Motorcycle Investor mag
Subscribe to our free email news
Peak Zed for the shed
(by Guy 'Guido' Allen, September 2023)
Some while back we mentioned laying our scone-grabbers
on a shiny one-owner Kawasaki ZX-12R, filling out the
rocketship end of the shed that already contained a
Honda Blackbird and modified Suzuki Hayabusa.
Now, a few months down the track, we have had a chance
to play with it and have a few things to report
It seems like decades ago, rather than
just a few months, that we confessed to handing over some
cash for a one-owner year 2000 ZX-12R, bought over the
phone from the outskirts of Brisbane. And I'm 1800km (1100
miles) away in Melbourne. The solution was obvious: Ride
it home – something that's turned into a bit of a habit
over recent years.
While I have nothing against using a
professional motorcycle transporter (and often do for
various jobs), the whole buy-fly-ride experience adds a
welcome dimension. Sure, there's an element of risk to
this as it's rare for a used motorcycle to be completely
fault-free. Looked at another way, dealing with the issues
is part of the experience and fun.
In this case, there was nothing that
actually stopped progress, but there was reason to treat
the bike with a little mechanical sympathy. The owner, who
had bought the machine new and had by now racked up
62,000km on it, admitted the front brakes tended to bind a
little when cold. That's really not something you want to
hear at the start of a three-day trip.
Also, the front sprocket was grinding
something fierce on take-off but settled down once you
were rolling. It was worn, but still (just) servicable and
I took a punt on it getting me home.
So guess what happened when I got back to
sunny Melbourne? A rebuild with fresh seals and pistons,
plus we replaced the front brake master cylinder piston
and seals, as that too was suspect thanks to a spongy
lever.
Just as an aside, the six-piston Nissin
front calipers were a popular fitment for a time, also
gracing the front of the Kawasaki ZRX1200R
we owned a little while back, plus of course the
first-generation Hayabusa.
Next, the chain and sprockets were given
the flick along with the ageing tyres. Plus we changed the
Muzzy aftermarket muffler for the huge but pristine
original, complete with its 'Titanium' stamping on the
outer skin.
Those issues aside, the big Zed was a
surprisingly good thing to travel on, helped considerably
by the fact it's running subtle risers for the handlebars,
adding a couple of centimetres (a little under an inch) to
the height. It's just enough to avoid any clearance
problems with the fairing but make a significant
difference to the rider.
With the brakes, driveline and tyres now
more or less up to speed, it was time to have a bit of a
play with the Zed. This was Kawasaki's king hit in the
performance sector back in model year 2000, taking on the
Suzuki's Hayabusa with a higher power output claim but
hobbled slightly by the industry-agreed 299km/h top speed
restriction. There was a fair bit of drama associated with
its launch, which you can
read about in our backgrounder on the model.
I recall riding a demo when they were new
and remember it being spectacularly fast though it took a
little time to get comfortable with it – I seem to recall
its manners as a little more edgy than the Hayabusa or
Honda Blackbird and just that little bit closer to the
sporty end of the scale.
Now? It's comprehensively outgunned by
any of a number of current sports bikes when it comes to
handling, finesse and on-board electronic rider aids, but
remains a formidably fast piece of kit. Weirdly, it's very
easy to ride as Captain Docile. However the temptation to
cut it loose is strong once you let the prodigious engine
get into its mid-range stride. Keep in mind we're talking
of a powerplant that claimed 189hp (141kW) at full noise.
The powerplant is cold-blooded and
appreciates plenty of warm-up time, while the transmission
is pretty slick. With 62,000km on the clock when I bought
it and a reasonable service record, the engine and
transmission feel and act like they've just been been run
in.
Steering is light for a heavy motorcycle
(around 230kg rolling) and the overall handling is pretty
good with full suspension adjustment offered at both ends.
Something striking about the Zedex is the
unusual monocoque frame which means some things aren't
where you expect them to be. For example what looks like
the fuel tank is a dummy cover and the fuel itself sits
more rearward and partly under the rider seat. Oh, and the
battery is hidden in a pull-out tray under the frame –
something we discovered through necessity.
Now for a confession, we changed over the
battery and were utterly mystified when we couldn't
restart the machine. The engine turned over but combustion
was absent. What the hell? Our example is running an
aftermarket Power Commander tuning ECU, hidden under the
pillion seat and we had forgotten to reattach it's ground
lead to the battery. That was a dumb mistake and a
reminder to pay more attention when pulling apart even the
simplest of things!
Getting to the battery is unusually
fiddly, while access for spark plugs and shims is about
the same as for the Blackbird and Hayabusa. They're all
very ordinary and take a lot of patience.
Of course the whole idea of getting this
model was to round out the hero turn-of-the-millennium
sports tourer end of the shed. That is: Honda CBR1100XX
Super Blackbird, Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa and of course
the Kawasaki ZX-12R Ninja.
Is there a pick between them? In this
case the situation is somewhat muddied by the fact the
Hayabusa is running a Phil Tainton engine, with something
over 220hp (164kW), so we're not comparing standard
motorcycles.
The Blackbird is the most 'civilised' of
the three – smooth, ultra-capable and nicely finished.
It's your pick as distance mount. As for the other two,
they both have more inbuilt mongrel and I'd be torn
between the two if by some quirk of fate we were
transported back to when they were both new.
In any case, owning the Zedex all these years (decades!) down the track has given me a new regard for the model. Buying one has proved to be a good decision.
See our Kawasaki ZX-12R profile
Honda Blackbird profile
Suzuki Hayabusa Gen 1 profile
Plus the Blackbird in the shed
And the Hayabusa in the shed
-------------------------------------------------
Produced by AllMoto abn 61 400 694 722
Privacy: we do not collect cookies or any other data.
Archives
Contact