ZZR1100 - opinions please

[NinjaNanna]

Well I move to OZ on Sunday and already I'm thinking of what bike to buy.

I've come across this ZZR 1100 (http://www.bikesales.com.au/private/details/kawasaki-zz-r1100-zx1100-2000-13022466?ref=Item)that I'm quite interested in.

http://liveimages.bikesales.com.au/bikesales/general/content/gc5020706895032706990.jpg

It's a 2000 model and done 46,000kms.


So are there any past or present owners of these bike out there that can offer first hand opinions on these beautiful beasts.

Common Issues/Good Points/Bad points?

Cheers
NN

[Katman]

I'm not aware of any bad points.

One of the nicest sports/tourers ever made.

[george formby]

I'm not aware of any bad points.

One of the nicest sports/tourers ever made.

I concur. Plenty still around & some with huge miles on them. IIR they started the whole "we make the fastest bike" thing.

[Maha]

Kinda wanted one when I was looking at ditching my 600. Always liked the look of them...
Theres a 2000 model on TM for $6495 + ORC.

Did you manage to sell your ZR?

[sootie]

I ride one & love it. It has done 94,000kms & still runs like new.
There is an identical one in Whangarei done 147,000 & goes the same.
These are just pups. There was one on Trademe a year or so back had done 350,000 & owner claimed it still ran like new.
Local Kawasaki agent agent reckons he never sees them, & local Honda agent toldme they are over engineered.

[DEATH_INC.]

When they were first released they radar-ed one on the autobahn at 304kph (anyone in a kwakka dealership will remember the ad campaign). FB or PB tested one against the supposedly faster blackbird...it could pass the bb, the bb couldn't return the favour....
I do know of one that broke, one of My mates one's, but I think he ran it outta oil.
Nearly brought one myself once too. Cool bikes. Perfect for Aussie.

[iYRe]

I've got a zrx1100 and its nice.. www.zrxoa.org has good info on zrx/zzr's

They were one of the bikes to buy.. although, i've read that the zrx1100/zzr1200 are the better models, but its more of a preference thing than anything else..

[Madness]

I owned a '93 model for several years and loved it. They do everything pretty well, including holding their own in the twisty bits. I "upgraded" to a ZX12-R but honestly miss the ZZR. The suspenders are pretty average but I believe good results can be had by fitting emulators to the forky bits. They like eating Blackbirds for dinner too, fwiw.

Buy eet!

[bsasuper]

I had a 95 model, comfy, good tank range, typical kawasaki engine- stacks of power.Its a heavy beast so dont go trying any stoppies.

[NinjaNanna]

Thanks guys, just the feedback I was looking for.

[NinjaNanna]

I owned a '93 model for several years and loved it. They do everything pretty well, including holding their own in the twisty bits. I "upgraded" to a ZX12-R but honestly miss the ZZR. The suspenders are pretty average but I believe good results can be had by fitting emulators to the forky bits. They like eating Blackbirds for dinner too, fwiw.

Buy eet!

I test rode a ZX12-R before buying an R1 - honestly for NZ I thought the ZX12-R was too much bike for me - especially given the twisty nature of kiwi roads. How would you compare the zzr to the zx12 given you've had them both? I understand the zzr is still a bullet but does it feel tamer than the 12?

[NinjaNanna]

Did you manage to sell you ZR?

Yep it's been gone for a few weeks now ... practically gave it away considering the service and tyres it had just had

[MaxB]

The one in the photo looks like a late D model like mine.

Good Points - Unburstable motor, typical Kwak build quality, easy 400km + tank range if you stick to legal ish speeds, stability at high speed , great 2 up, great luggage platform, plenty of spares & tuning parts, ability to cover large amounts of distance in small amounts of time.

Bad points - Licence shredder, seat needs mods to ride all day, weight works against you in the twisties, unsophisticared suspension and genuine Kwak spares prices.

BTW all the bad points bar the weight are fixable with time and money.

The mian thing to worry about applies to all older bikes is how abused it has been. You have to get it thoroughly checked out.

Note some D models were restricted for their various markets. UK models had modified carb tops that cut power to about 125hp. Swiss models were even worse. Oz models may be ADR compliant and lose a few horsies. The regular model produces 150hp for about 178mph (Cycle magazine). Forget claims of 300kmh plus made on some websites. They won't do it without serious tuning $$$ dropped on them.

The only other thing I've heard is that constant wheelstands could wreck no. 3 cylinder due to oil starvation. There is even an external oil feed mod for that.

ZX11/ZZR1100 owners tend to keep their bikes for years. That should tell you highly regarded they are.

Hope that helps.

[pete376403]

One of the madder UK magazines (Fast Bikes, Performance Bikes, something like that) took a ZZR, Blackbird and Hayabusa to France for some motorway madness. Even though the 'Busa and Blackbird were quite later designs, the ZZR was right up there with them. When the 'Bird ran out of gas, they found that the ZZR was quite comfortable towing the "Bird at 120 (MPH)

I lust after the purple and gold one

[nudemetalz]

Always liked them. My bike before the Guzzi was an '89 ZX-10, the one the ZZR replaced. Loved that machine too. Licence loser also,..(but not me :) )

[Madness]

How would you compare the zzr to the zx12 given you've had them both? I understand the zzr is still a bullet but does it feel tamer than the 12?

