Comparo - 1990 ZX10 vs 1990 ZXR750

Time for a quick comparo. My old toy, vs my new toy.

I really need to decide which one to keep (or if I can justify keeping the
pair of them).

So, I took the ZXR for a blatt through the park on Sunday. Unfortunately,
the rain spoiled my fun, but here are some quick thoughts (a lot of which
are a bit obvious anyway).

The ZX10 is a lot torquier. It pulls a lot harder low down. Up high though,
the power difference isn't very pronounced, and with the lower weight, the
ZXR is probably just as quick in a straight line, if a bit more work.

To get the most enjoyment out of the ZX10 you need to sit above about 5500
rpm, on the ZXR you need to sit about about 8000 rpm.

The ZXR is MUCH quicker around corners. Corners that I do at about 70 on the
ZX10 can be done at around 100 on the ZXR. The ZXR is a lot more flighty
once the surface becomes a bit rough though. Through some of the rough
corners in the park the ZX10 is significantly quicker simply due to the fact
that it ignores the bumps, while the ZXR really lets you know they are
there.

The ZXR pounds your bum a lot. After 1.5 hours in the saddle I had a sore
bum. As a comparo, I rode home from Goulburn on the ZX10 the other day via
as many backroads as I could pack in. (All up about 4 hours.) After that, I
was't sore at all. That having been said, the ZX10 does have a sheepskin, so
I'd be interested to see how much difference a sheepskin would make to the
ZXR.

I don't like Bridgestone tires anymore. I think I'm going to switch to
Pirrelli. The ZXR is currently fitted with BT012s, and they have a similar
turn in as the BT020s I used to have on the ZX10. Adjusting the suspension
tuned some of it out, but I think tyres with a different profile will make a
big difference.

The ZX10 is slower, but feels faster. Every corner I took on the ZXR felt
like I was going pretty slowly. Then I'd look down at the speedo and go "oh
shit - I hope there's not a cop around the bend!". To feel as fast as the
ZX10 feels, the ZXR had to actually go a good 50% faster. This is both a
good thing and a bad thing. (Good in that it means that you can go a lot
harder - would be tops at the track, but bad in that to feel fast on the
road you need to really risk losing your license.)

The brakes on the ZXR are VERY good for their day, the ZX10 brakes, however,
a not so good. The ZXR stops sooooooooo much harder than the ZX10. I was
braking at the same point, and being at the speed I wanted to be at in
around 2/3 of the distance the ZX10 took. The sports compound tires probably
help a bit with that, too though. As I didn't manage to lock up the front on
the ZXR, but on the ZX10 I could easily get the front end to the limit of
its grip (to the point where it would chatter along, as the tire and the
brakes fought for supremacy).

Now I want to take them both to the track to do a comparo out there.

As for what to do with the bikes, I have a few options.

Keep just the ZX10, sell the ZXR and the Z1R.
Keep the ZX10 for touring and commuting, and convert the ZXR to a track
bike. Sell the Z1R.
Keep the Z1R for touring only. Use the ZXR for commuting and track days.
Sell the ZX10.
Or, the best, but least financially sensible option. KEEP THEM ALL!!!

 

BTW, Anyone want to lend me a 2004 ZX10R so I can do a ZX10 comparo? <grin>

 

Big Bird is of the opinion:

Jeez, why not just tell him to cut his balls off and be done with it?

Anyway, if he did that, he wouldn't be "Guildford Kawasaki" any more.

- Matt

 

Sell them all and buy a Honda.

 

Sell them all and buy a Honda.

No thanks, I had enough regulator/rectifier problems with the Porsche to
last me a lifetime.

 

Awesome. A comparo of 15 year old bikes. You should write for TW ;-)

Get rid of them all and you'd be amazed at the kind of newer bike you
could own for all you'd save on maintenance (assuming your time _is_ of
value to you)

Jules

 

Good point, you could sell em both and get a good condition '98 onwards ZX6R
which wouldn't quite have the low down torque but still goes impressively
fast.

Cam

 

You've got to be kidding right? I switched to Honda once, I don't think I'll
ever do it again. They make a nice bike yeh, but they have nothing on the
Kwaka for fun.

Cam

 

Awesome. A comparo of 15 year old bikes. You should write for TW ;-)
In all seriousness, articles about used bikes was something I used
to enjoy in Tee Dub. They've only just started to put them back in, and they
aren't anywhere near as good as they used to be. Thing with it is, I (and a
lot of other people) don't have the money to always buy the latest and
greatest.

