Kawasaki ZRX1100/1200R/S

Kawasaki was on to a good thing back in the '80s. A reputation for having the toughest air-cooled muscle-bikes backed up by a solid race pedigree in the form of Superbike AMA wins in 1980-81 and '82 in the hands of Eddie Lawson and a huge following worldwide. In 1997 the factory decided to cash in on the history and recapture a bit of the old magic by launching the ZRX1100. Sadly we didn't get the ZRX over here until 1999, which is shame because by that time the Suzuki Bandit had run away with the sales.

The 1054cc liquid-cooled DOHC engine in the ZRX1100 is basically a ZZ-R1100 unit 'retuned' to allegedly give more midrange. Horsepower dropped from 140 to a pedestrian 90, which meant that everyone who bought one immediately installed ZZ-R cams to reinstate the missing ponies. The engine sat happily in a low-tech, steel-tube frame, suspended by period-looking conventional forks and trick piggy-back twin shocks. Looks are deceptive as both the forks and the shocks were multi adjustable and a million times better than the items they pretended to be.

Faux fins and a triangulated alloy swingarm matched with the famous Kwack green completed the styling of the Eddie Lawson masterpiece, while the red version looked like a GPZ.

In Australia there were two versions of the 1100, the C3 and C4 that covered just three years from 1999 to 2001. Original price was $12990.

Then came the ZRX1200R priced at $13990, which continues to the present day. At the same time the ZXR1200S appeared. Basically the same bike but with a half fairing that worked better than it looked but added a grand to the price until it was discontinued in 2004.

MORE OF THE SAME
Err - no. Not only had the bore increased by three millimetres from 76 to 79mm but the stroke was up too, from 58 to 59.4mm, calling for wider crankcases, longer crank, new aluminium block with ceramic bores instead of steel liners, new head, cams, rods, pistons and different exhaust. The factory claimed 124hp for the 12, which means that a genuine 112 or so gets to the rear wheel. This is the engine that found its way into the 150 plus horsepower ZZ-R1200.

If the engine copped a significant work over, so to did the chassis. The swingarm was different with stiffer bracing and a 5mm lower mount point on the chassis. The rear shocks are 15mm higher than the 1100 and quicken the steering a bit. This has meant that the fork offset is different giving a trail of 106mm instead of 104mm. Wheelbase is longer and gearing is taller while the fuel tank drops a litre down to 19.

ON THE ROAD
The 1100 lacks the power and grunt of the 1200 and reminds me of the much-maligned CB1000 Honda. Fundamentally a good bike it can best be described as pleasant, it's smoothish and fairly refined, and for those not interested in numbers it'll be fine.

The 1200 on the other hand, is the full fist and has the performance muscularity that the looks demand. From way down low it feels powerful and responsive, fat torque giving way to a hard charge up the rev counter just the way big Kawasakis should. Being rubber mounted and counter balanced, the ride is mirror smooth but where the 1100 runs out of puff the 1200 stretches its pace and breaks into a full bore gallop.

The 1100 was always a bit of an effort to hustle hard, not the least reason being that the suspension was always on the soft side and not really well damped - especially at the front. Ironically the photo bike exhibited the same traits. This was puzzling as other 12s I've ridden felt much better. Tyres were brand new on the back and fairly good on the front. However all was revealed when we noticed that the rear shocks were set on max rebound and the front on minimum everything with hardly any preload. Fiddling helped a little and it was nice to see that the adjusters produced identifiable changes.

You can get the 1100 to handle and many web sites have very good information on how to make the thing work well.

Basically despite being heavy at a claimed 220 kilos dry, the 12 handles very well for a big bore - maybe not as agile as the Yamaha FZ1 but a good rider will never be embarrassed. Especially as the easy access torque really stomps all over the Yamaha in a roll-on situation - and a standard Bandit for that matter.

As far as comfort goes, two up or solo the riding position and seating is just about as comfortable as it gets. Sure really high speeds would get to be a strain thanks to the small and largely decorative fairing, but in most of this over-governed country it doesn't matter. Anyway there's always the half faired S version. Unsurprisingly fuel economy is about 16 km/l, which means that you'll get about 250ish before you reach for reserve. 

