By
Rob SmithTalk about Kawasaki's ZX-9R with a group of educated riders and you'll get all sorts of responses. One thing's for sure, you'll be there for a while. Early ones had their share of critics, but could be made to work, while the later ones were well-sorted sportsters... When Kawasaki jumped into the supersports market in 1994 with the ZX-9R B1 the Honda FireBlade had already been on the roads for two years, so the benchmark had already been set unbelievably high. As a result when the B1 turned out to be a bit of a dud Kawasaki's engineers must have been a trifle dismayed. However they went back to the drawing board and ten years later the ZX-9R is a superb, but often overlooked, alternative to the current crop. In this Hindsight we're going to look at the years 1994 to 2002 when Kawasaki launched the F1 model.
History The Kawasaki ZX-9R is a continuation of a 32-year association with 900cc motorcycles starting with the legendary Z1. Following on from the then groundbreaking Z1 came the GPz900R in 1984 and then ten years later the first ZX-9R B1 in 1994. Fast, with 125hp, the B1 was a heavy old thing at 215kg but had a decent fairing and really was more of road bike than a track weapon.
In 1996 the B3 arrived, which was more of the same but with a bit more power, different brakes, revised suspension and a better gearbox. In truth the earlier B models owed more to the ZX-7R and while the engine was a peach, the handling and weight meant that it couldn't compete with the lightweight sportsters emerging from the other factories.
Then in 1998 there was a significant upgrade with the C1, a bike that owed more to the ZX-6R than the ZX-7R. A totally new engine, frame and suspension should have put Kawasaki back at the top of the heap, but the R1 had arrived and the poor old ZX-9R slipped back into the background. Mind you there were still those who looked at the specs and bought the new bike as an arguably more credible road bike. Weight was now down to 183kg and the engine made a claimed 143bhp.
The next major changes to hit the 9R came in 2000 with the E1 that sported changes to the engine, chassis, brakes and styling. Essentially the recipe stayed the same with the focus being on road manners and accessible performance. Power was down by one to 142hp and weight remained at 183kg. The final E2 was discontinued in 2002 with the arrival of the F1, which we'll deal with further down the track.
On the road Editor Leech thinks I'm deranged - but I don't mind the earlier B models. Sure they took some muscling around because it was heavy and the rear suspension and tyre choice was fundamentally wrong. But the reality is they were still a good road bike with a bomb-proof engine that made loads of power - but more importantly - plenty of torque. Handling was never in the supremely-planted class as say the FZR1000 Exup Yamaha, but it sat on the road with enough confidence to hustle along when it needed to. Comfort was acceptable but, as with all sports bikes, the handlebars put load through the wrists at legitimate road speeds and the vibration that came through the right hand grip soon killed any sensation the throttle hand might have had at the start of a journey.
Brakes and equipment were adequate. In fact I always thought the brakes were pretty good. Kawasaki took notice of all the journos' comments about the B1 and the B2 was a fair bit better with a gearbox that needed less effort and a front-end that offered more feedback through its 41mm conventional forks.
With the arrival of the C1 the 9R became a much nicer machine to ride. Gone was the old top heavy feeling so reminiscent of early Triumphs, replaced with a much more agile feeling. The steering isn't stupidly quick, but it does change line with a lightness and accuracy that just wasn't there before, enabling a rider to flick through turns and drop into an easy and secure line. Compared to other sports bikes the springs and damping had a softer, more plush quality that lent itself well to real road riding and exceptional feedback.
The new engine made good power from as little as 3000rpm and, as the needle jumped up the dial, there's a satisfying surge of midrange before the thing goes psycho at 8000rpm all the way to the 12,000rpm redline. All that, in conjunction with the moan from the ram air system, makes the bike feel faster than, say, a FireBlade from the same era.
Up front the disc sizes were reduced from the previous models - 320mm down to 296mm - but operating in concert with a pair of six-piston calipers to bring the plot to a stop with an urgency that even now would be hard to better. If there's a fly in the ointment it's that the gearbox is still rather notchy, a quirk that's made frustratingly worse by a worn or poorly adjusted chain.
And so to the E models. Still not sylph-like in terms of size and weight, the 9R appears to have stuck to its chosen path of clearly being a road bike first and a track bike second. As it should be? Probably.
Once again a makeover in the styling department changed the looks subtly but retained the identity. Riding one was even more refined but still with the trademark Kawasaki raw and wounded edge. How raw? Subtlety is not it's strong suit - feed the throttle open on the way out of a bend and you can feel the latent energy of the engine building before exploding through the contact patch. There's still plenty of torque but it's not the subterranean well that the R1 possesses. None the less the result is grin-splitting addictive.
