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Sharon's Biking Blog
Michael Finnegan
Blog Date - 6 March 2025
Just as poor old Michael Finnegan had to begin again then so did I.
The new Z500 is here and so begins the ordering and fitting of parts. We have been here before, we're fitting the same parts but now to a slightly different model. The parts have nearly all increased in price just to make me feel more aggrieved about the whole bloody thing.
The Shad top box rack is not in the UK yet. I did check directly with Shad if they were doing a rack for the Z500 and they said it was in production with a release date for the middle of February. True to their word the Shad top box rack came to market in February... in Spain. An enquiry to Shad UK and it appears it will be another 3 weeks before it arrives on our shores. So that means about mid March I reckon. So meanwhile time to crack on with the other parts that I can acquire.
1/2/2025
Fitted lust lowering kit with Ren. The kit is the same one we fitted on the Z400 and lowers the bike by 40mm. However it is now £12 more expensive than a year ago at £87. The fitting was not too bad a job now we know to turn the pegs upside down and then place the upside down pegs on car jack stands. Knowledge is the key to making things easier at times.
Rather than trying to cut the side stand down ourselves this time I invested in an adjustable side stand. As I am not over enthusiastic about doing all this work again so anything that could save us time and effort appealed to me. No need to go through the usual cut a bit of nope not quite right, cut a bit more, not quite right etc etc etc. No need to fear cutting off too much and then having the oh **** moment either.
The adjustable stand was ordered from AVDB Moto, a French motorcycles accessories company and it arrived in less than a week. It is a sturdy piece of kit and well made. Fitting again was quite straightforward and I am very happy with the product, worked a treat. When it was decided that a little more lean was required on the bike we simply had to adjust the position by moving the screw down to the next available hole. The stand was £49 and for me it was well worth it in terms of ease of use and the variable adjustment options.
So today was turning out a good day as far as fitting the parts was going but THEN... I noticed small chip on wheel rim - damn it. Nothing major just a small chip but it is down to the bare metal so it will need sorting. Grrrrr. Oh well that's the first scratch on the bike already without an effort or input on my part.
2/2/2025
This morning we fitted the tank ring for my Givi tank bag. Again this is a easy job, we just have to be careful we don't drop any of the small screws into the petrol tank. This cost £11.50
So two months after the accident I finally rode my new bike for the first time. Only a short ride as I am still sore in places but first bike ride went fine. Nervous at first but feeling better on the return journey. Still not liking other traffic around me though.
14/2/2025
Fitted rear bobbins. These were from R&G and cost £30, very simple to fit.
A Radiator guard was then fitted, another simple job. I got the same one I had on the Z400, the Evotech and this was £56.
Next came the engine bars. Again I got the same brand I had on the Z400, Hepco and Becker. Now because the Z500 is a newish bike, first produced in 2024, getting bike specific parts has not been as easy as they were for the Z400. The crash bars were initially on pre- order so I was not sure how long they would take to arrive. However they ended up only taking around two weeks to arrive. The bars at an ouch price of £193 were £26 more expensive than their Z400 counterpart. It would appear that the newer the model of a motorcycle the higher the prices for any of the parts. Fitting the bars is fiddly. not hard as such but everything needs to be lined up just right.
We finished the fitting today with the quad lock mount at a cost of £58 and protective film for the TFT screen from Eazi Grip at £14. Yes the Z500 has a fancy TFT screen, they look nice but seem to scratch easily. I hate putting film on anything. I usually make a hash of it and get left with annoying bubbles. This went on easy enough - a perfect bubble free adhesion was achieved.
15/2024
Today with a bit of encouragement from Ren I took the Z500 out for another short journey out. I noticed the bike doesn't feel as low as the Z400. It would appear it has a wider seat, so this extra height combined with the extra weight of 5 Kilos means when I tried to back peddle whilst sitting on the bike, I was going nowhere. I was not impressed with this one little bit.
I parted ways with Ren on the way home and felt suddenly nervous riding solo and then I became aware that the bike began to buzz and vibrate at certain RPMs. I was glad to get home and get off my bike. I felt deflated. I just suddenly really wanted Etsuko the Z400 back.
It may only be 5kg heavier but I seem to be feeling every one of those kg and the bike feels too heavy, too high and now it buzzes. I want to love it but right now I'm just not feeling it. It feels likes its becoming a money pit with the cost of all the accessories and whist I didn't resent the cost for the Z400 I am resenting the cost now for the Z500.
