A few miles left in this bike with attitude (Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R)

Member Name: patmoocat

Product:	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R
Date:	14/08/01 (9462 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks and attitude, Handling esp. front end

Disadvantages: Getting older every year, Insurance high as people crash them a lot, Second hand bikes can be over customised

When I say that my first bike was a Kawasaki ZX7R, people always look at me a bit funny...

I did direct access in five days having never ridden on the road before (messed around off road on mates Cub 90's, that sort of thing). I just wanted to get the license so when the time came I could just get one and not worry about it.

Six months past, it was winter after all :) And then, by some Kawasaki marketing magic, I had a vision. I was in the Cage night club in Bournemouth (don't ask) and the time of the night had come to try and get a taxi home. I was waiting for the girls to get their coats (why why why!) when I noticed a motorbike stuck on a display stand near the exit door. I staggered over to see what it was and at that moment I knew the time had come. I had to have this bike. What I saw was a big, twin headlight superbike that just dared you to even think about riding it!

First off, as much as I love this bike I would definitely question buying a new one. The bike came out in 1995 and apart from colour schemes and a few technical changes it is still the same bike now as it was then. Therefore, while technology has moved on the ZX7R has effectively stood still. But before you run off and by the latest GSXR / R1, let me discuss why standing still is not always a bad thing in this race-obsessed technology-frenetic bike market.

The ZX7R was born for racing. It's a race replica of the ZX7RR that is still raced in World Super Bikes today. And it would be fair to say that it doesn't do too well most of the time, maybe coming in around 5th or 6th on average. But what it does do is show that a bike that was designed over six years ago is still mixing it with the big boys. And that's good for the keen second hand buyer who can't afford or doesn't want to keep up with the latest incarnation of a particular model.

I own a black 1996 (P2) ZX7R that I bought with 5k miles and picked up for £4
,300. It now has 11k miles and a few nasty marks on the swing arm and forks after a leg breaking disengagement of brain :) Repaired the fairing and levers, not much I can do about the alloy bits :( I bought it about two years ago and have used it for pleasure and getting to work on occasions. Insurance was high at the time even though I was living in crime-free Dorset. At £800 3PFT (this was with SpyBall patriot alarm fitted at a cost of £430) I was seriously thinking of getting a 600 instead. But when I went to see my bike-to-be I knew that the extra cash was worth it.

The bike is big. It has large dimensions compared to the recent batch of R1 / GSXR superbikes. And that's good in my book as I'm 6ft 5 and need somewhere to keep my legs. It weighs in at 203 kilos too which is heavy compared to the 170 kilo machines of today. This isn't all bad, as it sits tight on the road and doesn't try and throw you off at the first sight of a bump or too much throttle. It could do with shedding a few kilos that's for sure, a good way to do this is change the standard exhaust as this must weigh 6 - 7 kilos at least! It has a massive 190 rear tyre, which is great for impressing your friends. Rumor has it a 180 would improve the steering response, but I can't bring myself to downsize. Think carefully about tyre choice. I was drawn into the 'race replica' tyre choice that proved damaging to my body and bike. I had an accident on Pilot Race tires, too much acceleration at low speed. Maybe better fitting the set down from the race replica offering (e.g. Dunlop 207s as opposed to 207
Rs or RRs).

It has twin headlights and twin air intakes. The fairing is big, the rear seat is fairly stepped but has some good hand rails for your pillion. The bike is quite simply dripping with attitude, and the front end is one of the best around. Two huge 6-pot caliper brakes stop you in a hurry and the fuel tank will see you for
150 miles +.

One weakness is the rear shock, which does tend to let the side down. It doesn't react too well to large bumps in roads and can get the backend into trouble when you do something stupid. But I'm no Kevin Schwantz so it really isn't too much of a black mark against the overall excellent handling .

It's a little lardy and some say underpowered (125 BHP). But I like lard, and it's enough power to safely use on the road. It handles sure and steady with the extra weight helping keep you on track. It gets a little choked at low revs sometimes, this can be a pain when you're trying to get in front of cars at the lights. This appears to be a common complaint.

I know that it's old and that the new 600's muller it, let alone the 1000's. But even two years on and with a bigger bank balance - I still don't want anything else. The 996's are great, the GSXRs too are pretty special. But for value for money look no further. If you want a bike that will have passers-by stopping and looking around it (as your mates 2001 TLs, R1s and Blades go unnoticed) then you can't go wrong.

If you're on a budget or want what is still probably the best looking sports bike in the country - buy a ZX 7R.

New bikes from the likes of Honda and Suzuki will go faster, be lighter and get you into more trouble. And that is great if that is what you're after. But for someone who doesn't need or want for the lightest, most powerful bike in the class - the ZX7R is a great choice.

If you're really sold on it's offerings buy a new one. But if you're wiser buy a used one for £3,500 and spend the money saved on decent kit (leathers, helmet etc.)

Oh, and get it in black :)

UPDATE

Rode to South of France and Spain during the summer. The bike was fantastic, never missed a beat. Didn't get too uncomfortable even though we did on average
200 miles a day. The bike got very choked up at high alltitudes, but this was to be expected.

Really very pleased with it's performance over the 10 days, and although I got uncomfortable from time to time the fun I had on the bike more than made up for it. Go to France on the ZX7R, it just loves those roads :)

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