Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Howdy

The time to upgrade has arrived - however the budget to upgrade hasn't!

I am currently riding a GPX600 so I haven't been spoiled with modern suspension, tyres and handling. I would assume that the GPZ900 would be much the same bike chassis- and suspension-wise, but with a fair bit more go (after a little looking, 72hp vs 113hp).

I know an old bike is a shit idea but don't even start. I am mechanically minded so minor fixups aren't an issue, but my starting budget is about $3k so anything 1990-> is out of the question.

Thoughts/comments/options appreciated. Oh, and is there a difference between the 900 and the 900R, or are some people just lazy with the R?

Mustang this is Ghostrider requesting flyby?

Negative Ghostrider the pattern is full

Thank you ever so much for your eloquent input, I appreciate the effort invested and wish you all the best for a prosperous future.

Ahh ok, I see you're not into the classics. The GPZ900 was the bike ridden by Tom Cruise in Top Gun, which had many a teenager like me wishing he was a "Naval Aviator" who could croon the chicks at a moment's notice.

They are of course THE classic sports bike of the 80s. Mate of mine used to race one. All black, spotless, with Shell stickers. Beautiful bike, went like the clappers for its time, but it capped out about 250km/h.

But I don't know much else about them, so I guess I'll have to just keep bumping this thread until one of the grownups can answer your question.

Thanks for elaborating. I am of the Top Gun era and recognised the quote, but don't recall details of the bike - haven't watched it in 5 years so I suppose can be excused for that... I will have to watch it again

I am generally a spirited rider but a 200km/h+ top end concerns me not. The 600 goes well enough in that regard, I am just after something lazier but that gets the blood running a little more when accelerating to a speed that is appropriate for a public road. Speeds in the upper half of the dial are best left for the track.

Now, the bike is my primary form of transport - the last time I drove my car was when I moved house in March! I do a daily commute of about 5kms (about 10 mins in peak hour), as well as general riding around town any time I can find a spare moment, but the majority of my kms are covered in the hills or on the open road heading to the hills! I have an opportunity on on-sell my current bike, and a good 90% of my riding would be unnecesary so that is why I am taking the opportunity to go for something bigger.

It's a 900R and yes it is laziness leaving off the R...

I had one untill just recenly and from memory there are others in here that have had one or still do. It was my only form of riding till I changed to the ZZR, Bloody good bullet proof bike that...

For 3K you'll get a bloody good one I'd say. Just remember to wire up a manual fan switch and 50-50 the coolant.

Cheers

Bloody good bullet proof bike that

Now that's what I wants ta hear!

For 3K you'll get a bloody good one I'd say.

I would hope so, otherwise the upgrade isn't really worth my trouble. My bike is nothing special but despite that and the k's on the clock it's certainly been reliable thus far. There's actually one for sale near here quoting "low kms, good condition" (as do most ads I suppose ) for $2k... it's amazing how commonly an offer of 75% in cash on the spot works out so I'll try my luck - especially given that the market for unregistered GPZs probably isn't that strong!!

If it's in fair condition and not too long off the road, a purchase price of $1500-$2000 will see it on the road with a new chain & sprockets, new tyres, rego and fully serviced for around $3k.

As long as I know they're a good reliable bike then I'm happy and can do the rest. That said, any more info from anyone reading would be great as I don't know a whole lot about them.

Brakes, suspension, pros & cons, anything would be good.

Just remember to wire up a manual fan switch and 50-50 the coolant.

Can you give me any more info? I assume from this they run hot after hard work or at peak hour speeds (like both my GPX250 and GPX600 have both done)? And what do you mean by 50-50 the coolant... 50% distilled water & 50% coolant? Just guessing here...