I do decide to girl handle the bike into the garage in reverse just so as not to be completely defeated by it.
Where art thou confidence, where art thou love for this bike? I guess some love is instant, and some well hopefully it's just a slow burner.
I call Ren and send him a video of the bike buzzing as I twist the throttle. It appears it is no disaster. Something somewhere is lose, Ren's upbeat about it.
21/2/25
Ren takes the bike for a ride to listen out for the buzzing. He comes back buzzing himself, calling the bike brilliant. He says the bike is great at cornering, you think - it obeys, no having to push it in. He says he was impressed at how smooth it is and it has a fantastic bright headlight. Well it looks like someone at least is feeling the love for the bike.
28/2/25
Fenders extenders are fitted front and rear. Again sticking with what I know and the fender extenders are from Pyramid plastics at a cost of £57 for the pair.
Now I know I said the bike is feeling like a money pit, well I decided in that case in for a penny in for a pound and all that... so I bought something beautiful for the bike to try and show it some love. Puig adjustable levers in the exact same lush colour of green as its wheels. Surprisingly simple to fit and woah I like them a lot! Not only do they look good they feel good in use as well. Function and form all in one err expensive package. £122 but worth it to me.
I decided it was time to take the bike out for a longer ride at last and I had suggested to Ren a trip to Market Drayton. It seemed a good idea the week prior but now on the actual day I just didn't feel like it. Regardless I stuck with the plans because it wasn't fair to renege on them now and off we went.
A ride of 140 miles has taken the bike just over 600miles on the clock now. I have put 250 miles on the bike now and how is it feeling? It is err taking its time. I got frustrated today again with finding it hard trying to paddle the bike about when required and just a general sense of nervousness in situations where there is a lot of traffic. Ren tells me to go easy on myself and I know this deep down to be true. I suspect the bike is a lovely machine, I just don't know how to enjoy it at the moment.
I came across something I had wrote down some time ago and it said
"Confidence isn't about going fast or riding long distances or going to the ends of the earth. Biking confidence is being true to yourself, being happy with your pace and style and not being influenced by any pressure, well meaning or otherwise, to change that. Find your way, your roads, your speed and in that route confidence leads the way. Ps I speak from experience, when I finally got to the point when I could happily respond to a "you know you could have taken that corner faster" with "really well I didn't want to I love my own pace and I feel great riding my way" that was when biking really became a joy to me. Don't chase nothing, just enjoy the ride.
Just enjoy the ride - hmm I want the Z500 to be the Z400 I had lost. it is NOT that bike, it is what it is and I have to just accept this. I want my confidence to be on that high I felt on the Z400 during and after my trip to Spain. It is not at that level, I am on a new bike getting to know it and I have had an accident that has affected my confidence.
I also am dealing at the moment with the terrible news that my sister has pancreatic cancer. I am stressed, I am upset and I am raging at the injustice and the cruelty that can overwhelm us at times in this life. I am storming along hospital corridors to demand the care my sister should be getting when that care is lacking. I am trying to save her in some desperate way when I know already my chances are slim.
I feel my usual ability to deal with life's stresses is currently as broken as Etsuko. I did not break any bones in the accident but it seems it broke my spirit in some way, it definitely broke something in my head and this is all taking time to heal even now.
I am asking a lot of the Z500 to put all this to rights and make me feel better.
I can't chase the confidence and I can't chase the joy. The more I chase it the faster it will run away from me. I need to stop, let it be and let it come gently back to me when it is ready. The Z500 is a beautiful bike, it is in truth no doubt every bit if not better than the Z400. The problem with the bike is me, not it, and I am somewhat broken so it is unfair for me to judge it on my own feelings at the moment. So for now we shall just pass no judgement and just let things be.
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Reader's Comments
nab301 said :-
Hi Sharon , I'm so sorry to hear the bad news about your sister. Your resilience however inspite of all that's happened recently is amazing.
The 500 seems to be shaping up nicely , my favourite mod is the adjustable side stand , the broad seat however is an annoying issue , I'm not sure if it would be possible to modify it somehow?
Nigel
21/03/2025 15:29:42 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, that's really bad news about your sister Sharon. I hope you have better news soon.
As always a beautifully written piece. I'm sure you'll get more comfortable with the new machine as long as you set your own pace as you suggest and I'm sure you do.
I like the adjustable prop stand - looks very handy.
21/03/2025 16:09:53 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Well done for getting on with it Sharon, you're a trooper.....yes you are.