Old bikes are easy to work on, though. Newer bikes, even one that
wasn't under warranty, is still going to take the same sort of maintenance.
The ZX10 is my pick for ease of maintenance. All you need to do the valve
clearances is a set of feeler gauges and a 10mm spanker. No removing
camshafts, no fart-arse-ing around with screw and locknut jobbies, proper
shims, but the rockers slide out of the way!!!
Carbs, too, while in need of occasional maintenance, can be
maintained at home. Fuel injection is a little too high-tech for me to fix
in the garage.
Parts aren't going to be any cheaper for a new bike, either.
So, if I sold everything up:
ZX10 ($3K?)
ZXR750 ($4.5K?)
Z1R-II ($3K?) (At least this one isn't depreciating anymore.)
I'd have just over 10K.

Suggestions to what I should buy with that 10K? Needs to be easy to work
on, tour in comfort, go lots of fast, be fun at the track, handle two-up
without a problem. No fuel injection, ideally no "remove the cams to adjust
the valve clearances" or at least if it is that, then it's easy to do
without needing to bend the laws of physics. Oil filter needs to be able to
be removed without needing to be a contortionist. Ideally it should have a
badge on it that says Kawasaki, but I'll settle for not having that.
This isn't me saying "well poo to you, my current situation is better
than what you can offer". It's a legitimate question. (Incidentally, I
already know the answer. ZX9R. It answers most of the questions, just not
the valve clearance one (and I don't know about the oil-filter one) but who
ever said motorcycles were for being logical. Also, realisitcally, I will
end up selling one of the bikes anyway, so it would really leave me with
more like $6-7K to spend if I sold the other 2.)

 

Don't want a 600. Need to be able to do 2-up for some big kays without any
hassles. ZX9R would be a possibility.

 

I misread that "BTW" as "BTH", and imagined:

THE ULTIMATE BIKE SHOOTOUT COMPARO ARTICLE THING!
2004 Kawasaki ZX10R vs. 19?? Honda CT90

With criteria such as:

* Commuting: Fuel Efficiency
* Sports: Horsepower (per dollar)
* Touring: Ease of esky attachment
* Track days: Number which can be fit into a flatbed Econovan

-----sharks

 

You forgot...

* Maintenance: Number of interchangable parts with a GPX250.

 

And there yee have it then. You've answered you're own question. Oil change
is simple enough, oil filter is easy to get too. You usually just take off
the LHS lower fairing (piece of piss) and you're away.

As far as the valve clearances go, yes, they are more exxy to service but
also more consistent. If you take it to a good bike shop they won't rip you
off. Make sure you don't take it to a dealer etc. Yup, they still have
carbs, so no worries there.

It'l be comfortable, more power than the ZX10 you have, good for two up, can
be turned into a track weapon with a bit of tweaking and yet is still
extremely rideable. You'd love it, take one for a test ride at a dealer
somewhere (2nd hand bikes, or last of last years model etc) and see what you
think. I'm sure you won't be dissapointed.

Cam

 

Yeah, all this new shit. Don't approve of it myself.

-----sharks

 

Which edition of MC Trader?

 

Interesting, most of what you have said would be expected under the
circumstances.... thus it puzzles me why the BOTY recently commented on,
would be a 750 rather than the 1000; esp so considering that the the latter
differs from the former mainly in engine capacity.
I agree with Jules comments on the new v\s the older (and I'm getting old
too)
There was recently a comparo on the ZX9 models published in M.C. Trader.
The suggestion being the later the model the better... the "C" being the one
to
go for. Can get a copy of it to you if you want.
Rockit

 

If you don't want to do valve clearances get a Yamaha.

Service interval is 43000km on most of their 2/4cyl models.

How many km do you rack in in a year?

Jules

 

It varies, year to year. In the last 6 months I haven't done that many kays.
(Been wedding planning on the weekend instead. <*sigh*>).

But normally a good 25-30,000.

But yeah, a 43000km service interval sounds good!!!

 

Yamaha makes bikes with half a cylinder?

Pat

 

Hi James

Like you said -
ZX9 B1-B4 would do the business that you would need - the C-Models would be
a bit sporty for the pillion
Rocker valve clearances, spin on oil filter etc etc.
Raced with one of these motors in a ZXR750RR (M) for a couple of years. -
Basically a ZXR750 Motor J-M

Don't discount the Yamaha FZR/YZF1000 ( the thunderace version )
Valves at 45'000 (buckets), spin on oil filter, 5 speed gearbox.
I had 2 of these - brilliant at both touring & on the track.