ZR750 Zephyr - early 90s?

[NinjaNanna]

Hi All

I'm very seriously considering one of these as my next bike.

Haven't found much in the way of faults on the net - but thought I'd ask you lot as it seems from a search as few of you have had them.

So what should I know - good and bad please.

Cheers
NN

PS my riding is primarily long weekend rides away cruising at around 120 and averaging around 500-600kms per day.

I'm 6'3"

Specific bike I'm looking at has 93,000 kms on the clock

[JimO]

i had one, no faults that i remember, went ok wont set the world on fire but good bike might be a bit cramped for you..........http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/jim157/DSC01404.jpg

[AllanB]

There is always the big brother!

Really nice bikes - I almost got one new may moons back.

Personally I prefer the NZ model that had the wire spoke wheels - Jap imports have alloy mags.

At those kms you may want to consider a camchain replacement if it has not been done, just for piece of mind, otherwise it is a solid old Kawa engine.

[NinjaNanna]

I've kind of got this hankering to ride a bike over it's 100,000km birthday, was thinking with this one if I can get it for the right price it would also be cool to give it a 1st birthday if you like after the 100k with new paint, cam chain, valve clearances, carb sync, seat recover basically a nice tidy up and mechanical reset.

We had its baby brother the ZR250 Balius for a while as a learner bike for my wife, it wasn't too bad size wise so hopefully the 750 should be good. I don't really like the idea of going to the 1100 - and isn't it the same frame just a bigger motor???

I was thinking that a naked old oil cooled 750 IL4 should be just about perfect for the type of riding that I SHOULD be doing, cruising at 120km with the occassional short lived blip of the throttle.

Whilst I was never ticketed on the R1 or the older ZX9, it was truely good luck rather than good management (though the radar dectector did help)

[Tink]

Hi All

I'm very seriously considering one of these as my next bike.

Haven't found much in the way of faults on the net - but thought I'd ask you lot as it seems from a search as few of you have had them.

So what should I know - good and bad please.

Cheers
NN

PS my riding is primarily long weekend rides away cruising at around 120 and averaging around 500-600kms per day.

I'm 6'3"

Specific bike I'm looking at has 93,000 kms on the clock

Hi we have the handbook for the Zephyr if ya do look at getting one, partner had the 400, and it was 1996 I think, good bike!

[Maha]

MKIII is the best ....with venician blinds:Punk:

[NinjaNanna]

Thanks Rocketgal, appreciate the offer.

Cheers
NN

[NinjaNanna]

MKIII is the best ....with vernesion (sp) blinds:Punk:

yeah but don't you think they'd rattle in the wind - I mean 120km/hr is still fast for a venician

[NinjaNanna]

Thought I'd update this thread, whilst I was working in Oz, I ended up buying the Zephyr site unseen, though a friend went and checked it out for me and I also paid a mechanic to check it over. The next few months took forever to pass and I was most keen to see it when we returned.

First impressions were wow, this is in better nick than I thought, so that was great, found the key hidden away in the cookie jar by my cousin who had been house sitting for us.

Fired her up, started straight away, jumped on it and straight down to the WOF testing station, 15mins later, sweet wof issued, over to VTNZ to re-license it. Done off on the ATNR (Auckland Thursday Night Ride). We'd only been back in the country 4hrs and I'm riding my new girl with a smile on my face.

Well now to the bike, I must say I'm very happy with it, it fullfilled every hope that I had. Its comfortable to ride, zippy, light and above all keeps me honest in terms of speed. As a bonus it was cheap so I no longer feel guilty when its sitting in the garage not getting used and insurance is cheaper. It will also be cheaper to maintain being a simple, naked, oil cooled bike.

This coming weekend will be its first big ride as we head north for the Northern Exposure Tour organised by the QKs over the Auckland Anniversary long weekend. I'm very excited and looking forward to carving a few corners.

The one thing I'm a little disapointed in though is the overall gearing of the bike, it only has a 5 speed gearbox, which is geared just a bit to low, 120km/hr sees the motor reving at 7000rpm

this was wrong it does 6000rpm at 120km/hr, this is a little high for my liking seeing as redline is at 10,000rpm. I'm fairly confident that changing the front sproket from a 15t to a 17t will resolve this. I'd love to do this but the advice I've had is that I'd probably need to replace the chain at the same time as there probably wouldn't be enough slack available in the old chain, this then leads to replacing the rear sprocket as well, as it'd be silly to replace the chain and front sprocket without doing the rear.

