Rev up your engines and join us for an adrenaline-fueled journey through 'The Best Of Kawasaki Reviews' on Men & Motors!
Discover the ultimate blend of power, performance, and precision as our expert reviewers take you on an exhilarating ride through the top Kawasaki models. From sleek sportbikes to rugged off-road machines, we've curated the finest moments from Men & Motors' in-depth reviews to bring you the ultimate showcase of Kawasaki's two-wheeled masterpieces.
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© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2024
Discover the ultimate blend of power, performance, and precision as our expert reviewers take you on an exhilarating ride through the top Kawasaki models. From sleek sportbikes to rugged off-road machines, we've curated the finest moments from Men & Motors' in-depth reviews to bring you the ultimate showcase of Kawasaki's two-wheeled masterpieces.
------------------
Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!
Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!
----- Social Media -----
Follow us on social media by clicking the link below to elevate your social media experience by connecting with us!
https://menandmotors.start.page
If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com
© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2024
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 This week we're once again at Tommy Robb Motorcycles in Warrington.
00:10 Now one thing guaranteed to attract the interest of everybody in the motorcycling world is the label "World's Fastest Bike".
00:17 And when it was introduced in 1990, that was certainly the case for Kawasaki's ZZR 1100.
00:23 Now often the first thing that people do when they approach a bike, and you'll see this every time you go to a bike rally,
00:28 is they walk up and they look at their clocks. Now why everybody looks at their clocks, I don't really know, but they do.
00:34 Now the first thing to strike you when you look at the speedo on this machine is that it goes up to an incredible 200 miles per hour.
00:40 Now the ZZR, well it doesn't quite reach 200 miles per hour.
00:44 But if you can manage to attain the top speed of around 175 miles per hour, then you're not going to be too worried about anything coming past you.
00:51 Now underneath this ballistic looking fairing, there's a 1052cc inline liquid cooled 4 cylinder engine,
00:59 with a double overhead cam and 16 valves, and it's capable of producing around 123 brake horsepower.
01:05 The gearbox is 6 speed, but really the gearbox, well I think it should be at a 3 speed.
01:10 It should be fast, very fast, and good morning judge.
01:14 Braking on this machine is absolutely outstanding. To the front, there are twin discs with twin piston calipers,
01:21 and they really are exceptionally powerful. To the back there's a single disc and a single piston caliper.
01:26 The brakes really are up to the job.
01:28 Although on a machine with the performance that this thing can do, really nothing short of a railway sleeper through the front wheel is going to stop you too quickly.
01:36 The petrol tank, well a full tank is 21 litres of fuel, and that will give you a touring range of over 200 miles.
01:42 That's if you drive it, well fairly sensibly.
01:45 But with a bike like this, the performance that this thing is capable of, well you can't really drive these too sensibly.
01:51 Can you? Well try and keep up, I'll do my best.
01:55 You don't have to drive this machine like a complete nutcase, but it's hard to resist.
02:07 The worst thing you can do with a ZZR 1100 is start throwing it around like a sports bike,
02:12 because although it may have the performance to match the Fireblades and Ducatis,
02:16 it certainly hasn't got the same sharp handling due to its increased weight and a softer suspension.
02:22 Although if you're pushing it hard enough for the handling to let you down, then you're missing out on the best feature.
02:28 That being that it's one of the most comfortable sports tourers you're ever likely to sit on.
02:33 In fact, the Num-Bum syndrome is virtually non-existent,
02:37 with the silky smooth four cylinder transmitting none of its vibrations through to the seat or the handlebars.
02:43 Indeed, it's as well to keep an eye on the rev counter if you want some idea of what's going on down below.
02:49 So if you want to travel a long way with as much excitement as you can handle, then this one's well worth a try.
02:56 And there's only one other bike on the road that could possibly leave you behind.
03:00 Now then, where's that Blackbird?
03:04 Well, we're now back in the showroom with the ZZR 1100.
03:07 I've lost a few pounds in sweat and I managed to keep my licence intact, I think.
03:12 Tommy, this is absolutely incredible.
03:14 Now, you've ridden works Hondas, works Yamahas, won all sorts of championships and races,
03:19 and been just about everywhere fast on a bike, but this is serious performance, this, isn't it?
03:24 Without a doubt, this has been probably the flagship of the Kawasaki range.
03:28 It's been a bike that does everything that you want from a sports bike,
03:32 but you can also add your luggage to it to give it touring bike appeal.
03:36 And the performance of this is nothing short of absolutely sensational.
03:40 In fact, it's so sensational that even Hondas have now brought out the Blackbird to do battle with this particular model.
03:46 Right, that's right, because really for the last five years or so, this has been the top of the tree, hasn't it?
03:51 There's been nothing to touch it speed-wise.
03:53 No, without a doubt. The CBR1000 Honda was the bike that was near to it, but the ZZR came in and took that all away from Honda,
04:00 and now they've come back with the other machine, but the ZZR is still a wonderful selling machine.
04:05 Yeah, a cracking bike, looks great as well.
04:07 And something that I notice is you don't have to drive it like a lunatic.
04:10 Alright, the performance is there and the power is there if you want to get excited, but it can be a very sensible bike.
04:16 It's a bike that you can ride through town easily.
04:18 Yeah, but as far as sports touring goes, I mean, I noticed that, I mean, they've actually thought about that.
04:22 They've got little bungee straps on the seat and everything, I mean, so they sort of,
04:26 and up on the fairing there, there's a little cubby hole which is a lockable compartment there.
04:30 So it's not an out-and-out sports, it's probably the best sports bike performance-wise.
04:35 I would say it would be, and I'm not sure that these are for bungee cords.
04:38 I think they may be for strapping your pillion passenger on.
04:41 Right, yeah, aye, that would be an idea, yeah. Well, I suppose a big top box and all that, wouldn't it?
04:45 So what are these with a set of luggage on the back?
04:48 I mean, the ultimate machine.
04:50 A superb sports tourer, there's no doubt about it.
04:53 The suspension, the road holding, the riding position, although it looks so sporty,
04:58 it's actually got quite a nice upright riding position.
05:01 Not one that goes for your wrists and gets you behind the shoulder blades.
05:04 This is Kawasaki's flagship.
05:07 Well, the only thing wrong with this bike is that it's not mine.
05:10 It actually belongs to Tommy, which is very sad, and he won't let me borrow it again.
05:13 Well, I'll leave you with the rest of the programme, Two Wheels Better, and I'm going to go and change my pants.
05:19 Kawasaki's ZX-9R Ninja. Here it is.
05:23 Been around for some time now, and it's always been very well respected.
05:27 I can't ever recall it getting any really, really bad press.
05:30 So it must have been about right from the start.
05:33 Well, yes, it was, but would you believe now it's even better?
05:37 One of the things that's always appealed to me about the ZX-9 is that when you climb aboard,
05:41 it actually feels incredibly sensible for an out-and-out sports bike, superbike.
05:46 Still got a single seat like many other sports bikes, but it's a big-size single seat.
05:50 It's not very thick, not all that comfy, but it's big enough to slide around on.
05:54 And in fact, you can actually slide right to the front on this, and it's not too much of a stretch to the bar,
05:59 so you could sit almost upright if you wanted to.
06:02 You wouldn't look a bit of a plonker riding around like that all day,
06:05 and you certainly wouldn't be able to sustain that position for very long,
06:08 not if you wanted to enjoy the best feature about this bike, the power.
06:14 Make no mistake, this is a very, very fast machine.
