Rexess!

i think method goes something like, easy in - haul out

Yeah, I had it all arse about to start with. ran it in like I was on the 9. After two brief introductions to the school of the run wide, I started taking the entries a tad slower and rolling out those fat farking dollops of torque!!! Top gear even in the hairpins!

But the suspenders feel a bit odd. The back is actually OK at this point. However I am sure as I get to know it I will find it's limitations soon enough. But the front was more of an issue. It wasn't dangerous and at normal pace it felt OK. But once I started having dip the front would collapse!! I just wound a tad more preload into it and it is holding it up a little better, but once Trevor Manly's injuries heal I think it might be off to him for some work. Might even see about the internals in the std KYB's! If the internals are half decent, I'll just have them re sprung and re valved. Save the cost of a set of WP's too.

I am sure once I get amongst you lot Phil, I will start finding it's shortcomings. It's all part of the fun of learning and setting up a new bike!

yep the front does need work - its waaaaay to soft, mine feels much better when pushed now that its been re-valved, i'm sure trevor's magic wand would fix it just like Glenn's did for mine.

Not that I am telling you to set it up like this, but this is how I set mine up.

Up the rebound to max on the front, I found it to be better, and before I put new springs in I set the preload to almost max in !!

Back, second hardest preload, 4 rebound, 3 compression and felt OK.

Flip your eccentrics too, think you have done already anyhow..

As the namer of motorbicycle I called it Rexess because it is an "S" not an "R" so I wasn't denoting that it was a girly bike but it does suit. I may just go down the road of getting my standard suspension better sorted, mainly because I probably don't do the k's or go as hard as some others but after the dyno run I may have to sweet talk the minister of finance that I really need a Kerker and associated bits, you know for better fuel economy and cleaner exhaust gases .
As to a prior post I don't think that the 1200 can be as easily converted to ZZR specs as the 1100, another modification that may come up in the near future, the 1100 conversion as far as I am aware is a straight swap cams,carbies etc although there was talk that earlier GPZ 1100 heads are better and go straight and are lighter. See ya at the island.

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The above is the torque curve of the mighty Rex, don't leave home without it

I have also emailed Hepco and Becker to get an idea of price and availability on a full hard luggage set-up for it. Unfortunately I reckon I'm not going to get much change out of 1500!!!

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/

I've now had a little over 3000klms to get to know the new bike and ride it alongside others to gauge it's abilities. I initially had serious doubts that it could cut the mustard up a spur rd but after the Candello rd yesterday morning my fears were soon elayed! Not much wrong with the old rexess at all. It goes, stops and steers acceptably well. It's a bit more physical to throw from side to side and things need to be planned a bit in advance, but if you concentrate and stay smooth it can maintain a surprisingly fast pace. The pull off turns is one of it's main assets. It just honks off the turns in almost any gear at almost any revs. One concern I initially had was ground clearance, however flipping the eccentric adjusters has given adequate room to lean it over. So much room in fact, that I have not touched any part of it on the rd yet!!!!! Happy days! My initial concerns about the seat didn't prove accurate. Once the sheepskin was fitted, I never had a moments discomfort over three 700+ klm days. Mint!!! The only thing which is a must do at this point is the front forks and maybe the rear shocks. The rest is perfect! It's a bit of a surprise package this rex and more than the sum of it's antiquated parts. There's a lot to be said about conventional forks, steel frames, carbs, and twin rear shocks!!!

Oh, and unlike the beemer, nothing broke, failed or fell off!!!!!!

Looks like a GREAT choice Marty, enjoy mate.

Bought the bike with 22,000klms on it, picked it up last Friday. It's now got 27,000klms on it!!!

Fark due for a service already!! But boy was it a hoot doing those klms!! Melbourne to Albury to Young to Canberra to batemans bay to Orbost to the Island to Melbourne to the Island to Bairnsdale to Omeo to Bright to Melbourne!!!! Phew!!!

I have now had enough time and klms to get to know the Rexess pretty well. It gobsmacks me as to how an antiquated piece of technology such that the Rexess is, can do what it does, the way it does it!! It just simply shouldn't be this good with the level of equipment it carries. Steel tube spine, cradle frame, spaghetti forks and twin rear shocks!!

But, however it goes about it, it hits the mark on almost everything motorcycling! It commutes cheerily, it tours like a terrier and it scratches like a superbike as well as handling all but the most serious of dirt tracks!

Even the standard suspension is workable. I twiddled a few dials and screws and have it pretty close to perfect for a roadie but will most likely have the forks revalved and investigate some rear shocks too.

So good to hear that you are happy with the Rex Marty, after all the hassles you have had...... you ended up with such a good match

Having thrashed fark outta the Rexess for the last week and having covered 4700 klms, I thought it a good time to change the oil and filter again! Silly old thing has a cartridge style oil filter so is a touch more involved to change than a spin on canister filter, but still more simple than the beemers! I stuck some good oil in it, now that it is "Run-In" properly!!

I am unsure yet as to when I will leave to head up to Sydney as I am waiting on some info to finalise what I need to take. Once that's sorted I'll be on the road again! I will be in Sydders Friday/sat/sun/mon/tue nights but am working 7.30am-6.30pm each day so if anyone wants to catch up for a curry or other yell out.

........It just simply shouldn't be this good with the level of equipment it carries. Steel tube spine, cradle frame, spaghetti forks and twin rear shocks!! ........

Sounds just like the same recipe used to make the Black Pearl mate !!