The six-pot brakes look good and work well, but aftermarket pads dull the feel and conviction of the system compared with standard pads. Equipment is basic and in keeping with the design - nothing wrong with that and to be honest this is a great sporting, touring and commuting machine. No matter what you wanted to do, a ZRX would be excellent company.

IN THE WORKSHOP
Most Japanese four-cylinder machines share similar servicing costs these days, and a minor service every 6000km will cost around $250. The valves will need checking at 30,000km and will cost about $500-$600 depending on what needs replacing. If you want to do the work yourself, it's not that hard, just be sure to take your time and be methodical.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Well the good news is that this bike in either form is a rock solid piece of engineering. Having said that any vehicle is only as good as its owners. As kilometres go up and owners change, the service record often falls behind or gets lost. If you can get records that's a bonus, if not ask well considered questions like; what type of oil the owner uses and where the servicing is carried out. If it's a shop, you can call them and get some background info on the bike.

Naturally you'll need to check for crash damage, eyeball everything that would hit the ground. Lever ends, bar weights, engine casings, muffler etc. Check the rubber grips and footrests and see if the wear matches the kilometres showing and make a list of all the consumables that'll need replacing especially big ticket items like tyres, discs or chain and sprockets.

A ZRX should start almost instantly and not blow smoke once it's warm. In addition there should be no loud rattles or clicking sounds, the 1100 can be a bit noisy but the 1200 is beautifully quiet. Despite this, if the engine sounds cam-chain rattly, chances are it's the carbs out of sync and nothing a service and tune won't fix. First gear engages with a significant clonk, don't worry they all do that, after that though the remaining four should click in with minimal effort. Most Kawasaki gearboxes seem to take a bit of time to bed in and synthetic oil often helps with selection. Once moving, the bike should be smooth throughout the rev range. Vibration can mean the engine mount bolts have come loose.

Use the brakes to slow gently and check for a pulsing sensation at the lever. These days disc warping is common as the discs are often quite thin from new.

MODIFICATIONS
As with a Bandit there's a ton of things you could do. The 1100 needs the cams from a ZZ-R1100, which drop straight in and deserve to be matched to a good quality full exhaust system (which will shed about 13kg) as well as a jet kit. Once fitted, power easily matches the 1200. The suspension needs a work over and I think I'd be experimenting with suspension links (dog bones) to raise the rear ride height a little and get the thing to turn a little easier. 

As for the 1200, to be honest, I'd leave the engine alone, but fit a jet kit and exhaust end can just to give a small increase in crispness and match it all to an extra couple of teeth on the rear sprocket just to make life more entertaining. After that - fine-tune the suspension and fit Bridgestone BT010s front and rear. They won't last long because of the power and weight, but they suit the bike.

However if big numbers are the only thing that floats yer boat, a turbo can get you between 200 and 350hp. As for the S model, which looks a bit touring for my taste, all of the above and a respray in Lawson colours would transform the look and attitude of the bike.

WHICH MODEL?
Given that both models can be found for ridiculously small figures, it wouldn't bother me as the cheaper 1100 can be made quicker and I don't mind a bit of mucking about. In truth though, the 1200 is by far the better machine.

SUMMING UP
An absolute bargain, do-everything, well-equipped gem with the added cache of that timeless retro styling. No doubt in my mind - this is great second-hand buying.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed, constant-mesh
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel double cradle
Front-suspension: Conventional 43mm Showa forks - fully adjustable
Rear-suspension: Twin shock absorbers - fully adjustable

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Wheelbase: 1450mm/1465mm
Rake and trail: 25 degrees 104mm/25 degrees 106mm
Dry weight: 222kg
Seat height: 790mm
Fuel capacity: 20/19 litres

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 95.9hp at 8600rpm/123.7hp at 8500rpm
Max torque: 9.8kg-m at 10,350rpm/11.4kg-m at 7000rpm

ZRX1200R
2001 A1 $10000
2001 A2 $10300
2002 $11000
2003 $11200
2004 $11600
2005 $12100