Kawasaki ZX7RR ride impression

[Mikkel]

So I am back home - shattered after having bonded with the mean greenie...

Sorry, didn't get any pics and I don't think OAB did either... Too busy trying to get my mind wrapped around the machine.

As I wrote in my last post, it was hellishly scary at first. The different riding position, weight and feel combined with about three times more power made my first session a shortish and slowish affair. Came into the pit area and couldn't wipe the grin from my face.

Second session was more of a heeheehee power corrupts thing - still slightly scary but even more fun than the first session. As I came into the pits I found that I had lost the sidestand which was a bit of a hassle. Fortunately I had brough a swingarm paddock stand along...

The last 3 sessions allowed me to gel a bit more with the bike and getting a feel for how she handles. At the end of the day I was getting to the point where I was comfortable enough with the power and feeling of the bike to begin looking at shifting my weight around. Alas, at that point I was too shattered to even consider it... so no knee-down action today (neither had I expected it ).

A couple of things I've picked up on today - the temperature gauge for the engine temperature is alive but doesn't give any read-outs which is a bit of a worry. The speedometer needs some attention - it behaves rather erratically, especially at higher speeds. I had her up to somewhere between 220 and 240 down the straight but it was hard to tell since the needle was bouncing all over the place - besides my focus was needed elsewhere

I got a good opportunity to practice my clutchless up and down shifts - the clutch is very smooth but pretty firm... Combined with the amount of weight on my wrists I could hardly use my left hand to clutch in and out at the end of the day. Time to go back to the gym I reckon...

The brakes are a wholy different thing compared to the 250 - much much more powerful and much easier to graduate under heavy braking.

Throttle response is incredible - the flatslides are sharp as razors and the sound magnificient!

Seat and riding position are surprisingly comfortable - without having been on a post-2000 sportsbike I think I understand exactly what Jim2 meant by "racy but not crippling ergonomics"!

And hell yeah, I got it above 3rd - but not above 4th (at least not revved out)

Coming out of a corner, getting on the throttle and feeling the rearwheel spin ever so slightly is a rather nice feeling I think I could get addicted to quite fast!

And thanks to the race car that spilled oil in one of my favorite corners - just what we needed...

[onearmedbandit]

Yip, was a good day out there, so engrossed we didn't even let the slight rain in one of the sessions faze us. No pics unfortunately, brought my vid camea out at the last minute and off course it was flat. I was following you at about 220km/h on my speedo, couple of times you would've been at about 230, I was lucky to see 260 myself. Loved the blue flames out the exhaust on the overrun too Mikkel, looked great. All in all a very nice machine, great score.

[Mikkel]

Yip, was a good day out there, so engrossed we didn't even let the slight rain in one of the sessions faze us. No pics unfortunately, brought my vid camea out at the last minute and off course it was flat. I was following you at about 220km/h on my speedo, couple of times you would've been at about 230, I was lucky to see 260 myself. Loved the blue flames out the exhaust on the overrun too Mikkel, looked great. All in all a very nice machine, great score.

Thanks I am certainly pleased myself!

Dunno how much I might be able to get her up to down the straight - I kinda started rolling off the throttle about midway. I haven't been going as fast as this before - at least not on a bike. But she still had plenty of go left at that point. Looking at the revs and the redline she should reach about 250-260 in 6th gear given a long enough piece of tarmac.

[MSTRS:Me]

....heeheehee power corrupts thing....the clutch is very smooth but pretty firm... ....the flatslides are sharp as razors and the sound magnificient!...

Told you, didn't I? Now you can understand from the 'other side' - like when I gave you a little serve as I snicked into 2nd!! I thought the clutch and all felt great - you'll get used to the feel. And that sound...oooooo yeah

Loved the blue flames out the exhaust

Someone pass me a tissue....

[Mikkel]

... and it crashes well too



"Slightly" gutted that it seems I don't learn from my mistakes! Almost same story as crash #1 - except this time the lock up was related to unsettling the bike while blipping the throttle on clutchless downshifts coming into the hairpin at Ruapuna. Got the bike back up with a hand from OAB and then rode it back to the pits in 1st gear.
At least it's only cosmetics, a gear shift lever and riding gear...

Good stuff:
-It provided a good reason for stripping the bike down though and I've had an enjoyable evening doing that. Lots of dodgy electronics and stuff that needs doing properly - hooray new project. Also, I now know for certain that I'm not the first to throw her down on her left side...
-The rolling and tumbling wasn't scary I was just quietly thinking "You stupid fucking cunt!" as I slid, rolled and tumbled the better part of 50 meters down the track. And so far I'm not too sore - that's likely to change with a nights sleep though.
-I managed not to bang my head - so at least the helmet won't need replacing this time and my neck might not be too bad.
-Swingarm bobbins are a good thing.
-At least the crash wasn't due to being overwhelmed by the higher power.
-I was planning on fixing the fairings up anyway...