06:18 143bhp is the same as the previous ZX-9,
06:22 but this new model does feel sharper and a bit more nimble than its predecessor.
06:27 Most of the improvements aren't actually visible.
06:30 The modifications to the motor include a new all-aluminium cylinder block
06:34 with electroplated cylinders to save weight.
06:37 It has tighter piston clutches, and a new, more powerful engine.
06:41 It has tighter piston clearances to give an increased compression ratio,
06:45 reshaped intake ports, and a new, more efficient Ram-Air system,
06:49 designed to scoop more fresh air into the now larger airbox.
06:53 Combine all of that with Kawasaki's unique throttle response sensor,
06:57 which first appeared on the '98 model,
07:00 and you have a motor with more mid-range and better efficiency.
07:04 So say Kawasaki, and I tend to agree.
07:07 The power of this latest ninja is fantastic.
07:11 So most of the mods you can't see, and there are more that you can't see.
07:17 It's got a larger, curved radiator than before.
07:20 It's got a lighter clutch.
07:22 There are modifications to the gearbox, smoother gear changes,
07:25 and it's got a bigger, more powerful alternator.
07:28 So there you go.
07:29 One of the most distinctive changes, of course, is to the styling,
07:32 especially the front end here, this big, pointy headlamp here,
07:36 underneath which sits this, what my colleague Jeff Stone referred to
07:40 as a pooper scooper when he looked at this at last year's bike show.
07:43 It is, of course, this huge air intake for the Ram-Air system.
07:46 I have to say, there's nothing better in motorcycling,
07:49 no better sound than a big Kawasaki sucking air in.
07:52 Get your head down over the tank, big fistful, and just listen to the noise.
07:55 It's terrific.
07:57 And let me just show you this.
07:58 Watch this when I put the key in, turn the ignition on.
08:00 Watch the dials. Look at that.
08:02 Whee, fantastic.
08:03 You might remember, you've seen that before.
08:05 The first time I saw that was on a Suzuki Hayabusa
08:07 when we were in Spain testing out there.
08:09 And what it is, it's a way of recalibrating themselves, the dials.
08:12 They start at zero and they go to the full extent of the travel,
08:15 recalibration every time you switch on,
08:17 so you get a good, accurate reading every time.
08:19 Good, isn't it? Do you want to see it again?
08:21 Watch, here we go.
08:22 Whoa, look at that.
08:24 The brakes, well, they're not any different to before, really,
08:27 as far as the calipers go.
08:28 Tokiko six-spots, the old model had them.
08:31 A little bit more to grab hold of now, though,
08:33 because the discs are up from 296 to 310mm,
08:37 and superb they are as well.
08:39 More mods down towards the back end.
08:41 Swingarm, that's completely different.
08:43 Well, sort of completely different.
08:45 It's full of muck at the moment because of the British weather,
08:47 but it's now a pentagonal section swingarm
08:50 instead of the normal sort of box, square section.
08:53 It's got this internal bracing in it.
08:55 It's stiffer and more rigid than before,
08:57 but would you believe it's actually lighter than before.
09:00 Suspension, not much to talk about there.
09:03 More or less the same.
09:04 They've revised the damping in the front forks,
09:06 but the back now, it has a ride height adjustment as standard,
09:10 so you can adjust the ride height, not a great deal, but a little bit.
09:13 And they've also revised the rear suspension linkage a little bit as well
09:17 to give a more rigid, a firmer and a much more sporty ride.
09:20 There's a whole load of other technical modifications,
09:26 mainly to the front end.
09:28 The fork offset has been reduced by 5mm
09:31 and the steering head bearing actually moved forward.
09:34 They've even replaced the tapered steering head bearings
09:37 with ball bearings in an effort to give the ZX-9R
09:40 a lighter feel through the bars.
09:42 It's certainly better, although it does somehow just lack
09:46 the cutting edge of Yamaha's R1.
09:49 Now, I doubt that many people would be brave enough
09:52 to take a brand new ZX-9R onto a racetrack,
09:55 but that's the only place to really enjoy the power
09:58 and ability of this machine.
10:00 So here we are, a racetrack.
10:07 You know, I got these directions off Wayne.
10:09 I said to him the other day, I said,
10:11 "I want to set 143 horses loose on a racetrack."
10:15 And he sent me here. What's he like?
10:17 If you want something doing, do it yourself.
10:23 Well, it wasn't quite the type of racetrack I had in mind,
10:26 although I wasn't exactly a million miles away
10:29 from the real thing.
10:30 I probably saved myself a few bob by leaving early anyway.
10:34 Now, this is more like it.
10:36 A nice, short and fairly twisty circuit
10:39 to try out this new ZX-9R.
10:42 OK, then, onto the track.
10:44 And starting grid, position number one, of course.
10:48 But hang on, there's a car on grid number two
10:52 and it's my friend Wayne
10:54 in his super-duper V6-powered Ford Mondeo.
10:58 Well, that's the last I'll see of him for the rest of the day.
11:02 Now the new Ninja behaved itself superbly well on the circuit.
11:06 Throttle response is absolutely instantaneous.
11:09 The amount of power on tap really is quite awesome.
11:13 The steering is certainly lighter than on previous models,
11:16 but there is still plenty of feedback through the bars,
11:19 even when powering hard out of a corner.
11:22 Price-wise, it's in the same ballpark as Yamaha's R1
11:26 and Honda's new Fireblade at just over £8,000.
11:29 Performance-wise, it's as fast as you'll ever need.
11:33 Well, there's absolutely no doubt about it,
11:36 this is the only place to enjoy a bike like this.
11:38 Racetrack, superbike, the perfect combination.
11:41 It really is a superbike, the new ZX-9R.
11:43 Tons and tons of mid-range, much better than the old ZX-9.
11:46 Sharper steering than the old one, but I have to say,
11:49 perhaps still not quite as flicky as your R1 and maybe your GSX-R.
11:54 But the superbike, excellent brakes, slam the brakes in at the end of the straight,
11:58 lap after lap after lap, no fading, very, very positive, great, great fun.
12:02 In fact, I think I could probably just squeeze another dozen laps in, excuse me.
12:08 (ENGINE REVVING)
12:10 Now, I probably don't need to tell you that the 600 class
12:21 is the most hotly contested class in biking that there is.
12:24 And this is Kawasaki's latest contender, a green Mini, or more like a Ninja Warrior.
12:28 It's a ZX-6R, and things have changed a lot.
12:31 So what's changed? For a start-off, a completely new frame.
12:34 They've increased the depth, they've increased the width of the frame there,
12:37 but kept the weight down.
12:39 The engine is new, 106 brake horsepower.
12:42 It's probably true to say it's a development,
12:44 but that's a hell of a lot of power from a 600.
12:46 It's got magnesium cases. Not everywhere, I don't think.
12:49 These are painted nice magnesium colours to give you that impression,
12:52 but magnesium side cases have saved a lot of weight.
12:55 Up the front, it's got the forks off the ZX-9, 46mm stanchions.
13:00 Those are really hefty, no flexing off this.
13:03 It's got the same brakes off the ZX-9.
13:05 In fact, you could start to think that it is a ZX-9,
13:08 but they're six-pots, and they're going to stop you on nothing.
13:11 Or sixpence, I should have said.
13:12 Now, the clocks are new as well.
13:14 Down here, you've got a small speedometer and the large rev counter,
13:17 and they've got digital displays down at the bottom,
13:19 which give you the mileage, trip, and also the time of day.
