97 Suzuki RF900r anyone? good/bad?

[xxxx]

Hey ppl,

Im a relativly new person to this whole road bike stuff...

Have been a former place getter in NZMX nationals in former years and done alot of off road stuff with my 4 stroke whackers...honda xr400 650 etc blah blah blah...

BUT recently sold them all a few years ago and gave up riding to focus on other stuff...

Now i want a road bike...been looking at this Suzuki RF900r and others around the 97/98 vintage for around 6-8K...

Are there any pros and cons that I should really be aware of regarding this bike?...

Had a mate say it was all good as he had a 98 Suzuki GSXR1000...have been looking at one of those tooo...

Really i want a bike for under $7G preferably that has got heaps of up and go and a good tourer type thing...around the late 90's vintage im looking, prferably Suzuki really...not looking at a super fast or super perfect bike...just a good all round bang for you buck thing to take out on fine summer weekends...take touring up north to my uncles n stuff like that...

any thought would be higher appreciated and much thought of...

Cheers

XXXX

[Drum]

Welcome to the site. Why restrict yourself to a single manufacturer?

[slinky]

My brother has one, he was looking for the same sort of bike u are after, and the RF is what he found. He is very pleased with it, alotta bang for your buck!!
i also just bought a CBR900RR 93' model, though i got a good buy at 4700 and thats another 5 yeras older than what your looking at but its a good bike!
not the best for touring though.
My brothers KB name is Chaosmage.
Give him a PM and ask questions if you want.

[98tls]

RF is an awsome bike..........a real do anything on.........surprisingly fast through the twisty bits...........very underrated by some........bullet proof motor and pretty comfy for long distance.........go for it..........

[Crasherfromwayback]

Now i want a road bike...been looking at this Suzuki RF900r and others around the 97/98 vintage for around 6-8K...

Are there any pros and cons that I should really be aware of regarding this bike?...


XXXX

Yo Bruva!

RF's are all good...although some people find the five speed box a pain.
I'll keep my ear to the ground for a good one for you....there are heaps of them out there.

Would you consider a Kawasaki ZX9? We've got one at work for just under 6k?

They're also pretty bullet proof....

[cowpoos]

Yo Bruva!

RF's are all good...although some people find the five speed box a pain.
I'll keep my ear to the ground for a good one for you....there are heaps of them out there.

Would you consider a Kawasaki ZX9? We've got one at work for just under 6k?

They're also pretty bullet proof....
or a TL1000s...just a big trail bike deep down!!!

[Crasherfromwayback]

or a TL1000s...just a big trail bike deep down!!!

Sort of....but trail bikes have decent rear shocks!

I love TL's (both the 'S' & the 'R')....but the cabbage that decided to put that fucking rotary damper in the back of them should be shot with a ball of his own shit.

[98tls]

Sort of....but trail bikes have decent rear shocks!

I love TL's (both the 'S' & the 'R')....but the cabbage that decided to put that fucking rotary damper in the back of them should be shot with a ball of his own shit. Easy to change though................:yes:

[Hitcher]

Riffer? Polarcock?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Easy to change though................:yes:

I know mate....and as I'm sure you know....when you ride a TL with a 'normal' shock in the rear....it's like a different bike! They will then turn in when on the picks......they don't stand up when on the juice....they even get traction!
And....tyres last....well....sort of!

[Crasherfromwayback]

Riffer? Polarcock?

Hey....don't worry about them.....M109R?

[avgas]

The RF is a fantastic bike - but getting a bit old these days.
If you look around you can get better deals on other bikes that arent that well known...i did

[98tls]

I know mate....and as I'm sure you know....when you ride a TL with a 'normal' shock in the rear....it's like a different bike! They will then turn in when on the picks......they don't stand up when on the juice....they even get traction!
And....tyres last....well....sort of! Actually mate i quite liked the lack of traction when on the gas sometimes...strange but true.........a little added excitement........with the new rear damper i have to rely on the TLs so called slipper clutch to not work when banging it into second looking for some engine braking.......as it often doesnt.

[riffer]

Oh all right then, I'll wade in.

I've retrieved a PM I sent insane1 when he was looking at one a couple of weeks back. Here's a harsh but detailed description of what can go wrong and what to look for in an RF900:

I've found mine to be pretty hard on front tyres - it tends to triangulate them, but its got a front-heavy bias so not unexpected.

The lack of a fuel gauge is a pain - especially with a reserve that lasts a good 80-90 kms.

Big problems with the carbs. Pay attention to the needle jets and the emulsion tubes they run in - its a problem with Mikuni downdraught carbies - friction as the jet needle slides and it wears the needles and emulsion tubes.

Big problem with the alternator cush drive - in some of the earlier models (94, 95) the drive for the alternator failed and they replaced a part to stop it snapping - unfortunately this part only lasts about 20,000 kms so needs to be checked often - and its a prick to get at too.

Don't leave it lying around in the rain because it won't run on four cylinders afterwards. It's a problem with the water either getting into the coils or the low-tension leads just behind the headstock. My solution is to smear Vaseline into the low tension connections as they exit the wiring loom and as they enter the coils. Others have had problems with the spark plug boots but not me, so I'm hesitant to say its an RF problem.

They run a 532 chain - so when you replace the chain replace the sprockets too and go with the 530 which was the GSXR1100 setup.