The Rex was a great choice, and you should get heaps of k's without any of the problems that the Flying Shitmellow gave you. It was hard work keeping you and Wattie in sight down Hotham........gotta love twin-shock steel-tube dinosaurs !!

........It just simply shouldn't be this good with the level of equipment it carries. Steel tube spine, cradle frame, spaghetti forks and twin rear shocks!! ........

Sounds just like the same recipe used to make the Black Pearl mate !!

The Rex was a great choice, and you should get heaps of k's without any of the problems that the Flying Shitmellow gave you. It was hard work keeping you and Wattie in sight down Hotham........gotta love twin-shock steel-tube dinosaurs !!

I reckon the Rexess could do Hotham one handed mate!

pictures or it didn't happen................oh.....hang on a minute...........

I got busy today in the shed with some bits and pieces needed. The clutch lever arrived yesterday, so i slipped down at lunchtime and picked it up. Unfortunately, the indicator lense wasn't available aftermarket, so I had to go genuine and spend a whole ten bucks! A bit exxie I thought for a two mil thick bit of coloured plastic! But anyhoo, it's on order too.!

I also sprung for another oil filter and some more oil. The last oil change I did was at about 25 or 26K from memory, and as it's now done 31K, I thought it a good opportunity to do it. I'll change it again at 35K and keep it to the even and 5's to make it obvious as to when it's due! I was surprised as to how dirty the oil was that came out of it, after all, it had only done 4-5K!! I would guess that the engine hadn't been properly run in...till now!! Fark it had some crud in it. Anyways, it's once again got a gut full of fresh slippery stuff.

While the oil was draining out, I removed the bent clutch lever and replaced it with the newie. I kept the old one as a spare...just in case!!! I also washed it, adjusted and lubed the chain and changed the brake and clutch fluid. All it needs now is a new set of boots in one or two more rides and it's ready for it's next trip!

The rear has 9000klms on it now and is just about farked. Maybe 500-1000 klms left in it. The centres are still perfect and realistically, if I didn't have to lean it over, it's got enough tread in the centre to last another 5000klms!!!!!! Which is good really, as 98% of the 9000klms done on that tyre has been in the Snowy mountains and every other twisty road in Vic, so if I use it a little more evenly and for it's intended purpose- touring- then I could well get 13-15,000 out of a rear! I like that Idea! I might even try a front PR2 as well, instead of the Pilot Power front I am using ATM. I just reckon if I am happy with the edge grip of the PP, then the PR2 has the same edges!!! plus the PR2's are rated as much better in the wet...and it looks like most of our good weather is over for this season.

The PR2's must have proven to be more popular than initially anticipated, as both the NSW and now the Vic distirbutors, running out of stock and having to "Air Freight" them in!!! I have put my name on a set here in Melbourne so I don't miss out.

I rode the Rexess into work today. It's a good 25 minute run in the tin top. Today was a ten minute run. I love commuting on a bike for that reason!!! mind you, you need to keep focussed, even on the short commute, I had two tin toppers try and murder me today. Now, the Rexess has proved itself in yet another category, ticking the boxes.....Tour, Scratch, Dirt roads, Rain, Commute!! All that's remaining is to get the Bride's knee sorted and test out the pillion ability!!!

I also Acquired a "new'' seat this week. A "Mr. Wog" seat supplied by Tex. Thanks mate!!

It is basically a modded stock seat. It is more sculptered out in the back part of the riders seat, reducing the tendancy to push the rider forward into the tank. It also has much firmer seat foam, making it a little more comfy as well. It's now comfy as is for day trips and the Airhawk will cover the long tours. After all, if an Airhawk can handle having Gos' arse draped over it, who am I to argue!!

So, the Rexess is all ready to go for the "Great Halls Gap drinking session" on the weekend.

Every time I get on this thing, it makes me shake my head wondering ..."How the Fcuk, did they manage to make such an old piece of technology, go, stop and steer like this??????" I'm just gobsmacked at how competent this thing is!!!! It even does two up with ease, as witnessed by BM on the Halls Gap tour! It easily kept a solo 1098S honest through the bends on the Great Ocean Road on the return trip!! Fark me I'm impressed!! It's now done 10,500 klms since it was brought into the fleet. As with most things Kawasaki, thus far, apart from me letting it fall over, it has not cost me anything in terms of replacement or repair parts. Just normal wear and tear items such as tyres, oil, filters etc., No starter motor problems, no gearbox issues, no clutch issues, no sidestand cut-out issues, no drive train failures, no rebuilds, no strandings!!!!!!!!!! Brilliant. To further enhance all that, it is overall, more comfortable than the Beemer was!! (The Mr. Wog seat and the Airhawk grandpa seat combined, provided me with an almost loungechair like ride the entire two days of the HG tour and I think even BM was quite happy with the pillion accom with the sheepy fitted.)

It's how it goes around corners which really, really, really impresses me!! I expected it to be grunty..and it is, I expected it to be comfy....and it is, I expected the brakes to be OK...and they are, I expected it to be simple.....and it is, but I never ever expected it to go around corners anywhere near as good as it does!!!!! Farkin wrapped!

Now that I think about it, while researching the next bike purchase, I stumbled across a test somewhere in the states, where they did some track testing of a whole stack of bikes, including the nakeds. Apparently, the story goes that the Big Rex hosed all in the naked bike class, inclusing the likes of FZ1's!! Not only that, but apparently, it's lap times would have embarrassed a whole lot of more fancied sports bikes. I'll see if I can dig it up if I can remember where I saw it.