Bike Review | 2024 Kawasaki Z500 LAMS Nakedbike

This Kawasaki Z500 is the third bike I’ve tested recently with the same 451cc parallel-twin, the first was the Eliminator, then the Ninja 500 and now this Z500, which to be honest was the bike I was most looking forward to riding, mainly because I love nakedbikes….

Pommie generally tests the big cc high power bikes for us, but really enjoyed the small bike and the agility. The Z500 is great for the new rider, or the experienced rider after a fun commuter that is a blast on weekends.

After doing a straight swap for the Ninja 500, I knew I was going to have a blast on the Z500 because I’d really enjoyed my two weeks on the Ninja and was surprised by how much fun it was to ride a small capacity LAMS bike. I had also been impressed by the Eliminator SE and knew the engine was great.

2007 Kawasaki Z750.

2007 Kawasaki Z750.

The first bike I ever tested as a motorcycle journalist was the Z750 way back in 2007 for Rapid Bikes Magazine, which I ended up Deputy Editor of. This new Z500 certainly reminds me of that, you can see and feel the Z DNA that has filtered down throughout the years and it brings back a bit of nostalgia for me as that Rapid era was a great time for all involved…

Pommie’s first test for us was for Rapid Bikes Magazine in 2007 on the all-new Z750. This is him, way back when he still had no hair…

In this market where there are plenty of cheap and cheaply made LAMS (Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) bikes available, the Kawasaki Z500 stands out. Cheap is definitely not the right word to describe the Z500, value and quality seem more appropriate. The look of any bike is always in the eye of the beholder, but for me I love the naked aggressive look of the Z500, with its fully exposed engine on display and the modern look of the headlights and shroud, giving the bike a purposeful stance.

Powered by the same parallel twin as the Ninja 500 and Eliminator, the Z500 is the lightest of the trio and the most lively.

Read our History of the Kawasaki Zed, New York Steak, here…

The DNA

The Z500 shares pretty much everything with the Ninja 500, which is a good thing. The dash for example is an LED unit which has a black background and is simple but easy to read and has all the functions you really need, such as speed, revs, gear indicator, current time and trip, along with a fuel indicator, fuel range and smartphone connectivity.

Very light clutch action.

Fantastic brake feel.

Basic switchgear!

The mirrors get a bit buzzy at highway speeds.

Like with the Ninja there’s an SE model available that gets you a TFT dash, USB-C outlet, smoked screen, belly-pan, pillion cowl, tank pad, knee pads, frame sliders and radiator screen and all for only an extra $927 ex Sydney so that’s a bargain in my book. You can buy the Z500 in only two colours, this one I have in Metallic Spark Black/Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Gray, if you go for the Special Edition (SE) model you get one colour option the Candy Persimmon Red/Metallic Flat Spark Black.

One of the highlights of the Z500 is its weight, or lack of it, at only 167kg fully fuelled it’s a breeze to chuck around, which will be a great benefit to new LAMS riders or shorter people and with a seat height of 785mm, it’s not excessively tall. When I sit on the bike the seating position is perfect for me, like I said before I’m a huge nakedbike fan so I’m at home in the more upright position and even though it’s a relatively small bike there’s plenty of room in the cockpit to move around.

The Z500 looks great, but would look and sound even better with a slip-on muffler to add to that engaging ride.

The Ride

Once I’d put my gear on, I hit the start button and I’m greeted by the now familiar parallel-twin 451cc engine springing into life. Like pretty much every bike, those Euro5 emissions people have stifled the sound that would otherwise be a joy to hear, but I’m left with a rather muted tone and I’m thinking that if I owned the bike, I’d be unleashing some decibels.

“If I owned the bike, I’d be unleashing some decibels”…

With the bike warmed up, I pull in the super light action clutch (one finger pull in is easy), select first gear and I’m off up the road. My first thoughts are that the bike feels unbelievably light and agile, as I knew it would be after just stepping off the Ninja 500, but the Z500 feels even more so, with the wider ‘bars and not as much weight over the front-end.

Tony reports great feel and agility through the twisties, and no issue keeping up with bigger bikes through the hills.

When I get up on the highway I can tell instantly that the Z500 has more vibration through the ‘bars than the Ninja did. The mirrors really get a bit blurry while I’m cruising along and if I hold the mirror while riding I can really feel it buzzing. Luckily the vibration felt through the ‘bars are not bad enough to be annoying and also smooth out higher in the rev-range. Another benefit of having a small light and narrow bike is lane splitting, I’m pretty sure this pleasure is only for us fully licensed riders, at least here in NSW, but the Z500 is perfect for carving through traffic.

“It’s super smooth on and off the throttle and makes not only town riding a breeze, but also fast riding on twisty roads”…

The bikes fuelling also aids the riding experience and Kawasaki have got it pretty well sorted, it’s super smooth on and off the throttle and makes not only town riding a breeze, but also fast riding on twisty roads. Talking about riding on twisty roads, this bike really shines in this environment and is so much fun to ride, with a good rider the little Z500 is a real corner carver, it has good ground clearance too.

The wide ‘bars speed up the steering, but there are some jolts up the spine from the shock.

The suspension, although basic, in that it’s not adjustable apart from a rear preload, it works pretty well. It’s a good compromise between being sporty enough not to get too unstable when pushed hard, but not too sporty as to be uncomfortable on a long ride. However, with sitting more upright than I was on the Ninja, I did feel more kick in my back from the rear shock if I hit a nasty bump or pothole.