Z800 Thoughts?

These are a nice looking bit of kit. About $12,500 and 113hp out of the box.
Are the days of the Bandit numbered when the opposition are turning out modern up to date bikes for similar money?
http://www.bikesales.com.au/news/2012/road/kawasaki/2013-kawasaki-z800-breaks-cover-32302

17l tank and a skinny looking seat not what you call appealing for a touring bike.

Never been a fan of kawasaki myself so not really pressing my buttons.

Very Ninja Turtle/Transformer-ish if you're into that sort of thing, I'm a bit too old myself.

That extra kink in the headers, it seems to be more about style than function, I wonder if the extra bends and length aids or detracts from performance ?

They are no way a touring bike.

The z750 was a heavy bike, so hopefully they'll trim some weight off it as well. I'll have a GSR750 over that

The tyres look nice, everything else has been hit with the ugly stick twice IMHO .

Now the z900 was art ,thats just wrong from every angle to my old eyes .

too fussy and angular for my tastes, nothing seems to flow.

do like the instrumentation tho.

I'd take the 1400GTR over that, that bike just doesn't look right.

i don`t mind the look, very street fighter look,which i like

just lacks a bit of torque

has adjustable suspension to,which is good,bandit doesn`t

I don't mind the look, the mirrors make it look a bit like a Praying Mantis though. Ditch that ridiculous looking can and the bent headers for a trick system and I reckon you'd have a nice bike for the twisties.

I don't mind the look (but then the Z1000 is one of my favourite bikes with similar Kwaka odd angles - just thought I'd put the pic here as well ). But my first thoughts are that I'd like more than 800cc (it's anachronistic that I then like the VFR800!). I'd certainly test ride one if I was looking for a new bike (as opposed to a 2nd bike - although maybe something like that would actually be an attractive 2nd bike proposition if cash wasn't an issue). Maybe I'm just confused.

It seems to be following the modern trend in design to me & I think the 800 format could have its place for some circumstances. maybe more in competition with the triumph street triple / 800 yammy etc.& the like than with the Bandit IMO.

Gawd thats all kinds of ugly.

I like it but all the new exhausts look shit. check out the MV Augusta F3 & F4. The only thing bad about them is the small tank capacity.

its all to common ..the small tank thing, i mean, why would you put a 17 on a B-King..what kind of dumb shit idea is that!

There is little doubt Kawa has the capacity to polarise opinions on style.

Personally I like it but unsure of the dash and I love Ewok's dream Z1000.

Just putting it out there that if someone had 12k to spend on a new bike they have a new choice.