Bad stuff:
-Gear shift lever broken, clutch lever and barend rubber scratched.
-Lower left-hand fairing isn't just scratched, it's properly fucked and propably not repairable.
-I ordered frame sliders last night, too bad I didn't wait for them...
-I have glassfibre track fairings sitting at the shop, why were they not on the bike?
-Slightly put off by the facts that I had promised myself to take it easy (and I did - sorta) and that the crash is too much like the last one.

Bummer!

[T.W.R]

Bugger!

you laid a N1 down

Thought for next time it's going though; to get the best out of one of these you have to ride them like a 2smoker!

[Mikkel]

Bugger!

you laid a N1 down

Thought for next time it's going though; to get the best out of one of these you have to ride them like a 2smoker!

Yeah, I know - I do feel like an idiot...

However, ultimately she'll be better off for it! It's only cosmetics, it's running pretty damn sweet! And now I have a to-do list with stuff that'll improve it as well.

Don't know about the 2-smoker thing though... I haven't ridden one. But throttle control is pretty sensitive, not in a jerky way - more that it'll bog down if you aren't smooth rolling it on, especially at lower revs.

Anyway, I'll wait for the frame sliders and hope that when they get here I have the track fairings ready and sorted some of the loose ends out as well.

[T.W.R]

It's the nature of the best with them and that's what they were designed for being WSB holmoligen specials, most ended up in the hands of privateer racers back in their day.

OEM panels are exorbitantly expensive

bogging in lower revs is the joys of 40mm CRs and that's why the expression of riding them like a 2smoker; keep them in the sweet zone & on song. They haven't got the linear power delivery of earlier ZXRs & all the punch is up the top-end.

You should have seen the one Sportszone had about 4yrs ago no blemishes and untouched graphics (FUCHS livery) had a $10995 price tag.
Would have brought it but when I spotted it I just gone through the throws of having an argument with a car at the Sockburn roundabout and my H1 had gone from perfect condition to battle scared

[Mikkel]

It's the nature of the best with them and that's what they were designed for being WSB holmoligen specials, most ended up in the hands of privateer racers back in their day.

Yup, getting more and more certain that this one has been raced a bit as well... Both from looking at the VIR and around the bike.

OEM panels are exorbitantly expensive

Well, the front fairings are the same for both ZX7R and ZX7RR - so there are some 2nd hand out there...

bogging in lower revs is the joys of 40mm CRs and that's why the expression of riding them like a 2smoker; keep them in the sweet zone & on song. They haven't got the linear power delivery of earlier ZXRs & all the punch is up the top-end.

Have you ridden one? My experience so far (approximately 300 kms track riding) is that it's pretty linear, obviously you won't reach max power output until the high revs - but she pulls well from 5,500 RPM and up. Redline is 12,500 RPM but the rev limiter doesn't kick in until 13,500-14,500 RPM

You should have seen the one Sportszone had about 4yrs ago no blemishes and untouched graphics (FUCHS livery) had a $10995 price tag.
Would have brought it but when I spotted it I just gone through the throws of having an argument with a car at the Sockburn roundabout and my H1 had gone from perfect condition to battle scared

Yeah, I've heard about that one. I believe it's still in Chch and I have some idea about who has it as well. Planning to catch said person and have a chat.

[T.W.R]

Yup, getting more and more certain that this one has been raced a bit as well... Both from looking at the VIR and around the bike.

Most likely I saw it when it was on TM

Well, the front fairings are the same for both ZX7R and ZX7RR - so there are some 2nd hand out there...

I know & lols you forget where I work



Have you ridden one? My experience so far (approximately 300 kms track riding) is that it's pretty linear, obviously you won't reach max power output until the high revs - but she pulls well from 5,500 RPM and up. Redline is 12,500 RPM but the rev limiter doesn't kick in until 13,500-14,500 RPM

Not a N1 I haven't . But it should pull like a 13yr old school boy from 8k upwards, 5.5k is where the Hp & torque are starting to match up in delivery but at 8k it should take off like it's been kicked in the arse



Yeah, I've heard about that one. I believe it's still in Chch and I have some idea about who has it as well. Planning to catch said person and have a chat.

It should be around town somewhere Have seen it a couple of times since then doing early morning laps around the Peninsula

[Mikkel]

It should be around town somewhere Have seen it a couple of times since then doing early morning laps around the Peninsula

I'm not forgetting where you work - I don't know since I haven't been told

At 8,000 RPM she certainly goes, and as you get closer to the redline she goes faster still!

[yungatart]

Oooh, Mikkel!
Do you want Mstrs to look after it for you? I'm sure he would be happy to

[Mikkel]

Oooh, Mikkel!
Do you want Mstrs to look after it for you? I'm sure he would be happy to

Would probably not be a bad idea, he certainly took better care of it than me...

He's more than welcome to come visit it anytime though

[MSTRS:Me]

Ah! The old 'learning curve' strikes another...
Bummer. Rear-wheel lock-up?

[Mikkel]

Ah! The old 'learning curve' strikes another...
Bummer. Rear-wheel lock-up?

Nope, front wheel.

A skin-graft and she'll be alright.