model with 358 miles on the clock. The asking price is £4995. However the dealership Greenham's Kawasaki is in Berkshire so it's not a case of just popping down to have a look at it.
I continue to look at other possibilities, however nothing else seems to interest me.
Finally after a week has passed I gather enough courage to actually phone the dealership to make further enquiries about the Z500 performance they have for sale.
The accident has affected my confidence in more ways than one, I seem to be more anxious than I was prior to the accident and I'm not sure why that is. One possibility is the post-concussion symptoms combined with having to deal with the ***** regarding the insurance claim. This may well have reduced me to the version of myself that I currently don't really recognise.
Fortunately the salesperson that I speak to, Josh, could have not been more pleasant. He answers all my queries about the bike and even sends me a video of the bike. Josh is not a high pressure salesman at all and that leaves me feeling very comfortable to be able to call back again when I had further queries regarding the bike, including the cost of delivering the bike to my home address.
The bike is an "assets" bike. Josh explained this was a bike given to a manager at Kawasaki for free. These bikes are usually kept for a few months to a year and then sold at auctions, with dealerships bidding on these bikes for resale. I do a little research on Greenham Kawasaki and they have an excellent reputation so I decide to buy the Kawasaki Z500 performance from them. Rather than collecting it myself they will deliver for £150 so delivery is scheduled for 30/01/025.
My friends are disappointed when I tell them about the new bike's arrival because I don't appear excited. I'm not excited I'm just doing the do, replacing what I didn't want to lose with something else. It just doesn't feel great to me. I know it may appear strange. However one friend who's had a bike stolen, understands me and my lack of joy. He felt the same. The forced replacement of a loss is not the same as a free choice to buy something new. It leaves you a little hollow.
30/01/2025
New bike day arrives. I book the morning off work. The bike is to delivered by Martin. A large van emblazoned with KAWASAKI branding everywhere turns up at the appointed time. I now defy any of my neighbours not to guess what's being delivered to my house. Martin rides the bike out of the van and into my back garden. And there it stands in all it's clean and shiny glory.
A really lovely bike I can see that.
Quick demo is provided by Martin demonstrating everything working as it should, and the bike is given a once over by me. A cup of tea for Martin follows, poor guy was on the road since 6:30am to get here, and then the required paperwork is completed. Martin pops the bike into the garage for me and that's it I am now the owner of a new Kawasaki Z500 SE performance. Am I a proud owner? Well it's a good looking bike, those wheels in green look lovely, while I ponder the bike and the whole situation I just pull the garage door shut.
See ya
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Reader's Comments
Bogger said :-
That looks dead smart Sharon.
As soon as you can just take it for a ride, don't leave it in the shed.
I reckon after a couple of weeks riding you'll be fine.
When I got knocked off my scooter 18 months ago it really, really p****d me off and I was very wary of the traffic around me for a couple of weeks.
As I say just get back on it. It's too nice a bike to languish in a shed.
Bogger
27/02/2025 08:35:07 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nice, that Kawasaki green looks blummin lovely.
A Z4 with more bang, what's not to like.
Enjoy Sharon.
Upt.
27/02/2025 09:00:00 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Great looking bike Sharon.
Take your time, it is not the same bike as the z400 and all bikes feel a little different.
Once you are comfortable on the new bike, WILL REN BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?????
27/02/2025 10:28:19 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
FYI. The Z500 actually puts out the same 44bhp as the 400 - but lower in the revs and the motor is less revvy too.
Considering my 500 is 47bhp BUT is (with accoutrements) about 20-25kg heavier AND I'm 30kg heavier than Sharon - Sharon's setup must surely be quicker. Will I be able to keep up? Yes - but I'll be leaning heavily on my greater experience and one other simple but important advantage.
I know where I'm going.
As such it'll be hard for Sharon who a) hates being in front and b) defers to my sense of direction - to be "leaving me behind".
I am aware now that through a set of nadgery bends I'm no longer waiting for her to catch up, rather I'm just gaining a meter here and a meter there. Sharon will never claim to be FAST nor does she want to be. She desires and has achieved competency, being comfortable and in control.
I once foolishly suggested "If you push the bike like this, move in the seat like that etc etc you'd be quicker through that bend".
"I don't want to be quicker, I'm happy with my speed. I want to enjoy my riding".
You cannot argue with such pure simple logic because she's absolutely right.
27/02/2025 11:35:25 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Ren, My comment was of course made in jest, as each of the bikes are capable of three figure speeds, which I believe you do not use as this would be illegal.
Sharon's comment of not wanting to be quicker resonates with the comments my wife used to make.
I use the past tense as she has only been out on her bike on one occasion, and pillion on one occasion in the last 7 months.
I am wondering if I have left the two up touring trips in the past.
27/02/2025 12:01:05 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Looks great Sharon, well done. Is it not possible to get the accessories from your crashed bike from the insurance company, especially as they've not paid for them? But I completely understand your feelings about said companies having been shafted myself last year when I had 2 bikes stolen in the same incident but they insisted on treating it as 2 separate claims.
"Nadgery" Ren - now there's a word you don't hear (or read) often.
27/02/2025 12:07:33 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
We certainly try to keep within the confines of the law ROD so the top speed of these bikes is unlikely to be explored. Unless... unless we can get to The Isle of Man or Germany. When it comes to motorways then Sharon is definitely slowed up by myself. I'm happy to cruise along at 55-60 whereas Sharon wants to do 70 all day long. We tend to compromise at the 65 mark give or take.
Ian - the insurance is complicated apparently. One would naturally assume there's "the bike" which includes the bike, the top box, the screen etc etc etc. According to the plonkers Sharon has been dealing with "the bike" is the bike on it's own, not the add-ons attached to it. The insurance pays out on "the bike" as in the replacement cost of replacing a Z400 with a similar milage and condition Z400 - but not the accessories and add ons. This makes zero sense to me.
Apparently, allegedly you then go after the cost of the accessories as part of the (get this) uninsured losses? So there's the pain and suffering, any other losses like travel to get home, recovery etc, and then the accessories that were with the bike, oh and any damaged kit like helmet and gloves. I am still not entirely convinced this is correct and I'm wondering if someone's trying to pull the wool over Sharon's eyes.
She's got a legal team on the job. That being said we're not entirely convinced they know what they're doing either.
As for getting the bits of Sharon's old bike. "Either buy the whole bike back or not at all". Sharon has neither the will power nor space to store the old bike.
27/02/2025 15:02:19 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
So if they've only paid out for the bike, what right do they have to keep the accessories, which don't actually belong to them? Would be my question anyway.
27/02/2025 16:29:37 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Lord only knows Ian.
27/02/2025 18:08:09 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I used to believe there were only two certainties in life....death and taxes.
But on reflection, I can concur, insurance companies being a PITA makes three.
It is so decreed.
Even more reason to employ the best law firm you can find.
Upt.
27/02/2025 18:46:52 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Might be worth a claim using the small claims procedure, though I accept that both of you probably just want to move on. It actually looks like a clear case of theft to me....
https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money...
28/02/2025 13:04:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
We're hoping it won't come to that Ian...
03/03/2025 10:31:21 UTC
Sharon said :-
Thanks to you all for saying the Z500 looks good. Even you said so Ian, and I know this type of bike is not your thing, so I appreciate that you are made the effort to encourage me to like the new bike a bit more.
The personal/injury/ bike gear/bike accessories part of the claim is still ongoing. I rejected the first pred medical offer so we shall see in time if that was a good or bad decision.
I have been out on the bike you will be glad to hear. I will update in a future blog. But for now once again thanks for the encouragement.
06/03/2025 18:41:45 UTC
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