13:23 Very useful.
13:25 But one thing I must say, that speedo is incredibly small.
13:28 It's calibrated up to 170, but anything over 70 starts to get blurred,
13:32 and so perhaps that's sort of Kawasaki's way of making you preserve your license.
13:36 If you can't read the speedo over 70, you're going too fast.
13:39 And of course, what you can't miss, if you're the pilot on this,
13:48 is Kawasaki's Ram Air ducts.
13:50 They curve round here into the frame and eventually into the airbox,
13:53 which incidentally is more than an airbox.
13:55 It's more like a musical box, because you get this lovely sing-song
13:58 when you whack it open.
14:00 And down below there, you've now got a super-duper curve radiator.
14:04 Real Grand Prix stuff, or superbike stuff, should I say.
14:07 And not only that, behind that, you've got stainless steel exhaust headers
14:11 going right back to this gorgeous silencer.
14:13 And look at the size of that. Absolutely massive.
14:16 While we're down here, you can see the rear shock in its gold anodized finish,
14:20 and up there is a little piggyback reservoir.
14:23 The adjustments are on the other side there for compression,
14:27 but down there you can see the preload for the spring.
14:30 Taking us up to the back wheel, you've got a box-section swinging arm,
14:33 pretty conventional, but the back wheel's in fact got a 5.5-inch rim on it.
14:37 At the moment it's got a 170 tyre, but you can take it up to a 180 tyre
14:41 if you're going racing.
14:43 But this bike isn't all about racing, even though you feel like it is sometimes.
14:46 It's still a bike for the road.
14:48 Ninja, it might say, but Howling Wolf it is.
14:55 Responsible is that musical airbox under the tank,
14:58 making the most wonderful noises.
15:00 It's as if air is being drawn through some giant mouth organ.
15:04 It's absolutely brilliant and can keep you entertained for hours,
15:08 zipping up and down the six-speed box like some displaced tap dancer.
15:12 Yes, no doubt about it, entertainment is this quacker's forte.
15:17 14,000 revs comes up in no time at all,
15:20 making it hard to realize you're on a 600.
15:23 But ease off a touch and you have a tractable 600 pulling away smoothly,
15:27 until that banshee whale starts at around 8,000 and you're off again, playing races.
15:33 Producing an absolutely amazing 106 brake from the 599cc motor,
15:39 this is the most potent road bike the 600 class has yet seen
15:43 and will be the benchmark for the new Yamaha R6 to beat.
15:47 But it's not all Looney Tunes stuff.
15:49 There is life below 8,000.
15:51 It's just that above that is where the real fun starts.
15:54 Chassis-wise, it's a beaut.
15:57 It's light at 176kg and it's chuckable, but not frisky.
16:01 In fact, it's got suspension that's perfectly matched to whatever you want to do.
16:05 It feels on the soft side at lower speed,
16:07 but seems to firm up the faster you go, just the way it should be.
16:11 It's a short, cobby bike that doesn't feel too small
16:14 and there's plenty of room to move about on the big seat,
16:17 which incidentally isn't as comfortable as it looks.
16:20 Numbum sets in at around 100 miles,
16:23 but at least the fairing is surprisingly effective at keeping you out of the elements.
16:27 Brakes are what we've come to expect.
16:30 Smooth, powerful and progressive.
16:32 So what more can you say?
16:34 Only that you get a two-year warranty and a guarantee of fun on this ball of fire
16:38 and all for around 7,500 on the road.
16:41 Mean or green, it can be both, but the meaner's the better.
16:46 (ENGINE REVVING)
16:48 So what are you thinking about buying a new bike?
16:57 You want something that goes fast and it's got to have some street cred,
17:00 but you can't afford the latest in race bike technology.
17:03 So what do you do? Well, here is a serious alternative.
17:07 So, the back end, what could this be?
17:10 A pair of twin silencers, big fat back tyre, looks extremely trendy.
17:14 Going round to the side, well, that gets a giveaway,
17:17 because there's the bad Kawasaki. It's a ZZR.
17:19 But this isn't the big bruiser. This is the ZZR 600.
17:23 You see, you don't have to be sat on the latest in race bike technology
17:26 to have loads and loads of fun.
17:28 The capabilities of this, the ZZR 600,
17:30 will by far exceed the capabilities of 99% of everyday riders.
17:35 Really, unless you're a racetrack ace,
17:37 you're never really going to push this thing to its absolute limit.
17:40 So, what's it going to cost?
17:42 Well, this is a 1993, as you can see from the plate, K-registered version.
17:46 It's in absolutely immaculate condition.
17:48 This is about as good as you're going to find, really.
17:50 The mileage is extremely low and there's no marks on it at all.
17:53 This was in a showroom last week at just under £4,500.
17:58 And really, it's as good as a brand-new bike
18:00 and, as I say, an extremely capable machine.
18:02 So, what's it got and what does it do?
18:05 Well, it's 600cc, four-cylinder, in-line, water-cooled engine
18:09 and a six-speed gearbox.
18:11 And if you're impressed by the figures,
18:13 it'll take you from 0-60 in a touch over four seconds
18:16 and the top speed is acclaimed 150mph.
18:19 But it's far from being a race rep.
18:21 It doesn't look like a race replica, hasn't got fancy graphics all over it
18:24 and it hasn't got the sharp handling and same performance
18:26 as some of the other bikes in this class.
18:28 As soon as you sit aboard it, you feel a lot more comfy.
18:31 Well, I say more comfy, more comfy than the CBR 600 and Yamaha's FZR.
18:36 The handlebar position is a lot higher up,
18:38 the seat is a touch thicker and it really lends itself
18:41 to some sustained high-speed travel
18:43 and there's a reasonable amount of protection from this screen.
18:46 But, on the sports tourer side of things,
18:48 it really is reasonably well-equipped.
18:50 At the back here, there's a very thoughtful bungee hook
18:53 so it's not difficult to strap a little bit of luggage on there for your journey.
18:57 The dashboard layout and the finish of the whole thing is typical Kawasaki.
19:00 Very organised, very good, lovely finish.
19:03 And there's even a fuel gauge on there.
19:05 The only thing it's short of, really, if it was going to be an out-and-out touring type bike,
19:08 is a little clock, but we're not too worried about that.
19:11 Also on the fairing down here, there's a lockable compartment
19:13 and that is really, really useful for your bits of loose change and bits and bobs.
19:17 And it's only accessible with a key.
19:19 So there is a Kawasaki ZZR 600 in a nutshell.
19:23 That's what it's got.
19:25 Let's go and see what it can do.
19:29 [Music]
19:33 [Music]
19:37 [Music]
19:40 [Music]
19:49 [Music]
20:00 [Music]
20:03 [Music]
20:13 [Music]
20:28 [Music]
20:31 And here it is, the very big, very beautiful green.
20:33 Very green.
20:34 ZRX 1200 Kawasaki, yeah.
20:36 It is a stunner, isn't it?
20:37 Yeah, that's 1970s Ford Capri green.
20:40 I'm glad they've still kept the colour going.
20:42 You can probably still get it in Halfords.
20:44 But it looks good, doesn't it? I think they've done a great job on it.
20:46 I'd say it's possibly the best looking here.
20:48 Eddie Lawson would, well, die for one of these.
20:50 That's it at the front end, isn't it?
20:51 And this is probably better than any bike Eddie Lawson ever rode, I'll bet.
