If you're in the market for a big-bore, do-anything, yet affordable naked bike you may be entertaining the idea of Yamaha MT-09 ownership or even more affordable parallel twin offerings like Honda's CB750 Hornet, or Suzuki's GSX-8S, but Kawasaki's Z900 is certainly worthy of your consideration. You see, the Z900 sits somewhere in between the MT-09 and the p-twins pricewise at a smidgeon over $16,000, yet it is as much fun to ride as any of the current crop of competitors.

The Z is a handsome motorcycle and strikes an aggressive silhouette with its high bum and dipped front headlight shroud. Despite its relatively affordable price tag, the fit and finish is what you would expect from Kawasaki - superb!

There's a comfortable reach to the high bars and there isn't a whole lot of pressure on the wrists, which bodes well for long stints in the saddle. However, and I'd like to get my main criticism of the Z out of the way right off the bat, the seat is not equally as comfortable - well for me at least. After not a lot of time on the Z I can feel what appears to be the frame rails of the subframe push on the backs of my thighs and it becomes increasingly noticeable as time rips along. This comes with a caveat however, as you really must keep in mind what the Z900 is all about. It's not a touring motorcycle, it is a thing to be played with, to have fun on, and in that regard, well, it's right on the money.

The Z bucks the parallel twin trend that's infusing itself in the motorcycling world and runs a grunty 948cc inline four-cylinder engine. This is not a screamer of an inline four, although it absolutely howls in the upper rev range. Its best power (92.2kW / 123.6hp) is made at 9500rpm with torque maxing out at 98.6Nm at 7700rpm. Gearing helps the feeling of low-down grunt and so the Z is supremely punchy off the bottom.

Now, the MT-09 has earned a well-deserved reputation for low-down wheelstand-ripping grunt, but the Z is a match for the MT in this regard, and the thing will loft the front wheel and park itself on the back wheel with ease for as long as the closed circuit road you're riding on and your skill level will allow - or so I'm told.

Suspension duties are handled by a 41mm USD fork with rebound and preload adjustability on the front, while at the back is a horizontally positioned monoshock with rebound and preload adjustability as well.

The ride is smooth and measured - a comfortable ride and it's not until you really start pushing the Z that the suspension shows any sign of not being on-the-money. I noticed a tendency to understeer out of corners, but a bit more preload on the bum to compensate for my generous man-proportions sorted it nicely.

Pulling the 212kg (claimed wet weight) package up is a set of radial-mount Nissin calipers on the front and a single-piston caliper on the rear. Initial bite from the front stoppers is good, however the power isn't as on point. I would bet serious money that this is simply down to Kawasaki's adherence to the idea that rubber brake lines are still a good idea, so I would whip in to your local store and order a set of braided lines ASAP - that will sort it nicely!

While I'm whinging, and this is not really a slight at the bike itself, the Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres fitted standard are, to put it mildly, not my favourite. They take quite a while to warm up and until they do, they are not to be trusted. Make a not to order nice sticky rubber when you order your braided lines.

Thankfully Kawasaki's suite of electronics has your back. Cornering traction control and ABS are there, as is a slip and assist clutch, ride modes including a customisable Rider mode that lets you fiddle with the bike's settings including turning traction and wheelie control off, and there's a sweet quickshifter that lets you mash through the six-speed gearbox with fluidity.

Cruise control is also standard and all the info you could ever need is beamed to your eyeballs via a neat and easy-to-navigate TFT dash with phone connectivity via Kawasaki's Rideology app.

Against its peers, I'm surprised the Z900 doesn't grab more attention - it certainly deserves to. It's as fun as any of its rivals and that's why we ride in the first place, isn't it. It's a great first step for those stepping into a bigger bike and its weight and relatively low 830mm seat height make it a really accessible ride. It's also quite slim and feels quite small in general without being cramped.

With one of the sweetest engines in the class, a fantastic price point and the excellent build quality that we've come to expect from Kawasaki, it's only a matter of time before the Z900 is on more people's radar, I reckon - and so it should be.