Review: 2024 Kawasaki Z500

Our first date was at the Julian Pie Company in California. We had our “meet cute” in the heart of San Diego only a few days before.

I was in town to become more acquainted with Kawasaki’s latest offering. She was there as a model. The connection was immediate, which is no surprise—Team Green had set us up.

As soon as the event was over, we took off for a weekend whirlwind through the mountains.

Once we made it to Julian, she waited patiently as I stuffed my face with a cherry-flavored pastry, silently urging me with her gaze to get back on the road. We’d spent all day riding, from the city limits into the windy backroads up SR 79.

The temps were mild—comfortable in the sun and cool on the throttle. Nothing a light layer under the jacket couldn’t handle. But she didn’t need one, because “she” is a brand new 2024 Z500.