A couple weeks ago, I took a 400 mile road trip on my 2019 Z650 from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles. I split the trip into two days and stuck to the coastal route, mainly Highway 1 and auxiliary freeways (Highway 101, etc). For those who don’t know, Highway 1 is one of those iconic coastal roads you see in a lot of commercials, films, and other media. It’s famous for its twisty roads for which much of it is sandwiched between misty mountain sides and beautiful blue ocean sometimes with a side of forestry and lush green scape.
A lot of people would probably say a proper touring bike with a windshield would be the way to go for this type of trip. After riding the full 400 miles, I’m inclined to say the Z650 is actually perfectly well-suited for the job. During the two day trip, I took breaks every 1 or 2 hours so my back/butt was fresh for the day-long rides. It helps that the Z650 has a very natural upright seating position. I shudder to think what the ride would be like on a Ninja!
In terms of power, I thought the 650 was more than fine. I was able to cruise fast and pass with ease on the highway sections. The size of the Z650, as opposed to larger touring bikes, was also perfect as I was able to filter and weave through traffic like magic.
I would say the only aspect that a full touring bike would have helped was in the windshield department. Now, I didn’t have an issue for most of the ride but whenever I rode at speeds higher than 75 was when the wind buffeting became a bit annoying. For most the way, it wasn’t an issue but for the long boring sections of straight highway where you kind of want to just get it over with, a touring bike could’ve helped. I’ve dealt with this plenty over the course of the 5000 miles I’ve put on this bike though so I’m used to it.
Overall, I’d recommend the ride for anyone who has the opportunity. All I had with me was a backpack with some road repair kits and a fresh tune-up before the ride. It’s an amazing experience being able to ride freely with the ocean breeze in your face, surrounded by 360 degrees of pure natural beauty.
For anyone that’s interested, here is a POV video of my favorite section of the ride:
A lot of people would probably say a proper touring bike with a windshield would be the way to go for this type of trip. After riding the full 400 miles, I’m inclined to say the Z650 is actually perfectly well-suited for the job. During the two day trip, I took breaks every 1 or 2 hours so my back/butt was fresh for the day-long rides. It helps that the Z650 has a very natural upright seating position. I shudder to think what the ride would be like on a Ninja!
In terms of power, I thought the 650 was more than fine. I was able to cruise fast and pass with ease on the highway sections. The size of the Z650, as opposed to larger touring bikes, was also perfect as I was able to filter and weave through traffic like magic.
I would say the only aspect that a full touring bike would have helped was in the windshield department. Now, I didn’t have an issue for most of the ride but whenever I rode at speeds higher than 75 was when the wind buffeting became a bit annoying. For most the way, it wasn’t an issue but for the long boring sections of straight highway where you kind of want to just get it over with, a touring bike could’ve helped. I’ve dealt with this plenty over the course of the 5000 miles I’ve put on this bike though so I’m used to it.
Overall, I’d recommend the ride for anyone who has the opportunity. All I had with me was a backpack with some road repair kits and a fresh tune-up before the ride. It’s an amazing experience being able to ride freely with the ocean breeze in your face, surrounded by 360 degrees of pure natural beauty.
For anyone that’s interested, here is a POV video of my favorite section of the ride:
