ZZR1100 - opinions please

[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......
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!!

[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