Illness is as crappy as crap on a crap stick, but it is what it is. Crappy.
The STrom buzzed after fitting the engine bars, a fix was required but all peace then returned to Suzuki heaven.
It goes without saying, so I won't.
Upt.
21/03/2025 16:38:06 UTC
Sharon said :-
Thanks everyone for you comments, your kind thoughts are always appreciated.
Nab and Ian,
The adjustable side stand is a nice bit of kit. It not over engineered, it's made to do a job and it does it appears very well. It's nice when something just works as it should.
I have looked for a lower or narrower seat for the Z500 but nothing is available at the moment. Kawasaki do however make a higher seat for it...dooh. Always heading the wrong direction to me then as usual. L
Upt,
So I spent awhile the other day trying to chase down the buzz. Rad guard off, panels off, engine bars loosened and tightened again to correct torque settings and all in vain... Hit 2800rpm and BUUUZZZ.
So Upt you said your engine bars was the issue in your Strom. How did your resolve it?
23/03/2025 08:09:56 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ay up me duck.
I haven't got a clue how yours join up but in the case of my Givi bars they had a connecting bolt in the middle. I did the Google thing and the buzz at 5000 rpm was fairly common, many said they had thrown the Givi's in the bin and bought others. No one seemed to have fixed it.
The original fitment was just a bolt and some useless rubber o'rings, I updated those with plumbing fittings for the rubbers, a spacer to prevent the bars pulling together too much, a lock nut again to prevent the necessity to over tighten and put it all back together. The buzz was no more. I suspect if yours join in the middle then this may be the cause.
I know it's a pain the butt, but, maybe remove the bars, ride it and see if it goes away. If so address the joint if you've got one. If there is a central joint post a piccie, it might help us.
Good luck.
Keep smilin.
Upt.
23/03/2025 10:07:25 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
And together, you can see the Mira shower washers don't flatten too much unlike the o'rings which just squashed and ripped. The central spacer also keeps the bars slightly apart.
I've just looked on ebay for your bars and there does appear to be a central unbolted joint. If so I suspect you need this to be a more dampened joint. The washers may help. Heatshrink wrap over the inserted parts?
23/03/2025 10:29:37 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I've been thinkin, yes I know I shouldn't.
I really shouldn't.
If there is just a slot in metal joiner/spacer, why not replace it all with a rubber replacement. Again thinkin......two rubber door stops or similar with a larger rubber washer in the middle. Put a bolt through the middle of the door stops or other rubber accoutrements and Robert's your father's brother.
I bet Eds got loads of strange rubber stuff, he probably wears most of it!
Upt.
I'm going to stop thinking now, I've got duck to cook, oh the glamour.
23/03/2025 18:49:10 UTC
Sharon said :-
Thanks Upt,
Appreciate your insight and ideas.
Ren is not keen, not keen at all about removing the engine bars. They were a bit of a pig to get on but you know needs must.
I am also including here and image of the new Puig levers because despite me including them in my update Eds failed in his role and didn't include them.
He can make it up to us all by fixing my buzzy bars.
28/03/2025 00:15:39 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Well thank you very much Upt'! You've landed me in a whole heap of poop now.
The left side engine bar comes away easily enough. The right side on both the 400 and the 500 was a "right pain in the derriere". The front bolt on both bikes feels like it's threaded. I now suspect Kwak were having some kind of rattling loose issue and drowned them in loctite.
I shall remove the left side and see what happens to the buzzz... I ain't touching the right side if I can help it.
28/03/2025 08:01:40 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I appreciate Ed's viewpoint, but it's gotta be done.
But ride it without them on and see if it goes away. It's the only way forward. At least then you'll know the area to be addressed. I think more flexibility and isolation from side to side is required.
It would seem from Google searches the problem is widespread to many bikes, perhaps the bars just clamp the engine mounts up too tight removing any flexibility that is built in by the manufacturers. Then the otherwise absent vibes have to go somewhere, mainly into Sharon.
Thinking again, IF it is the bars, what about a piece of quite robust but still flexible rubber pipe inserted into both ends with a rubber washer in the middle separating the metal ends of the bars. The pipe would need to be a sliding fit, not too tight.
Good luck, he'll need lots of monkey tea.
Bless.
28/03/2025 08:04:59 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Just seen, you've posted Ed, good luck me o'd mucka. If I'm right, never happens, I can't see why you need to remove both.
28/03/2025 08:06:41 UTC
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