Kawasaki Zx-9r
KAWASAKI ZX-9R
Long-Term Wrap-Up
SPEED AND COMFORT UNITE
WHEN IT COMES TO ACCUMULATing mileage on a long-term testbike, it’s the hard-edged, high-performance motorcycles that seem to take the longest to achieve our target goal of 10,000 miles.
That’s not to say CW editors steer clear of race-replicas. In fact, these bikes are the hot ticket for the occasional racetrack day or a Sunday-morning blitz to the local mountain-top cafe. Trouble is, that particular cafe isn't very far away, and Sunday only comes once a week.
Given the broad spectrum of bikes we usually have to pick from, one soon learns that outright performance often takes a back seat to comfort, and not just when the ride calls for extended saddle time. Kawasaki’s ZX-9R has proven itself an exception to the rule. While front-line sporting performance is the 9R’s calling card, generous ergonomics well-suited to daily use are a 9R forte. This balanced approach made the bike a staff favorite. So much so that it amassed nearly 12,000 street and track miles in a fraction of the time it has taken other long-term bikes to cover half that distance.
In its initial road test, the bike’s sixspeed gearbox drew criticism for a tendency to find occasional false neutrals when shifting down from fourth to third. We hoped for an improvement in shifting action once the transmission acquired more breakin miles, but this was not the case. In all fairness, we should note that two days of dragstrip use early in the test cycle weakened the clutch. We never experienced any
slippage, but at times the bike would creep forward when stopped in gear. Also, the neutral light would not always illuminate, indicating a sticky shift mechanism.
Since the 9R seldom sat for even a day, we ran up 7450 miles before new clutch plates were installed. At the same time, we also changed the oil, using Royal Purple Racing 21 synthetic ($8.95 per quart from Royal Purple, 2006 Wilson Rd„ Humble, TX 77396; 713/446-1000). Smoother shifting and fewer false neutrals were the result. Whether credit goes to the new clutch pack or the lubricant is tough to say.
traffic in the narrow strei ' of Japan been surpri ingly easi Overail, my Z] 9R seems to it ail whi looking dam impressive. -Adam WaéF Fujisawa Japai
at~~ tr~~ vii th~e I~g haak
Bob Hnii~h~ Nice balance between size and power, but is there any excuse for this bike not shifting as well as my 11-year-old Suzuki? -~-~ Don Can~ Just returned from 1000-plus miles of mostly desert freeway between Newport Beach and Phoenix. It was damn hot the entire way. Even so, the ZX's temp gauge never exceeded % on its scale. M~Jth~w MilesThe ZX-9 is quickly becoming a personal favorite. Un fortunately, the transmission isn't improving with age. Too bad. Also, a thicker seat pad would be appreciated.
The neutral light became more reliable, too.
As with any powerful sportbike, tire performance and life was of vital concern. Having subjected the track compound Bridgestone Battlaxes ($336 for the pair) to nearly 3000 miles of hard street and track use, we fitted a pair of Continental Radial 2000s ($260). The Continentals wore like leather over the next 7000 miles, providing adequate grip for general street and sport-touring use. We were less impressed with their grip on the racetrack, and the fact they madi * the 9R stand up under braking more so than the Bridgestones or the Dunlop Sportmax II radiais ($320) we mounted toward the end of our test period. Compared to the Continentals, the street-compound Dunlops provided a marked improvement in steering feel and grip. With just under 2000 miles of street and minor track use, they still show plenty of life.
“I absolutely love my ZX9R. The power is awesome, handling rock steady and the transmission clunkyness reported in the road test has never materialized. ” -Rene LaPrevotte Novato, California
Aside from the transmission woes (Kawasaki claims to have solved the problem on the '95 model, using a ZX7 shift mechanism), our only complaint with the 9R is with its saddle. The leading edge of the seat rubbed against the fuel tank, ultimately abrading the paint and the vinyl cover. Also, the passenger perch received less-thanstellar marks, drawing criticism from girlfriends and wives who complained of sliding forward into the rider. The tool kit located under the passenger seat was also reluctant to stay cinched in place, occasionally working itself loose to rattle about the storage area. Wrapping the tool bag in a shop towel before tightening the anchor strap provided an easy fix.
“The bike is such an overwhelming jo? to ride that its false neutral problem can be forgiven. But should it?” -Jack Whittle Norwalk,
In all, we hate to see the ZX-9R go back to Kawasaki. Minor annoyances aside, it’s been a wonderful addition to our long-term fleet and not to our surprise, a very well-rounded sportbike. □
SPECIFICATIONS
$9299