Compared to a FireBlade a 9R whether it be a C or an E is a far more comfortable proposition over a long distance, so much so that on web sites the world over there are testimonies to the cosseting nature of the 9R's ergonomics. In terms of running costs there's always going to be a cost for this kind of performance. Fuel will disappear out of the 19 litre tank and into the atmosphere at the rate of as little as 14.6km/l on a sporting run with plenty of gear music type curves. Doing the deadhead freeway drone will stretch things to close to 18km/l - enough for a range of around 300km with a bit in hand.
In the workshop In terms of servicing costs, being a regular kind of a Japanese four-cylinder there's little to be scared of if you fancy having a go yourself. If not a minor service every 6000km will cost about $200 if that's all there is to be done and a major every 12 will cost $400. Valve clearances need to be adjusted every 24,000km and may well put the service cost up to around $500.
What goes wrong and what to look for
Right up front I said these things were bomb proof and generally they are. The early B model had a few little problems such as the oil pump chain and tensioner wearing and getting noisy - ultimately needing replacing. Second through to third gear also gave a few problems and there were definitely a few that needed extensive gearbox work. Although, as Ken Nixon from Brighton Kawasaki said, much depends on the way they've been treated.
Probably the only issue associated with the C model is that the discs wear very quickly - something that needs checking before purchase.
Check under the rear bodywork to make sure the rear subframe is straight as its construction is fairly flimsy and is a good indicator of crash damage, Apart from these few things no matter where I looked no-one had a bad word for the big K's 900 with the later E model getting an astoundingly good rap for reliability.
Naturally whenever you buy any secondhand bike it pays to check everything from nose to tail and make a list of all the consumables that will need replacing in the near future. Pay particular attention to all the parts that can carry witness marks of drops and crashes. Get the engine good and warm and blip the throttle looking for a puff of smoke on the shut down - a sure indicator that the top end is getting tired. Check all the bearings and linkages for play and ask for a service history. Always test ride and give the brakes and gearbox a good work out.
Which model If you've read this far you'll have worked out that the later models were the pick of the bunch and to be honest you get a lot of performance for your dollar with a 9R. Even so I'd still look at an early B as although the handling was dreadful when it was launched much of the problem was associated with the tyres and an overly soft rear suspension unit. Both of which can now be cured. Flawed undoubtedly, evil handling - possibly. But so what? History has shown us that Kawasaki has always had a wild side to its line up. Look at the Z1, or the two stroke triple Mach 1 and 2 both of which in truth were evil handlers. Now look at the prices they are starting to command and the position they hold in the history of motorcycling.
Modifications A full system and air filter plus some tweaking on the Dyno will get you get a sizeable increase in both peak power and torque. Letting a good mechanic loose on the cylinder head will get close to 150hp with monster midrange. Don't fight it - you know it makes sense.
AMT rating: A B model scores a 5 if the price is right, but a C or E is a solid gold alternative for hardcore road riders and scores a big 8.
SPEX Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R ENGINE Type: Liquid cooled, in line, four-cylinder, DOHC, four-stroke
Displacement: 899 cc
Bore x stroke 75mm x 50.9mm
Compression ratio: 12.2:1
TRANSMISSION Type: Six-speed, constant mesh
Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame type: Pressed aluminium beam perimeter
Front suspension: E1-2 - 46mm telescopic fork (C1-2 46mm)(B1-3 41mm), adjustable for preload, rebound and compression damping
Rear suspension: Uni-Trak, adjustable for rebound, compression and preload
DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Dry weight (claimed): 186kg
Seat height (claimed: 815mm
Fuel capacity: 19lt
PERFORMANCE Max power (claimed): 142hp at 11,000rpm
(p class+maintext>Max torque 9.8kgm at 9000rpm
Glass's Guide1994 - $8900
1995 - $9000
1996 - $9200
1997 - $9600
1998 - $10400
1999 - $11100
2000 - $11600
2001 - $12100
2002 - $13000
Mechanic's view Ken Nixon is the Numero Uno spanner magician at Brighton Kawasaki and has had a lifelong association with motorcycles and Kawasakis in particular. Having pulled apart just about everything Kawasaki has ever made, quietly spoken Ken's opinion is worthy of note. The ZX-9R is a particular favourite especially the C and E models.
What do you think Ken? "We had a mechanic here who had a C model, and when he sold it with 118,000 kms on it and it was like new. What are they like to work on?
"The B can be a bit of a complicated thing to get your head around but the C is a lovely thing to work on and the E is even better."
Should someone looking for a alternative to a FireBlade or R1 be looking at a used ZX-9R?
"For sure the ZX-9R was a better road bike and would probably suit more people."
Source: http://www.bikepoint.com.au