The ZZR is more forgiving than the ZX12 in both power delivery and chassis design. I used to push the ZZR to 8/10'ths on a fairly regular basis with never a scary moment but even after owning the 12 for a couple of years now I still feel I've only ever gone to 6 or 7. I've had a few soiled undie moments on the 12. The two have quite different ergonomics with the 11 being much lower & more upright.

My 11 was a '93 D1 model, a U.S model badged ZX-11 that came in with a V&H 4-1. It did 265k flying at the Cliffhanger Sprints & did very well as a scratcher for what it was. The fork tubes rusted & went through tyres quicker than the 12 and my bank balance.

I'd own another if I somehow got rich.

[GrayWolf]

I still own a '93 D3 model red/black, 50,000km's
bad points,,,,
its a heavy bike by modern standards, so careful tyre selection is required (240kg's) The dual compound sport/touring tyres like BT023 are a good bet.
Brakes are NOT up to modern standards..... there are a few mods you can do. Mine has the master cylinder replaced with a higher pressure one and twin braided lines. (VFR1000 cylinder) You can with a spacer fit the VFR1000 6 pot caliper's as well.
a bit to sporty position standard for me, but have the USA 3/4 inch riser's.. make a huge difference.
Forks are a bit old school but emulators or heavier oil can help. (rear shock a bit basic as well)
3rd cylinder has been mentioned... it is a 'known issue' if as stated you perform constant wheelies or abuse it constantly without regular oil changes.
It is a wee bit 'soft' below 6k rpm... My FJ1200 will eat it for lunch at normal riding speeds for top gear roll on... however, once it reaches the 6k mark, they are still a tour de force even in today's world.
Bad point... 6k in top gear is 150kph...... :shutup:
a bit prone to side winds.... (very)
Good points.....
Massive power, well engineered engine that is built to last, they really are an 'intercontinental ballistic missile'
with the riser's fitted they are an all day ride.
Fuel economy... I have had a regular 350km's out of a tank (fast riding).... easily 50mpg when ridden gently (5 gallon tank).
stable and predictable at speed and not easily upset by rough road surfaces like the average crotch rocket.
They are the first (uber tourer) and Kwak put a lot of effort into them......
My local bike shop mechanic's comment when I asked about th ZZR's at the time I was looking at buying it "they are an honest bike"

When they hit the power... it truly is Starship Enterprise, and the write up's of the day are 100% correct; the power just keeps coming, and coming, and coming.... for the whole 5,000 rpm to red line.

[NinjaNanna]

Thanks Madness - just the comparision I was looking for.

Cheers
NN


The ZZR is more forgiving than the ZX12 in both power delivery and chassis design. I used to push the ZZR to 8/10'ths on a fairly regular basis with never a scary moment but even after owning the 12 for a couple of years now I still feel I've only ever gone to 6 or 7. I've had a few soiled undie moments on the 12. The two have quite different ergonomics with the 11 being much lower & more upright.

My 11 was a '93 D1 model, a U.S model badged ZX-11 that came in with a V&H 4-1. It did 265k flying at the Cliffhanger Sprints & did very well as a scratcher for what it was. The fork tubes rusted & went through tyres quicker than the 12 and my bank balance.

I'd own another if I somehow got rich.

[sootie]

Madness & I have discussed ZZR1100s and ZX12Rs previously. I have been interested in his take on the latter, and own a ZZR1100 D3 model (as mentioned earlier).
I pretty much agree with every comment made in this thread so far (how unusual is that!!!!) (Sorry, I was called away from my previous posting, but it was all true.)

An early owner replaced the rear shock on mine with an Ohlins unit. An improvement I think once carefully tuned. I don't think I would spend the money on an older bike though.
The ZZR1100 does have a c of g which is a bit high. I find that mine handles noticeably better with the tank less than 70% full. If you keep the speed under 110kph on good roads, the bike has a range of slightly over 500km on a very full tank. This is far more than the range of my mates' bikes, so I usually only fill it about 2/3 full for the above reason. (As described I get 21.7 km/l and tank actually holds slightly more than the 23l quoted. Consumption is of course very speed dependent over 100 kph.)

Unfortunately, these bikes do have a poor fuel gauge indication. They all seem to show empty for the last 30% of the tank, and full above about 70%. This does create some confusion with refuelling until you get used to it.

Final Comment: Not selling mine even if it is old!! :killingme :killingme

[ducatilover]

Brilliant bikes, solid engines. Biggest issue was very early ZX11 motors wore the hardening off the cams, but that one will be fine.
Massive amount of knowledge and what-not here: www.zzr-international.co.uk

There are several upgrades that are worth doing, all mentioned, the brake upgrades and valve emulators

[NinjaNanna]

Well I test rode a zzr1100 and it was all you guys said it would be...exceptional bike.

But I've ended up getting a cbr1000f at $2000 for a 98 model with 6mths rego and in excellent nic given its 103000km I just couldn't walk past the deal no matter how much I liked the zzr

If nothing else it'll prove once and for all whether it's kwakas that I love or if it was just that all the ones I've owned have been cheap while my Hondas and Yamaha were expensive