The brakes are non-standard for a Suzuki (Nissin - normally found on Hondas) but they will take the Tokicos from the Hayabusa which apparently is a mod worth doing.

The whole bottom end (with the exception of the clutch) is straight out of the GSXR1100 so its bulletproof.

The RF has a steel perimeter frame so in the unlikely event of a bent frame at least it is actually fixable, unlike an alloy frame.

Most RFs have about 125 at the crank, but you can get a lot, lot more. To meet American emission standards they did the same trick as on the gixxers - look for the pink wire just under the battery on the gear lever side - more midrange power in 3rd gear if you undo it. You can drill and remount the digital pickup as they will easily take another 4 or 5 degrees of advance. Also, putting in the cams from the 93 or 94 GSXR750 will help liberate even more power. With these two mods and a rejet you could get 160HP.

Good for 265km/hr on a good day. Best kept secret in motorcycling.

Don't let my harsh criticisms put you off. I love mine. I've done 32,000 kms on mine in 18 months. There is very little you can't do on one on the road, and I can keep up with all but the very fastest riders on one.

They're a sports bike the way sportsbikes used to be before they got all skinny and light. :love:

Oh - and as I tell every other RF rider - I have the Suzuki Factory repair manual and the fiche on my website. Let me know if you want the link to them.

[Clivoris]

Welcome to the site man. From what you've written it looks like an RF will fit the bill excellently. A good friend of mine had one and loved it to bits. Like Riffer said thye have heaps of performance there. I have heard very good things about the ZX9 too.
Good luck.

[madmal64]

RF's go for it!
Highly under rated. Riffer has pointed out all that need to be.
If you want to do some serious milage the RF will eat the miles with no bother. Rode mine all over the country and did the odd track day or two on it. Suprised a few peeps with the ability to hang with the more sport style bike.

[MacD]

Another satisfied RF owner here. They also carry pillions well, though they benefit from an aftermarket or Suzuki touring seat.

I did find that the front tyre tended to triangulate but haven't had any trouble with that since changing to an Avon Viper on the front (and an Avon Azarro ST on the back). That tyre combination has worked well for trackdays, North Island tours, weekend blats etc.

I'm pretty sure the Gen 1 Bandit 1200 also runs the 4-pot Nissan calipers?

It's sometimes hard to tell which country model RF's are, but there are two main types; the early (94-95) ones which were Aussie models and have km/h speedos and no pink wire, and the later (96 on?) USA/Canadian spec ones with mph speedos.

[Pussy]

The very last of them (RF900RW) were mostly E02 spec(pommy). Most were black, and some maroon. They were full power, and can be easily identified by having a light switch on the right hand switchblock. I bought one new and had it for 18 or so months.... great bike. They respond well to fork revalving and re-springing. I also had an Ohlins shock on mine, makes them ride and handle very nicely

[cowpoos]

Sort of....but trail bikes have decent rear shocks!

I love TL's (both the 'S' & the 'R')....but the cabbage that decided to put that fucking rotary damper in the back of them should be shot with a ball of his own shit.
ya know what I mean...lol

the man will smile everytime he goes for a ride if he's on a Tl1000s!!

[xxxx]

HEY Guys,

Cheers for your quick replys...quite suprised!...great to know you fullas are out there!...

Have got my keen eye on a few different RF900's ranging from 5K to 8K years 97+...so im keeping a watch on them...would love to know of any other good ones that you guys have seen or know about...

Id like to stick to Suzuki as ive had a pretty good run with their MX bikes in the past and they seem like real good road bikes...you gotta choose 1 make in the end i suppose!...

For what i want the RF's seem like an ideal choice...

Just to take out on a fine Sunday and go for a ride up the State H/way 16 or anywhere really (just about)...to be able to put some replacement mods in time to come but without going overboard...just to have a good allround bike really, nothing flash, nothing too over the top just a good looking and performing bike...I must say that their shape does attact my asthestic mind rather than the bikes of today...they seem nice and "bulky" but not real bulky...what I imagined as a kid of what a road bike should look like...

Cheers guys and ifs theres anything else I need to know, please let me know...

ps, my son wants to get a bike, but he doesnt have his license YET but he wants to buy one now when i get mine since he has the cash...you dont need a license to buy one do you>?

[riffer]

Unlike a gun, you don't need a licence to buy a bike.

However, you can't test ride it or ride it home.

Good luck in the RF hunt. Sounds like its what you're looking for.

[F5 Dave]

From the desk of a little old lady:

my only comment (I have an RF too) is returning from not riding for a good while & only off road at that, your experience is likely to make you a skilled rider, but don’t be surprised if it takes a while to recapture that. Also don’t be surprised that it is a whole new world riding on often new roads & contending with cars etc + a new level of speed.

While the RF may be regarded as the ‘soft’ option compared with a GSXR1000 it is still a fast bike, combined with big/heavy & capable of hurting the over confident. All I’m saying is just don’t push things esp while riding with other people, the consequences are far worse than the dirt.

[Boring rave over] have fun, great bikes for touring & 8/10ths sport riding.

[riffer]

Good point Dave.

That's something that a lot of people forget - while the RF comes in badly against a brand new gixxer thou it can still pick up speed very fast - we're talking 3 seconds to 100km/hr and sub-12 quarter miles here in the right hands.