Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Seems theres nothing here about these and i have grown curious, now i havnt seen anybody bagging them and they all say there a great thing.

Can somebody post a few reviews and i did read somewhere that the clutch basket doesnt last long on them...do they have a slipper clutch?

sort of keen to have a closer look in these they mainly come in stealth coulours and dont seem so prone to gettting fenderectomies and can replacements and also good for 2 up touring.

Barrabob wrote:Seems theres nothing here about these and i have grown curious, now i havnt seen anybody bagging them and they all say there a great thing.

Can somebody post a few reviews and i did read somewhere that the clutch basket doesnt last long on them...do they have a slipper clutch?

sort of keen to have a closer look in these they mainly come in stealth coulours and dont seem so prone to gettting fenderectomies and can replacements and also good for 2 up touring.

No slipper clutch, unless ya launching them hard down the quarter every 10 mins the clutch is fine. Touring? they are great, helibars and a throttle rocker would be a good idea as ya right hand does seem to suffer and is a very common complaint. Other than that it is a versatile bike.



http://www.angelfire.com/linux/ldrpg/

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/22march0 ... eview.html

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/16februa ... zx12r.html

http://www.dragbike.com/news/features/f ... k_zx12.htm

http://www.zx11.info/zx12r/history/beginning.htm

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/zx12up.html

http://www.motorbikestoday.com/reviews/ ... /ZX12R.htm

http://www.zx11.info/zx12r/home.htm

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/25aug00muzzyszx12.html

Barrabob wrote:Seems theres nothing here about these and i have grown curious, now i havnt seen anybody bagging them and they all say there a great thing.

Can somebody post a few reviews and i did read somewhere that the clutch basket doesnt last long on them...do they have a slipper clutch?

sort of keen to have a closer look in these they mainly come in stealth coulours and dont seem so prone to gettting fenderectomies and can replacements and also good for 2 up touring.

when it came to upgrade
I rode just about everything MrKwaka had........
and settled on a shmicky low ks 2001 (last of the derestricted)
model

they are easy to ride (yes they are heavy but it goes as soon
as you move off) they are comfy and I have no probs on long rides
(Melb to PI or Reefton without sore wrists bum and no tingles from the bars) they are very smooth..ride 'em slow or manic
they can be ridden to the local or an interstate blast

minuses? ride them hard and tyre life, chain life and fuel consumption
will be poor

a top bike imho


cheers

Smitty wrote:

Barrabob wrote:
minuses? ride them hard and tyre life, chain life and fuel consumption
will be poor

Smitty, that's pretty much a standard thing for most litre or above bikes these days isn't it .
Even my Hornet has poor tyre life and fuel consumption when you get up it. And it's only a 900 . Chain life I am yet to experience, but based on the four adjustments of the chain in 7000klms I would say it is gunna be shorter than the 6 for sure.

I am becoming more and more of the opinion, that the majority of sports tourers and hyper tourers these days, are more than sports bike capable on any of our Australian tarmac. From the really fast stuff, to the tightest of twisties. They steer nice, hold their weight well, have good chassis' and chassis geometry, top brakes, and good ground clearance. Plus as you say they are fuggin comfy!!!! I think they are though, better suited to more experienced riders who won't be intimidated by the power, or more importantly, the weight!!

Strika wrote:...
I am becoming more and more of the opinion, that the majority of sports tourers and hyper tourers these days, are more than sports bike capable on any of our Australian tarmac. From the really fast stuff, to the tightest of twisties. They steer nice, hold their weight well, have good chassis' and chassis geometry, top brakes, and good ground clearance. Plus as you say they are fuggin comfy!!!! I think they are though, better suited to more experienced riders who won't be intimidated by the power, or more importantly, the weight!!

Strika
I agree
and definitely ..no getting orf a 2fiddy onto a 12R

the problem is that while comfy and easy to ride, they go harder
arrive at a corner quicker and require a little more effort to tip
in than the average bike..I have no problems with that,
but there are other riders out there that could be caught out
riding one


cheers

Ahh yes you would have to progress into one I was looking for some reviews without the google search because i knew that jonno would have a heap of links.

You cant ride in the mountains here much anymore sad but true and its getting that riding a sportsbike is asking for trouble hence i was thinking about something thats a tourer.

Obviously the 12r is a sports tourer but a darker colour and less shiney bits will confuse the plod...I hope.

That and i have never heard a complaint yet but know they are tyre chewers.


hmm see what happens.

Barrabob wrote:and i have never heard a complaint yet but know they are tyre chewers.

funny that....
I was talking to the dealer at BKwaka about that exact point
at lunchtime today

he was asking how mine was....
no probs of course
and
he said.....imo, the only thing they need is a constant supply of tyres
becoz MOST (not all) riders use all 180hp ..most of the time
so they only get max 8000k out of a set
and nothing else goes wrong with the 12.
Bkwaka service them..don't fix 'em

..interesting
thought that was a good recommendation


hth

Smitty wrote:.......and definitely ..no getting orf a 2fiddy onto a 12R ....