20:54 I'll bet it would absolutely cane his lap times.
20:56 It probably would indeed.
20:57 Three on 30 points.
20:58 Could it do more?
20:59 Well, we'll have to find out. Let's give it a go.
21:01 [Music]
21:04 Looking back some 21 years to the spectacular racing careers of the 1980s
21:11 brings us to this rather odd looking machine, Kawasaki ZRX 1200R.
21:16 No need for nostalgia now because this model shows little progress made from the days of steady Eddie Lawson
21:22 wrestling this monster round every corner.
21:24 [Music]
21:30 When I was just a young lad, I was always very impressed by the big muscle bikes of the day
21:35 with the huge engines and aggressive looks.
21:37 Fact is, most of them were made by Kawasaki.
21:40 I'm thinking of things like the big original Z1.
21:43 Well, Kawasaki have never given up on making big bruises
21:46 and now they've given us this, the ZRX 1200R.
21:49 Yes, now you can be Eddie Lawson.
21:53 Who's he? Well, we haven't got time to explain that.
21:55 But the ZRX is really based on the old classic super bikes of the late 70s and early 80s.
22:01 And it feels like it.
22:02 Not because it's lacking in performance or handling, but because it feels lively
22:07 and dare I say, slightly skittish when compared to some of the others in this class.
22:11 And there's nothing wrong with that.
22:15 That's how it's meant to be.
22:17 And it's a fact that this actual bike is now probably far more technologically advanced
22:21 than those original racers of 20 odd years ago.
22:24 The motor is a derivative of that that was used in the old ZZR 1100. Remember that?
22:29 Well, that was the fastest production bike on the planet for a number of years.
22:32 So there's no surprise that this thing is rather lively.
22:35 You'll have 120 brake horsepower to play with,
22:39 which will provide a top speed of close to 150 miles an hour.
22:43 But this is no screaming in line 4.
22:48 Whether or not this is the best looking muscle bike here is really a matter of opinion.
22:52 It is though, the quickest just about, and it feels it too.
22:56 Like the others, it's got the same kind of retro looks and they've done a great job of it as well.
23:00 But this time I think it comes with a certain amount of race pedigree.
23:03 Styling, 9 out of 10. This is the best looking retro muscle bike on the planet.
23:09 Performance, 9 out of 10. Fantastic engine with that little bit of extra in reserve
23:14 should you feel the need for some more excitement.
23:17 Practicality, 7 out of 10. There's no centre stand
23:21 and the side mounting pilliard grab rails can be a little bit difficult to get on with.
23:25 Value, 7 out of 10. It's more expensive than the Honda and the Suzuki.
23:31 Well I'd say that was pretty conclusive, wouldn't you Paul?
23:34 It is conclusive, isn't it? Yeah, good score that, isn't it?
23:37 Great bike, fantastic bike. Not miles better than everything else.
23:41 And in fact in some departments maybe not quite as good.
23:44 But overall just got that little bit of something extra that the others are lacking.
23:48 A little bit of Shazam, hasn't it?
23:50 Yeah, that little X factor if you like. It can play a little bit harder than the others
23:54 if you ever feel the need.
23:56 They can all do it to a good degree.
23:58 Yeah, absolutely.
23:59 But this will always go that extra mile when you ask it to.
24:02 Absolutely, yeah. And it looks great, doesn't it?
24:04 And it's green and it's a Kawasaki.
24:06 And it's given us a clear winner.
24:08 But we know this is at the top of the tree.
24:10 Let's remind ourselves of where the rest of them came in.
24:13 Time to go back to the scoreboard.
24:15 First bike on test was the Buell XB12S Lightning, scoring a disappointing 24 points.
24:21 Next came Suzuki's GSX 1400, which got itself a very nice 30 points.
24:27 Hot on its heels was Honda's CB1300, scoring also 30 points.
24:32 And another one with 30, it was Yamaha's XJR1300.
24:36 But finally, Kawasaki's ZRX1200 has taken the top honours today with 32 points.
24:42 Which means our winner today is Kawasaki's ZRX1200.
24:46 Well, last place for the Buell Impul.
24:49 Yeah, it's a shame because it doesn't look half bad. It's different, isn't it?
24:53 Yeah, and I respect them for making it. And it can be a lot of fun, but it's just a fun bike.
24:57 It's very hard to live with day to day.
24:59 Yeah, and acquired taste, I think.
25:00 Now, these others here, anyone could have won this on another day.
25:03 Great trio. So much fun on the Yamaha.
25:06 XJR1300, great bike. CB1300.
25:08 Very polished.
25:09 Very polished.
25:10 They've made a marker this year, Honda.
25:11 Very accomplished.
25:12 Now, GSX1400 would have been my winner had I not ridden these back to back.
25:16 Yeah.
25:17 Because I love that bike. Great bike.
25:18 But we do have a clear winner this week, don't we?
25:20 Out there in front, by a nose, as has often been said about me, it is Kawasaki's ZRX1200.
25:25 Yeah, it's everything the others are.
25:27 With a little bit more.
25:28 Tiny bit more, isn't it? And it's a great looking machine, isn't it?
25:31 It's just got to be green. The others don't even come close to green.
25:34 That's true. Well, that's it.
25:35 The ZRX1200 has won our Muscle Bike Shootout.
25:38 Join us for five more bikes on test next week on Bikephile.
25:41 We'll see you then.
25:42 Now, do you reckon we could get a couple of jet skis?
25:45 Yeah, Jetskiphile.
25:46 That'd be a brilliant show, wouldn't it?
25:47 Great show, wouldn't it? Yeah.
25:49 Our third bike today is Kawasaki's ER5.
25:53 The ER5 is another reliable Kawasaki.
25:56 It's the same parallel twin engine as the GPZ, but retuned to make it more tractable low down.
26:02 Perfect for those who are vertically challenged, as the 17-inch wheels make the twin low.
26:06 And it's also pleasantly light at 174 kilos.
26:10 While the ER5's chassis is basic with twin shocks and disc drum brakes, the parallel twin engine isn't.
26:17 You get liquid cooling, six gears, two camshafts, vibration smoothing balancers and four valves per cylinder.
26:25 The ER5 is a good learner bike and favoured career hack, but it does lack weather protection.
26:31 It's insurance group 8 and a very cheap way into the big bike world.
26:36 So Alistair, we don't normally do this, but we've thrown in another Kawasaki.
26:41 Yeah, it's another quacker, yeah.
26:42 Yeah, an ER5. What do you think of it?
26:44 Basic but nice. Yeah, it looks nice.
26:46 I spot the colour theme, all red bikes, that's OK.
26:49 This is it.
26:50 I say it's nice, yeah. I like the look of it.
26:53 I mean, they've got, they've actually got, they're a basic bike, aren't they?
26:56 But they have got the nice naked feel to them, these.
26:59 Everything you're looking for on a bike, nice and basic.
27:01 I would probably get a bikini fairing if I was taking this, again for the weather.
27:04 But overall, looks nice, it's been obviously cared for, so I'm really looking forward to riding this one as well.
27:09 I do like the dials actually on this one as well.
27:11 Dials are nice and clear. I can see it's an import just for the dials, but that's not a problem, not an issue.
27:15 Everything looks fine.
27:16 They look good solid bikes, don't they?
27:17 They do, they do.
27:18 Should we see what it's like on the tarmac?
27:19 Yes, I'm looking forward to it. Get it on the tarmac and see how we go.
27:21 Marvellous, let's do it.
