Kawasaki 1100 zephyr- easy to love with?
Discussion
Hello all,
I’ve had loads of bikes over the years and I miss riding a big 4. I fancy an early 90s 1100 zephyr as I like th look and height etc.
I have had a z1000 and a 1978 z1r so I’m not new to big zeds.
However I don’t have a decent old school mechanic living near me any more, I can do the basics but I can’t really be bothered. Am I overthinking ? How reliable are they? Do the carbs need rebalancing every few mi the like my old z1r ?
Am I better looking at a more modern zrx 1100?
Any answers would be appreciated.
I’d try to get out on it most weeks if it is dry and would start the bike up in the garage if it isn’t dry.
Thanks all;
Dan
I’ve had loads of bikes over the years and I miss riding a big 4. I fancy an early 90s 1100 zephyr as I like th look and height etc.
I have had a z1000 and a 1978 z1r so I’m not new to big zeds.
However I don’t have a decent old school mechanic living near me any more, I can do the basics but I can’t really be bothered. Am I overthinking ? How reliable are they? Do the carbs need rebalancing every few mi the like my old z1r ?
Am I better looking at a more modern zrx 1100?
Any answers would be appreciated.
I’d try to get out on it most weeks if it is dry and would start the bike up in the garage if it isn’t dry.
Thanks all;
Dan
swanseaboydan said:
Hello all,
I’ve had loads of bikes over the years and I miss riding a big 4. I fancy an early 90s 1100 zephyr as I like th look and height etc.
I have had a z1000 and a 1978 z1r so I’m not new to big zeds.
However I don’t have a decent old school mechanic living near me any more, I can do the basics but I can’t really be bothered. Am I overthinking ? How reliable are they? Do the carbs need rebalancing every few mi the like my old z1r ?
Am I better looking at a more modern zrx 1100?
Any answers would be appreciated.
I’d try to get out on it most weeks if it is dry and would start the bike up in the garage if it isn’t dry.
Thanks all;
Dan
They are basically updated Z1, so reliable. Carbs should be ok, only problem is is you leave it unused for months with fuel in the carbs.. as modern petrol can gum up the jets, and leave a mess. Answer is just to drain the float bowels if you intend to leave it unused, over winter for example. I’ve had loads of bikes over the years and I miss riding a big 4. I fancy an early 90s 1100 zephyr as I like th look and height etc.
I have had a z1000 and a 1978 z1r so I’m not new to big zeds.
However I don’t have a decent old school mechanic living near me any more, I can do the basics but I can’t really be bothered. Am I overthinking ? How reliable are they? Do the carbs need rebalancing every few mi the like my old z1r ?
Am I better looking at a more modern zrx 1100?
Any answers would be appreciated.
I’d try to get out on it most weeks if it is dry and would start the bike up in the garage if it isn’t dry.
Thanks all;
Dan
They are a nice bike, just a bit dull.
They caught the imagination when they first came out so were pretty popular with men of a certain age but they were very quickly relegated to second place when the Bandit 12 came along.
Good things; they look nice, they are quite low for the vertically challenged, not many around any more so people are often interested when you park up.
Bad things: heavy, thirsty, brakes are s
t, handling is soft, alloy corrodes quickly, power is poor for an 1100, not many around so used spares are scarce.
Ultimately, if it's what you want then go for it, you will love it.
They caught the imagination when they first came out so were pretty popular with men of a certain age but they were very quickly relegated to second place when the Bandit 12 came along.
Good things; they look nice, they are quite low for the vertically challenged, not many around any more so people are often interested when you park up.
Bad things: heavy, thirsty, brakes are s
t, handling is soft, alloy corrodes quickly, power is poor for an 1100, not many around so used spares are scarce.Ultimately, if it's what you want then go for it, you will love it.
Love the idea of the big Zephyr, been looking for a good one for a couple of years (never seem to come up for sale when I've the space)... they are not without their problems tho'. Sadly, a few bits are a step back from the earlier Zeds... a tad more complex and more expensive to service without adding a lot in performance.
However, a well documented problem is with second gear. The selector can sometimes "over run" where it should go, cause wear and second pops out under load. There are pretty much no spares left to fix this, and if you can find them it's serious work/gearbox strip to put right - worth knowing.
That said, they are a stonking bike when sorted - like a well sorted (and much lighter) old Zed.
However, a well documented problem is with second gear. The selector can sometimes "over run" where it should go, cause wear and second pops out under load. There are pretty much no spares left to fix this, and if you can find them it's serious work/gearbox strip to put right - worth knowing.
That said, they are a stonking bike when sorted - like a well sorted (and much lighter) old Zed.
swanseaboydan said:
Maybe a zrx 1100 would be easier to live with
I had one for about 6 months, lovely bike, very well put together, reliable and easy to look after but for me, after riding big v twins for nearly 40 years, I just couldn't get on with the 4 cylinder engine characteristics so went back to another big twin. Definitely worth a look imho
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