I know someone who has done *exactly* that, without any problems at all, and his name shall remain nameless, won't it mate........

seriously though, you are dead right Smitty, I wouldn't recommend a 12 to anyone who does not have some experience with at least 900/1000cc bikes......

Barra, you need to test one mate, they are just fantastic.......more sportier (heaps) than the older ZZR1200, maybe not *quite* as versatile with touring, but there ain't much in it........you can *blast* along the highways, reeling in *anything* you want, and when the going gets twisty, they won't be left too far behind if you want to push them hard.....

Chain life ?? I have adjusted the stock chain *twice* in almost 13,000 km........it gets lubed regularly, but so far I couldn't be happier with chain life. Tyres, well, ahem, the stock 208's were stuffed at 6,500km, a lot of that was 'running-in', however the Pilot Powers seem to be lasting well with over 6k so far, and only just showing signs of feathering on the rear.......I *think* another 2-3k can be squeezed out of them......

Awesome bike........you *will not* be dissapointed........

Did they all come with radial calipers??

Second hand prices seem reasonable where you can find them and i am old and fat, well sort of i dont have a problem with the front of the 6r lifting unless i am right up it on the track over a crest and I dont bother going that hard on the road so i am asuming its just getting used to a bit of throttle control on the 12r and i wont have to cane it at any stage to get mobile.

The run down to PI on the six was a bit tireing at times and i had to wring its neck to keep up with trafic, remembering i weigh 100kilo and i had 2 bags chokas with stuff on the back of it, unfortunatley i suffer a lot from mechanical sympathy.

Would asume you can get the same effect on a 12 by rolling the throttle a bit rather than having to get over 10000 rpm and tucking in your elbows and dropping your head down.

Will have a licence again at the end of april will decide what to do then i supose should test a nine as well i supose, the last one i tried was underpowered and mushy but the owner didnt seem to have a problem.

Its good to get a rundown from the owners I know jonno swears by them and so does hammer and fab.

Barrabob wrote:...Did they all come with radial calipers??

No, the earlier ones were fitted with 6-spotters........I think the radial brakes are fitted to the 04 model onwards ??

With the standard gearing and standard ignition timing in the first 3 gears, you won't have any problems with *accidental* wheelstands (Wheelies are no problem, the front-end gets pretty light under *hard* acceleration anyway...)

You can just roll the throttle on at *any* speed in *any* gear, and away you go.........its effortless.......passing semi's etc, is just a *slight* twist of the wrist away......

I will back anything that Jonno/Hammer/Fab state about the 12 (well, most things ), it is one hell of good bike . Stable too, winds don't bother it too much, nor bumps, they are just a monster

Enough raving from me, you can tell I love them......

Gosling1 wrote:

Barrabob wrote:...Did they all come with radial calipers??

Enough raving from me, you can tell I love them......

nah u think, why dont you and the twelve get a room..........

sorry mate, I cant blame you, im the same with zrx's

well i can on all night like gos has, but i'll just agree with him.. And mate ill own up as the one who got off the zzr250 straight on to the 12.. and now with the few mods i have made, it is one awesome machine. But even stock it was scary enough.. to sum up the best bike on the planet, pure adrenalin..

Barrabob wrote:Did they all come with radial calipers??

as Gos sez..from '04 on..the early birds were 6 potters (like mine)
but still..shit they stop!

so i am asuming its just getting used to a bit of throttle control on the 12r and i wont have to cane it at any stage to get mobile.

they pull very well from idle...in fact it will happily roll on from about 30kmh in 4th or 5th ...some reckon they will pull from idle in 6th, but I ain't tried that yet

The run down to PI on the six was a bit tireing at times and i had to wring its neck to keep up with trafic, remembering i weigh 100kilo and i had 2 bags chokas with stuff on the back of it, unfortunatley i suffer a lot from mechanical sympathy. Would asume you can get the same effect on a 12 by rolling the throttle a bit rather than having to get over 10000 rpm and tucking in your elbows and dropping your head down.

as someone relatively new to the 12r (and one who goes to PI regularly)
the run down on the 12 was a breeze (with large Ventura bag on back)
much easier than the 750

passing? twist throttle slightly (no need to change down) and go from 100 to (lose licence territory) in a few seconds..it really is that easy
and the std screen protects very well..just a bit of wind on the top of the helmet to hold you in place

they are really a nice bike to ride

hth

C'mon smitty, they are better than nice to ride. They are bloody awesome.

blue12 wrote:C'mon smitty, they are better than nice to ride. They are bloody awesome.

spot-on old bean........

a Z750 is *nice* to ride.........

aZX12R is totally *BITCHIN* *AWESOME* (and lots of other superlatives I cannot remember right now.....)