27:25 This ER5 is a 2000 model priced at £2000.
27:29 Compared with the GPZ, the ER5 is basic.
27:34 Its soft state of tune means it's as easy to ride as it is to fall off a log.
27:38 ER5s are favoured by riding schools, so beware when buying of scratched engine bars.
27:43 The finish isn't as durable as it could be, so do check this when buying.
27:49 Watch out for engine noise, oil leaks and smoke.
27:53 There are tons of ER5s out there, so if you look hard enough, you'll find a minter.
27:57 Plenty of bikes are more exciting, but the ER has all the performance you really need at a pretty reasonable price.
28:05 So then Alistair, the ER5.
28:13 The ER5.
28:14 What do you think?
28:15 Well, we said earlier it looked like a basic bike, and unfortunately it rides like one.
28:19 I thought you might say that.
28:20 There's not a great deal of focus in it. It's a very comfortable ride, but it's a bit soft for me.
28:25 A bit woolly in the steering and the brakes, although they're alright. There's not much feel to them.
28:30 Bit spongy.
28:31 Bit spongy.
28:32 Which doesn't inspire confidence.
28:33 Doesn't inspire confidence.
28:34 No.
28:35 Especially with the soft rear end.
28:36 Yeah, and if you're doing 70 miles a day on it, you don't want a soft rear end.
28:39 I would be very tired, yes, and my rear end would be very painful, yes.
28:42 Exactly, yeah. I mean, I think these basically, they're a nice bike, they're well put together.
28:47 Absolutely well, yep, absolutely.
28:48 I think they are geared towards a new rider, aren't they?
28:51 That's right.
28:52 That, you know, isn't going to go fast, just needs to get used to the roads.
28:54 You can pick them up so cheaply, these.
28:56 Cheap, good, reliable bike. But for me, coming from the 636, it's too far a leap.
29:01 Yeah.
29:02 There's no excitement to it.
29:03 Yeah. I mean, it's very well kept, this one, actually.
29:06 Yes, it's a very nice looking bike. Everything's in its place. It's cool, yeah.
29:09 There's visibility alright on this one.
29:10 Everything's fine. The mirrors are good. You can see behind you, which is always a good thing.
29:14 Yes.
29:15 Nice soft seat. It's a nice bike, but as I say, just lacks focus.
29:19 You are a Kawasaki man, aren't you?
29:20 I love Kawasaki. I do love Kawasaki.
29:22 I can tell. Absolutely right. Well, we need to go to the scoreboards.
29:25 We do, indeed.
29:26 So, Alistair, style?
29:28 Six. Nice looking bike, but bland.
29:32 And performance?
29:33 Six. Performance is okay, not too great, but it's alright.
29:38 And practicality?
29:39 Seven. It's a very practical bike, and for a beginner, it'd be an excellent bike.
29:44 And reliability?
29:46 Seven. Again, it's a quacker, so I'm confident in the reliability.
29:50 You're such a Kawasaki man. Value for money?
29:53 Seven. I think, considering what you're getting, it's good value for money.
29:57 Well, it had to happen, didn't it?
29:59 Finally, that retro thing has gone on for so long that they've run out of things to hark back to.
30:03 And so Kawasaki, just to be different, have gone overseas to the wild, wild west.
30:08 Back to a time when the Indians were the only ones giving trouble to the fledgling manufacturers Harley and Davidson.
30:14 And the result is this, the Kawasaki Drifter.
30:17 This is the 800, baby brother to the bigger 1500.
30:20 And it is very much an Indian clone, which makes a novel alternative to the usual Harley clone.
30:25 And it goes back to a time when bikers were just becoming proper bad boys.
30:29 So, you better lock up your daughters.
30:32 As long as they're country and western fans, obviously.
30:35 Once on board, it's difficult to describe the riding position when you climb on for the first time.
30:46 Perhaps sitting on a very well padded toilet whilst playing the piano is the best way.
30:50 But, once underway, it's really very comfortable.
30:54 There's more than enough torque from the 800 twin, though certainly not on a Harley Davidson scale.
30:59 Don't expect to be thumping along with a cylinder firing every third cat's eye.
31:03 Start to encounter anything like a decent incline going uphill in anything over fourth or fifth gear,
31:10 and you will find power dropping away.
31:12 So, they decided to base it on a six or seven decade old Indian.
31:20 They may as well have based it on an old mangle, for all that's got in common with a modern day bike.
31:24 But, although it's looking like something out of an ancient circus, it's not that creaky underneath.
31:29 For instance, at the back, underneath this enormous fender, made here out of plastic or fiberglass,
31:35 which I guess is a lot better than old fashioned metal, because it would have made more than your house.
31:39 There's actually a mono shock.
31:41 It is sprung, but you would never tell from the outside,
31:44 which means your mates will think you've got a really tough backside.
31:48 Working our way along, big V twin, essential kit.
31:50 On the other side, a lovely shiny pipe, perhaps a little bit muffled, but you can modify it, I'm told.
31:55 And even, an imitation enormous cover over the air cleaner here.
31:59 Big engine bars, and at the front, unbelievably modernist,
32:03 though perhaps not what you'd expect on a sports bike, they are upside down forks.
32:07 But not in the way most of us would take upside down forks to be read.
32:10 And perhaps the strangest retro touch, and the most ultra retro touch of all, that I've ever seen on anything,
32:16 a solid disc on the front.
32:18 I haven't seen a solid disc in decades.
32:21 Don't know why you'd want one.
32:23 All of which is well and good.
32:25 It's good to have those retro touches, as somebody's pointed out.
32:28 It evens got a spoked rear wheel, which you can't possibly see, but at least you know it's there.
32:33 But once you're on board, you can't see any of that stuff.
32:35 It's a bike, so what's it like?
32:37 Well, it depends what you've been riding before, but if you're from a sports bike,
32:41 it can be a bit of a surprise, because the first thing you'll do is,
32:44 "Eek! Somebody's had me pegs!"
32:46 It's here. Big old highway boards, and the biggest rear brake I've ever seen.
32:50 On the other side, we've got a heel and toe gear lever as well, which can take a bit of getting used to.
32:54 But once you are on board, it actually doesn't feel as big as it looks.
32:58 Maybe because it's narrow and quite low.
33:00 It feels quite manageable, and certainly not too heavy.
33:03 We've got a very basic dashboard on the tank.
33:05 Nothing here that we don't need.
33:07 Nothing as elaborate, for instance, as a rev counter.
33:09 We've just got a speedometer that goes up to a very optimistic 120.
33:13 Three lights, and that's it.
33:15 Everything else is pretty familiar, nothing out of place.
33:17 It is basic, very basic, but that's in keeping with the whole feel of this bike.
33:21 It's not an elaborate Christmas tree.
33:23 It's just got what you need and nothing else.
33:25 If this were a homemade custom, it would have had two fillers, I'm sure, for the tank,
33:30 but it's just got one rather ordinary one offset.
33:32 None of your tart stuff, this.
33:34 And most importantly of all, of course, some people are impressed by looks.
33:38 Others are going to be impressed by noise.
33:40 What does it sound like?
33:43 Well, it's a V-Twin, and that's about it.
33:45 It doesn't...
33:47 You're not going to frighten the neighbours with it.
33:49 You're not even going to wake the neighbours with it.
33:51 That big screen does an excellent job of keeping the wind off
33:58 and everything nice and free when you're wearing your absolutely necessary open-face helmet.
34:03 However, it also does a very good job of slowing the bike up.