Looking on the bright side though, the gearing does a wonderful job of preserving my license, which was one of the things I was looking for in a bike, though on the down side I'm apprehensive about being able to keep up with group rides that tend to cruise at around the 120km/hr.

Regardless I'm very, very happy with this bike, for me its returned my enthusiasism for riding which I'd lost during my stint on the R1 a bike which I never managed to gel with.

[blackdog]

7krpm @ 120kmh seems a little excessive. maybe it has been geared down in the past for better acceleration?

[NinjaNanna]

7krpm @ 120kmh seems a little excessive. maybe it has been geared down in the past for better acceleration?

I just typed the numbers into a gearing calc that I downloaded and it appears you're right, based on standard tooth count it should do 146km @7,000 rpm.

I think I'd better go home and count some teeth.

[NinjaNanna]

7krpm @ 120kmh seems a little excessive. maybe it has been geared down in the past for better acceleration?

Woops got this wrong, its actually not as bad as I thought, in 5th gear (top)

5000 rpm = 100 km/hr
6000 rpm = 120 km/hr
7000 rpm = 140 km/hr

I'm now entirely chuffed with the bike, walk home speeds and the bikes running at peak torque and only 70% of its capacity.

That'll do me just nice thankyou.

Oh yeah for prosperity and others looking for info on these bikes in years to come here are some links I've found:

http://www.agrisoft-systems.de/kawasaki/techspec_1_0.htm
http://jarlef.no/Kawasaki/Other/Teck/teck-zr.htm
http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/model_years/2806-kawasaki-1992-zephyr-750-ZR750-C2/assemblies/82578

[AllanB]

Excellent - I though you'd be happy with it as they are a really fine ride. And they still preserve some of the Kawaka character that is getting lost on the super sport models year after year.

I am in my mid 40's and to my eye it is a classic shape and will look good for decades, unlike the current crop of plastics. I do wonder if young riders think the 'older' naked styles look odd as they are used to fully covered bikes.

[NinjaNanna]

Its odd isn't it, there is such a thing as that intangible Kwaka character.

My first bike was a Kwaka ZZR250, then came 2 Honda VFRs, then a Kwaka ZX9, then we got a Kwaka ZR250, then I got the Yamaha R1, now the Kwaka ZR750. I can honestly say I've enjoyed riding all of the Kwaka's but never really cared much about the Honda's and the Yamaha. Don't really understand why as they were all much newer than the Kwaka's and lovely bikes to look at - but to ride they were like blahh.

I guess it could be that the non Kwaka's were all newish and expensive bikes, maybe this tainted my preceptions, I don't really know for sure.

[Gibbo89]

I do wonder if young riders think the 'older' naked styles look odd as they are used to fully covered bikes.

There is a zr750 currently at Just Motorcycles for sale, being a young fulla I reckon it looks cool. It looked quite pricey I thought, but in saying that it looked really tidy and it had friggin low k's.

It looks like a Balius I was going to get before a dealer in Chch here jewed me.

It's good that your enjoying that bike so much when you have hopped on things a lot faster with better technology.

p.s does it get overheated in rush hour traffic? Not being water cooled etc...

[NinjaNanna]

There is a zr750 currently at Just Motorcycles for sale, being a young fulla I reckon it looks cool. It looked quite pricey I thought, but in saying that it looked really tidy and it had friggin low k's.

It looks like a Balius I was going to get before a dealer in Chch here jewed me.

It's good that your enjoying that bike so much when you have hopped on things a lot faster with better technology.

p.s does it get overheated in rush hour traffic? Not being water cooled etc...

If your in the market for a bike upgrade and you like the Zephyr take a look at this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=348969625 to me that looks like exceptional value provided it checks out.

As for overheating in traffic, I couldn't tell you, I don't use it for commuting, but in all honesty I'd be surprised if it would be a problem

[Gibbo89]

If your in the market for a bike upgrade and you like the Zephyr take a look at this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=348969625 to me that looks like exceptional value provided it checks out.