I know absolutely nothing about GPZ900's other than they were regarded as absolutely bulletproof, farking quick in their day and the bloody things almost gave me emphysema (I think that's how you spell it) when I were a lad. I'll explain

Way back in the early 80's Peter Jackson run a competition where for every packet you bought you got an entry form to go into a draw for the brand spanking new GPZ900R. For a young Uni student riding a GSX250 the challenge was too good to knock back so for about 3 months I must have smoked about two packets a day. Unfortunately I didn't win it, stuck the GSX into the side of an EH Holden and failed Uni that year.

Bloody GPZ900R's !!!!!!

I'd go for a GPZ1000RX over a 9....but then again, maybe that's just me

Go on, you know ya want it, get it.


Suffer the consequences later, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Shifty wrote:...my starting budget is about $3k so anything 1990-> is out of the question.

I disagree... an early ZZ-R1100 in good condition could easily be had for that sort of money.

If you really are mechanically-minded, pick up a basket case GPz900 for $400 and get it on the road for less than $1500.

Priority 1 for the project would be a suspension overhaul; it has a lot to do managing that engine...

I'd go for a GPZ1000RX over a 9....but then again, maybe that's just me ............. I disagree. The 1000RX was a pig of a bike when handling was concerned. I should know I had one. A tad more horses then the 9 with a slightly higher top speed but easily outridden by a semi decent pilot on the 9. The 9 handles better and is not as top heavy. The only advantage of the 1000 was it ran one of kwaks first box frames which offered more rigidity while the 9 ran the standard tube/ spine frame. Personally.....I would go the 9. Bulletproof and a mighty fine looking bike to boot

zx'er wrote:Personally.....I would go the 9. Bulletproof and a mighty fine looking bike to boot

Not to mention that the 1000RX engine slots straight into them...

I think the 900 is big enough a step from the relatively light little 600 I'm currently on. That 1000 looks bloody big so you can keep it

The 9's also seem a lot more common so parts hopefully shouldn't be quite as hard to get.

pick up a basket case GPz900 for $400

There's mechanically minded and mentally unstable. I don't mind the idea of a complete bike that needs some love for a roadworthy, but one in pieces or with a potentially dud motor/gearbox is not for me! That said, the right bike at the right price...

I had a GPZ900 for four years and absolutely loved it. Did everything- touring, sports riding etc etc.
First two models- A1 and A2 were prone to carby diaphram problems, as well as faulty head bearings. 1988/89 models were detuned- 104Hp instead of 114Hp- smaller 32mm carbs were fitted rather than 34mm- I suspect that was to make the 900 feel slower if you rode it side by side with the then- new ZX-10.
Don't waste your time with an GPZ1000 RX- as mentioned they were a pig. (and the first bike I ever rode!)
The 1000 engine will bolt straight in- an extra 20Hp or so is handy but they commonly blow their bottom ends.
1990 model GPZ900s and newer had ZXR brakes and 17 inch front wheels instead of the 16 inchers of the earlier bikes, as well as longer, better looking mirrors- many people fitted the later mirrors to the earlier bikes so they could see behind themselves....
Avoid a bike with a 4-into-1 Megacycle system- this is what I had- great big noisy system- but the minuses sucked- much lower ground clearance- the bottom of the headers hit speedbumps and were always getting damaged- always cracking out the welder to fix them.....centrestand wasn't possible coz they went thru that area- and you had to remove the pipe to do an oil change- not hard but a pain all the same. It also melted some of the lower fairing.
Look for a bike with original plastic bodywork- fibreglass copies crack and look like shit quickly- and don't fit properly.
Also bear in mind that the design is old- you want to buy as good a one as you can to minimise the work you have to do- things like brakediscs ae expensive to fix.
The ZZR600 reminds me a lot of the 900 to ride, with more modern brakes and suspension it goes around corners better than the 900, but hasn't got anywhere near the low down grunt of the 900.
Some early bikes had headgasket problems, and nearly all models ran hot in traffic- a manual switch to the fan is cheap insurance- just put it across the fan sensor on the bike.
A ZX-10 might be a better bike for not much more money, but the 900 certainly is a special model....just ask Tom Cruise!