34:06 That said, it all feels very stable and actually surprisingly nimble.
34:10 When the time comes to haul everything to a stop,
34:13 those brakes do a surprisingly good job, even if it's in a bit of a panic.
34:16 And even that solid front disc brings everything to a halt nicely, cleanly and safely.
34:21 Perhaps the most noticeable feature of riding a cruiser like this or any other
34:25 is not the fact that your feet go first,
34:27 but the fact that you have to learn to think ahead quite a long way.
34:30 There's certainly no time for last-minute hard braking and quick turning.
34:34 So, who's going to want one? A drifter.
34:39 You could name that drifter.
34:40 It kind of conjures up images of Clint Eastwood in the desert.
34:43 And maybe that's it. Maybe that's answered the question.
34:45 That's what it's all about. Image.
34:47 It's a case of, do you want to look like this or not?
34:50 Because when a bike gets this specialised, it can mean only one thing.
34:53 You're going to love it or you're going to hate it.
34:56 The purists, well, they're probably going to hate it
34:58 because it's not a real original Harley or an Indian.
35:00 And let's face it, you're going to look a bit of a wally
35:02 trying to mix it with the scratches on a Sunday morning.
35:05 It won't go round corners fast enough.
35:07 This is the kind of bike you want.
35:09 This is probably the only kind of bike like this on the market.
35:12 And if you want it, you'll have to pay for it.
35:14 This is a second-hand '98. It'll cost you about £4,200
35:17 for which you do get quite a few extra goodies
35:20 like the screen and the crash bars, all original Kawasaki's thrown in
35:23 that you don't get as standard.
35:25 If you want to buy new, then you can buy the new 800,
35:27 which is an injection as opposed to this carb model.
35:29 That'll cost you about £6,200.
35:32 And if you want the big brother, well, the big 1500,
35:34 which is a shaft drive, not a chain like this,
35:37 that'll cost you a shade over £8,000.
35:40 Ultimately, then, my only worry is going to be,
35:43 is the best moment for this bike, the moment when you take delivery,
35:46 you ride it home, you stick it on the drive,
35:48 wait for your neighbours to poke their nose over the fence
35:50 and go, "Whoa, what is it?"
35:52 My concern is going to be, have you then peaked?
35:55 Is that its best-ever moment?
35:56 Are you then going to reach for the garage doors
35:58 and the keys for your R1?
35:59 I don't know. Maybe you'll have one if it could be one of about five bikes.
36:03 A test for you.
36:04 Did you know there's a certain Japanese bike manufacturer
36:07 who also makes aircraft?
36:09 And did you know they also make a bike that'll do a mile in under 20 seconds?
36:13 Yes, it's true. And what's the connection?
36:16 It's aerodynamics.
36:17 And this, the ZX-12R, is full of aerodynamics.
36:22 In fact, the aerodynamics make it so fast
36:25 that the European Commission threatened dire consequences
36:29 if it really did 200 miles an hour.
36:32 Instead, it does around 188 in the right conditions,
36:36 which doesn't have to be now.
36:38 But that's all a bit academic.
36:40 It's good for pop talk, but in the real world,
36:42 what you have is more power than a 5 Series BMW
36:45 and about a seventh of the weight.
36:47 Get the picture?
36:48 This is a serious performance motorcycle.
36:52 Now, you can forget the old Zezas R1100.
36:55 That's still in production.
36:56 But this is a completely different bike.
36:58 The biggest difference is the frame.
37:00 Gone are the old perimeter frame rails running around here
37:03 that you get is common on most bikes these days.
37:05 This has got a monocoque frame,
37:07 one big aluminium fabrication down the middle there.
37:10 How's just the fuel tank?
37:12 This here is just a plastic cover.
37:14 It's not a tank at all.
37:15 The filler's there, but the tank is also down here.
37:17 Hear that? So that's the fuel tank.
37:19 In the centre of this monocoque frame is the airbox,
37:22 all part and parcel of it with the filters in there.
37:25 Top here, it's got a little panel for the fuses.
37:28 But that's all new and really identifies this bike
37:31 as being something different.
37:33 Now, up front, you can see what I'm calling
37:35 the giant pooper scooper.
37:37 That's the ram air duct, which Kawasaki says
37:39 adds actually 12 brake horsepower
37:41 when you go in at full chat, which is a hell of a lot.
37:44 Some people have said, "Why isn't it flush?"
37:46 Well, if it was flush, according to aircraft technology,
37:48 you lose a lot of that fresh air intake.
37:51 You're just lost on the aerodynamics.
37:54 Now, the other part of this equation,
37:55 that's 12 brake horsepower extra,
37:57 but the rest of it is here.
37:58 And this brand-new engine produces 180 brake horsepower.
38:02 That's a lot of ponies, that is,
38:04 let alone all these sheep around here.
38:06 It's brand-new. It's got chrome-plated bores,
38:08 which means they can get the bores closer together.
38:11 Saves weight, makes the engine much slimmer.
38:13 Also under this magnesium cover,
38:15 12-plate clutch as well. All very neat.
38:17 Cokes with all that power.
38:19 And look up here. Fuel injection.
38:22 Massive chokes there.
38:24 That's where they're sucking all that air in
38:26 to get all that power.
38:28 Whatever, the technology certainly works.
38:31 The bike feels much lighter than it is,
38:33 more like a 600 than a 1200,
38:36 but open that throttle and you know it's a 1200.
38:39 It's a matter of dialer speed.
38:41 90 in first, 120 in second, and so on.
38:45 But it's not just brute power.
38:47 The delivery is super smooth,
38:48 and the handling a revelation.
38:51 Again, this is nothing like the old ZZR1100,
38:54 which is like a super tanker in comparison to this.
38:57 On the ZX12R, you just tip it into the corner
39:00 and around you go.
39:01 The suspension is firm but well-controlled,
39:03 and the whole bike really feels nimble.
39:06 A sort of amazing grace.
39:09 Grace or not, the suspension is fully adjustable,
39:15 front and rear.
39:16 And look at this front end.
39:17 Upside-downers on this.
39:19 43mm stanchions.
39:21 Six-pot calipers there, the old 320mm discs.
39:24 And see this little gizmo here,
39:26 this little aerodynamic deflector.
39:28 Now it's not a gimmick.
39:29 That's actually designed to pick up the airflow there
39:32 and stop it being disrupted by these calipers.
39:35 So it doesn't have too much drag.
39:37 All this counts.
39:38 And here, if you can see them,
39:40 these little holes here,
39:41 the air goes into the radiator,
39:43 and would you believe,
39:44 it's actually sucked out through there
39:45 and around the side of the fairing.
39:47 Again, this is aircraft technology.
39:49 It comes along there.
39:50 And see these little wings?
39:52 Now these aren't designed to keep you down on the ground.
39:54 Again, this is to disrupt the airflow.
39:57 It's to stop any messy air from here
39:59 and off the front wheel
40:00 coming up the side of the fairing.
40:02 So it breaks it up,
40:03 reduces drag again,
40:04 and increases speed.
40:06 And it's all supposed to work.
40:07 Aircraft technology.
40:09 But what are these aerodynamics like for the rider?
40:12 They're good.
40:13 The screen's low, of course,
40:14 but the rest of it is very effective
40:16 at keeping the blast off you.
40:18 The riding position itself is fairly sporty
40:20 with a slight tip forward
40:22 and the seat big and roomy,
40:23 which is just as well
40:24 because this bike is absolutely ballistic.
40:28 It's so responsive and so powerful
40:30 that you've got to feel right to feel in the market.
40:34 But the poor old passenger
40:36 has got nothing at all to hold on to.
40:38 You could, in fact, strap them down on these bungee hooks,
40:40 but that wouldn't be very nice, would it?
40:42 Under here is, in fact, the pillion seat.
40:45 You just take this plastic cover off
40:47 and under there is a small seat squab.
40:49 But as I say, with no grab rail,
40:51 I wouldn't fancy that at all.
40:54 Just put that back on there.
40:56 When you're actually coming up to the cockpit,
40:58 you can't help but miss these mirrors,
41:00 which look absolutely massive.
41:01 Again, some people don't like them.
41:03 They're all aerodynamic.
41:04 But I tell you what,
41:05 this mirror glass at first feels pretty big.
41:08 But what you see is your shoulders,
41:10 not your elbows.
41:11 Normally on a sports bike,
41:12 you see elbows, but not shoulders.
41:13 If you crouch down over the tank,
41:15 yes, you get a clear view.
41:16 But again, most of the time,
41:17 you're sitting fairly upright,
41:18 so it's only half mirror.
41:21 Down in here, if I just clamber aboard,
41:23 the instruments, they're both analog,
41:25 speedo and rev counter.
41:27 But the speedo's very, very small
41:29 and those digits are really crammed up.
41:31 220 miles an hour it shows on here
41:34 and there's just too many of them.
41:35 So if you are travelling a fair old lick,
41:37 which you're bound to be doing,
41:38 you actually can't clearly read them.
41:40 On the right is a great big digital display,
41:43 which has got a clock on there
41:44 and it's got two trip mileage recorders as well.
41:46 So you change the clock into one trip
41:49 and the other one into the total mileage or the trip.
41:52 It's also got a fuel gauge at the top
41:54 and a temperature gauge.
41:55 Very neat, but I prefer a big digital display
41:58 of the actual speed.
42:00 After all, it's a gato that's going to lose your licence,
42:02 not the clock.
42:04 Now at the back here,
42:05 this very pretty chain isn't just pretty.
42:08 See these gold side plates?
42:09 They're specially strengthened.
42:11 This is a chain made by DID just for this bike.
42:14 So it's got strengthened side plates
42:16 and strengthened rollers as well.
42:18 You can also see this swing arm,
42:20 which looks a bit odd first off
42:21 because they call it a pentagonal shape.
42:24 In there, there's interior webbing
42:25 to strengthen the swing arm on both sides
42:28 and it's supposed to match the flex
42:29 and complement it to give the right amount of movement
42:32 so you haven't got any part too rigid.
42:35 What also you can't miss is this massive back tyre.
42:38 This is this big 200 section rear tyre.
42:41 Forget your 180s, 190s, 200 section.
42:45 Monoshock tucked away up there,
42:47 fully adjustable of course.
42:48 And over on the other side,
42:49 I can just see my reflection in there.
42:51 Not a pretty sight,
42:52 but I didn't have to tell you that.
42:54 Massive titanium can
42:55 and down at the front end of that
42:57 is a catalytic converter,
42:58 all work within the pipe.
43:00 Makes it very, very neat.
43:02 So where are we in the hyperbike states?
43:04 At £9,380 on the road,
43:07 the Quacker is more expensive
43:08 than the Blackbird or the Hayabusa.
43:11 But all three bikes have a similar performance.
43:14 The Honda a bit more refined,
43:16 the Suzuki a bit more of a bruiser.
43:18 But all three will see you losing your licence
43:20 with a twist too far.
43:22 Where the Ninja really scores though
43:24 is in the handling states.
43:26 It's lighter than its competitors
43:28 and its handling is tauter,
43:29 well and truly in the sports bike class.
43:32 Couple that to its slimmer feel
43:34 and to me more stylish lines
43:36 and irrespective of the
43:37 "whose is the fastest of them all" debate,
43:40 I'd say the ZX-12 has the edge
43:42 in the hyperperformance class.
43:44 The ultimate rocket ship class.
43:47 By the way,
43:48 not only can you have one in lime green
43:49 like this one,
43:50 it also comes in red
43:52 and a classy silver.
43:54 Not that you'll be in view long enough
43:55 for anyone to notice of course.
43:57 So just enjoy.
43:59 I'll tell you one thing,
44:04 this is certainly not a bike for the sheepish.
44:07 And now we come to our first sports tour of the day
44:12 with this,
44:13 the Kawasaki ZZ-R 1200.
44:15 Now if this bike looks strangely familiar to some of you,
44:18 don't be worried about it.
44:19 It's because this is an adapted,
44:21 breathed upon and tweaked version
44:23 of Kawasaki's ZZ-R 1100.
44:26 The legendary top speed king
44:27 that ruled the high speed charts
44:29 for all of six years
44:30 until Honda's Blackbird came along
44:32 to snatch the crown.
44:33 Now then,
44:34 the ZZ-R 11 was a very fast motorcycle,
44:37 something that struck fear,
44:38 awe and trepidation
44:39 into the hearts of all who came across it
44:41 and anybody who had bikes in their life
44:43 and a pulse in their body
44:44 wanted a go on one.
44:46 It has to be said,
44:47 the ZZ-R 1200 will never inherit the 1100's mantle.
44:51 Where the 1100's bulbous ugliness
44:53 was perfectly acceptable
44:55 in the light of its relative performance merits,
44:57 the ZZ-R 1200 is, by and large,
44:59 simply unattractive and overweight.
45:02 Time, fashion and super fast motorcycles
45:05 have moved on
45:06 and the ZZ-R 12 just ain't in the in-crowd anymore.
45:09 But then that's not what Kawasaki wanted it to do.
45:12 After all,
45:13 they're already packing the best hyperbike
45:14 on the market in their line-up
45:16 with the latest incarnation of the ZX-12,
45:18 so launching another model to compete against it
45:20 could hardly be a smart move.
45:22 Nope, the ZZ-R 1200's remit
45:24 is a very different one.
45:26 Instead of heading out there
45:27 to be a cutting edge hyper blaster,
45:29 the ZZ-R 1200 is a far more all-rounded,
45:33 balanced, real-world alternative
45:35 that just happens to have as an added bonus
45:37 one serious rush of speed
45:39 if that happens to be your drug of choice.
45:42 Coming to the practicalities of the thing,
45:44 let's start with the comfort
45:45 because this seat is palatial.
45:48 It will even make the VFR's perch
45:50 feel positively anorexic by comparison.
45:52 Your pillion perch really isn't far off
45:54 being as good as the rider's side either
45:56 and as well as that,
45:57 there's this huge fairing up here
45:59 which cocoons you from head to toe
46:01 in a lovely bubble of peaceful, still air.
46:04 Best of all though, there's the motor.
46:06 Against a higher booster or a ZX-12,
46:08 it may feel a bit slow
46:10 and true, being carbureted,
46:11 it does spin up with a little less urgency
46:13 than more modern sporting beasts
46:15 but get on the gas and you will be left
46:17 in no doubt that this is still
46:19 one brutally fast piece of machinery.
46:21 Chassis and suspension have been worked over too
46:23 from the original ZZ-R
46:25 with geometry tweaks throughout
46:26 to speed up the steering
46:27 and an all over helping of extra chassis stiffness.
46:30 The ZZ-R 1200's suspension
46:32 works very well within the limits of the bike.
46:34 i.e. good fast cruising, open roads,
46:37 you can even do some scratching,
46:39 get a bit energetic in the tight stuff
46:40 if that's what you want to do.
46:42 However, push on too hard,
46:44 get into real sports bike mode
46:45 and the budget nature of this suspension
46:47 will start to show itself up
46:49 as the whole plot becomes a little unglued,
46:51 bounces around,
46:52 you don't get so much feedback
46:53 to get on in confidence.
46:54 But really, if you want to ride that hard,
46:57 may I suggest you look elsewhere for your jollies.
46:59 Otherwise, ZZ-R 1200 holds its own very well indeed.
47:03 Obviously, it's not all perfect.
47:05 Like I said earlier, it is an ugly motorcycle
47:08 and despite all the tweaks and fiddles,
47:10 it will take more than a redesigned fairing
47:12 and a big bore to convince anyone
47:14 that this is much more than a dusted off
47:15 and dressed up ZZ-R 1100.
47:18 And with its make up so firmly rooted in the past,
47:21 there's no surprises to find
47:22 a host of old school touches on the ZZ-R 1200.
47:25 For example, there are those great big analogue clocks,
47:29 there are mirrors the size of dinner plates
47:31 and for anyone who's been riding
47:32 fuel injected bikes recently,
47:34 best get used to the fact
47:35 there's a fuel tap on this one
47:36 and it's running carbs.
47:37 Therefore, soon as you run out,
47:39 you better get quick on the draw
47:40 with getting to that tap
47:41 before you stutter to a halt.
47:43 So, fashion and the complexities of modern age
47:46 have largely passed the big Z by.
47:48 But this is no bad thing
47:50 because beneath all that,
47:52 this is a very good, very fast,
47:55 comfortable mile muncher
47:56 that is actually quite hard to beat.
47:58 So, how does it stack up in the scores?
48:01 Performance, 8 out of 10.
48:04 You've got a lot of bang for your buck with this one.
48:07 Style, 5 out of 10.
48:10 She's no beauty queen and that's for sure.
48:13 Comfort, 9 out of 10.
48:16 You really could cross continents in a day
48:18 with no worries on one of these,
48:20 two up or so long.
48:22 Reliability, 6 out of 10.
48:24 Given that it comes from the ZZR1100,
48:26 the basis of this bike is actually quite old.
48:29 And if it's anything like the 1100 was,
48:32 then things like chains, tyres,
48:34 cush drives and head bearings
48:36 are all in for a rough ride.
48:38 Value for money, 8 out of 10.
48:40 If fashion isn't your thing,
48:41 but big miles are
48:42 and you still want some fun to be had
48:44 while you're at it,
48:45 then this really could be money well spent.
48:47 If we ever have a biking hall of fame
48:49 containing names of famous motorcycles,
48:51 then what would we put in it?
48:52 Well, we'd probably put the Fireblade in it, wouldn't we?
48:55 We'll always remember that name, the Blade,
48:56 even if they never make another one.
48:58 As far as Yamaha goes,
48:59 then it would probably be their top sports bike, the R1.
49:03 What then about Suzuki?
49:04 Well, perhaps the GSX-Rs, the 600, the 750,
49:08 and their current bike, the GSX-R1000.
49:11 On then to Kawasaki.
49:12 Well, if you think back to the '70s,
49:14 it'd be something like the old Z650s,
49:16 the Z900s, and the big Z-Thou.
49:18 But much more recently,
49:19 it would be one of these, a Ninja.
49:22 Make no mistake,
49:23 this is one very, very fast motorcycle.
49:26 Kawasaki have worked their socks off
49:28 in trying to make the ZX-9R a worthy contender
49:31 in the world of super sports bikes.
49:33 Back in 1998, it had a complete overhaul
49:36 when it was given not just a new chassis and suspension,
49:39 but a completely new engine with bigger valves
49:41 to help it develop more power.
49:43 The wheelbase was also shortened slightly
49:45 to help sharpen up the handling.
49:47 And the updates have continued ever since,
49:49 with further tweaks to the engine and the frame.
49:52 And it now sports a smart-looking titanium silencer,
49:55 replacing the old black end can,
49:57 which, apart from looking rather nasty,
49:59 weighed an absolute ton.
50:01 It really is a top sports bike,
50:03 and I love it to bits.
50:05 Now, the name Ninja first appeared, actually, in 1994,
50:09 and it appeared on a ZX-9R,
50:11 which this is, as I'm sure you realise.
50:13 A year later, they stuck it on their ZX-6R,
50:16 and then a year later again, in '96,
50:18 they actually introduced a ZX-7RR again,
50:21 carrying the name Ninja.
50:22 But it was the ZX-9 which was the original.
50:25 This, as I'm sure you know, is not a 1994 bike.
50:28 This is actually a year 2001 bike,
50:31 which makes an E1 model ZX-9.
50:34 But it's changed massively over the years.
50:36 As we'd expect, the weight has gone down.
50:38 The original one weighed in at 215 kilos.
50:41 This thing tips the scales now, would you believe, at 183,
50:45 which is only a touch heavier than their own 600cc Ninja.
50:48 But while the weight's gone down, of course,
50:50 the power has gone up,
50:52 and this thing now claims 144 brake horsepower.
50:56 Oh, yes, please.
50:58 The truth is that when it comes to performance,
51:01 the ZX-9R is spot on,
51:03 and it's capable of giving any top sports bike
51:05 a run for its money.
51:07 Handling-wise, it's probably fair to say
51:09 that it's not quite as sharp as things like the GSX-R or R1,
51:13 but, hey, who cares?
51:15 This Ninja still has abilities way beyond the reach
51:17 of 99% of the people who will ever own one.
51:21 And talking of ownership, you'd be wise to try and find one
51:24 that's not been thrashed too hard
51:26 and hasn't spent most of its life on the back wheel.
51:29 One like this, which is a 2001 bike
51:31 with 6,800 miles under its belt
51:34 and is in absolutely pristine condition,
51:36 would sell in a showroom today for perhaps a touch over £5,000.
51:41 As I've said, this engine has done less than 7,000 miles,
51:44 so it's not really done any work.
51:46 There shouldn't be too much wrong with that,
51:48 but I can tell you that some high-mileage ZX-9Rs
51:50 sometimes suffer from what sounds like the big ends going.
51:53 It's not. They sound like a box of nuts and bolts.
51:55 It's not. Very often, it's the cam chain tensioner that's gone.
51:58 The spring goes weak, and that's what it is.
52:00 It sounds awful, but it's not that bad.
52:02 So if you've got a noisy one, it's worth having that checked out.
52:04 £70 for a new one. It might not be the end of the world.
52:07 When you're looking at a used bike,
52:09 you need to look for signs that it has had a careful owner.
52:12 There are one or two signs on this.
52:14 Down on the swingarm there, the brace across the swingarm
52:16 has got some sticky-back clear film on it.
52:18 Now, the owner has put that on to protect it from stone chips,
52:22 because the stones get picked up by the treads
52:24 and they get flicked off as it's back on the way down,
52:26 and he's put that on to protect it.
52:28 So quite thoughtful.
52:29 And then he's gone one better and put a colour-matched rear hugger on
52:32 to protect it completely, and it looks nice as well.
52:34 He's done the same down at the front, on the bottom of the fern as well.
52:37 So this is a one-owner bike, but all the signs would be
52:40 that it's had one very, very careful owner.
52:43 And that's my kind of used bike.
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