As for overheating in traffic, I couldn't tell you, I don't use it for commuting, but in all honesty I'd be surprised if it would be a problem


Those 750 bandits are a strange one, they are a bit of everything:


The Bandit 750 was a Japan only model that used parts from both the 600 and 1200 models; the front frame cradle was identical to the 600, the rear subframe was identical to the 1200 with bolt on pillion footpeg handers, the clocks were 1200 items (with the speedo in km/h), including a fuel gauge which was absent from the 600 models of the time. The running gear and suspension were also the same as the 600. The engine, although visually identical to the 600, had a capacity of 748 cc, The carburettors were similar to the 600 apart from jetting, whereas the exhaust was identical to the 1200. Power was a claimed 85 bhp (63 kW). All machines were restricted to 180 km/h (110 mph) to comply with Japanese regulations, but are easily de-restricted to a true maximum speed of 220 km/h (140 mph).

It does look nice though, but I'm a year away from my full so I have plenty of time to become a trademe whore

[JimO]

mine had done 75000ks and i got $2400 for it

[Banditbandit]

Woops got this wrong, its actually not as bad as I thought, in 5th gear (top)

5000 rpm = 100 km/hr
6000 rpm = 120 km/hr
7000 rpm = 140 km/hr

I'm now entirely chuffed with the bike, walk home speeds and the bikes running at peak torque and only 70% of its capacity.

That'll do me just nice thankyou.

Oh yeah for prosperity and others looking for info on these bikes in years to come here are some links I've found:

http://www.agrisoft-systems.de/kawasaki/techspec_1_0.htm
http://jarlef.no/Kawasaki/Other/Teck/teck-zr.htm
http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/model_years/2806-kawasaki-1992-zephyr-750-ZR750-C2/assemblies/82578

This is partly a function of what we are used to with contemporary bikes. The 750 is listed at 68 horses ... which by 21st century standards is low for a 750 ... It's slghtly less than my 650 Bandit ... which has very similar revs/speed as the Zephry ... tho's the Bandit will be going a little faster at those revs .. and it redlines at 12,000 and has six speeds.

Play with the gearing by all means - just remember it's an old bike now ... 15 years old or more ...

[NinjaNanna]

This is partly a function of what we are used to with contemporary bikes. The 750 is listed at 68 horses ... which by 21st century standards is low for a 750 ... It's slghtly less than my 650 bandit ... which has very similar revs/speed as the Zephry ... tho's the Bandit will be going a little faster at those revs .. and it redlines at 12,000 and has six speeds.

Play with the gearing by all means - just rememebr it's an old bike now ... 15 years old or more ...

Yeah its no mavel of engineering, it's only 8 valves for example. But its fun and cheap and when I have the valve clearances checked at its next service (100,000kms) its not going to break the bank.

Now that I've ridden the bike more and accepted that it's an old tech bike and only 738cc I'm quite ok with the standard gearing. I figure cruising at 120km/hr and 60% of it capacity isn't stressing the old girl to much. Nor will it hurt her to stretch her legs every now and again.

[Banditbandit]

If your in the market for a bike upgrade and you like the Zephyr take a look at this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=348969625 to me that looks like exceptional value provided it checks out.

As for overheating in traffic, I couldn't tell you, I don't use it for commuting, but in all honesty I'd be surprised if it would be a problem

That's a pretty good price for that Bandit - about right - not a massive bargain, but not over-priced either. And they're a briliant value-for-money bike ..

[NinjaNanna]

Well I made it back from the 2011 Northern Exposure Tour (NET) and am happy to report that the bike performed admirably.

The bike happily performed all that was asked of it during prolonged cruising, twistys and the occassional surge of enthusiaism.

I definately encourage anybody looking at one of these bikes to look into it further, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

[NinjaNanna]

...Personally I prefer the NZ model that had the wire spoke wheels - Jap imports have alloy mags...

Just spotted one with wire wheels, looking for paint scheme inspiration. On this bike in particular I'd have to say I agree. Its one mighty fine Zephyr

[JimO]

have a look here

http://www.zephyr-zone.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl