RIP Frontiers

Who are now back again...
http://www.parkinsonmotorcycles.co.uk/

 

Are Kwak really selling enough bikes? I got the impression the ZX10R hasn't
been the sales success they might have hoped and that the ZX6R is
potentially now a little TOO extreme for most people's tastes - especially
with the Suzuki/Honda 600's winning most of the reviews.

That said, considering Kwak/Suzuki are sharing resources, are they not
better placed for this sort of downturn?

 

Kawasaki have always sold the lowest volumes of the Jap 4 - they've
succeeded by selling enough, into niche markets, with enough profit..

 

But can that continue?

It seems to me, as a relative newbie, that Kawasaki models hang around
a lot longer than others. E.g. the old ZX6, fundamentally didn't change
between 1996 and 2003. Probably the same for the ZX9. Tweaks here and
there but probably nowhere near the same R&D costs of a complete
overhaul. Keeps their overhaeds down.

And bikes like the ZZR1100/1200, ZZR600 etc. Now, they seem to have
fallen into line with the other big jap manufacturers and update models
more regularly. Isn't there a new ZX10 next year?

Kiran

 

Why shouldn't it.

As the Bike "Kawasaki" edition said a few months ago, Kawasaki have
gone back to doing what they've always done best - making the
stupidest, fastest, baddest bikes money can buy. There's always a
market for that.

 

But are they? The GSX-R1000 appears to be generally acclaimed as a much
better bike than the ZX10.

The pricing is similar... how does Kwak make any money if they are having to
spend the same R&D as Suzuki et al to compete?

I also don't think they would have entered into the Kwak/Suzuki partnership
if they were that confident about carrying on as before.

Flip wibble do mainly though on my part - I just know I've seen perhaps 3
ZX6R's in the new shape and not a single ZX10 - I've seen loads more old
shape 6's and 9R's though.

On this group, does anyone own a new shape Kawasaki? I believe we have one
ZX10 owner, any others?

 

You are completely missing the point. People who buy Kawasaki's have
rarely been looking for "the better bike". If I went shopping for a
new bike tomorrow, it would definitely be a 10R.

The other thing to realise is that the entire Kawasaki Motorcycles
Division is nothing more than a marketing exercise for Kawasaki Heavy
Industries, to give them a cool consumer profile. Bikes probably
contribute 1% if that to KHI's profit. Which is why they don't bother
with scooters, commuter bikes, etc, but *do* make JetSkis - it's all
about brand and profile. As such, the R&D partnership with Suzuki is
probably just about managing the costs of the exercise.

 

Apart from the ER-5 and Z750, of course.

This is a poser, mind:

http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/category.asp?Id=47F75AA5

and since when did they drop the ZZ-R1200? And more to the point who
the hell would buy a new ZZ-R600?

 

AOL.

I consider myself fairly immune to mindless brand loyalty, but there
are two brands I'll look at first before considering any alternatives.
Kawasaki and KFC.

Something about the big K just grabs me by the nuts, in a way that
doesn't happen with any other products, be they guitars, clothes,
tyres, beers, anything.

Maybe it's just that they offer something unique that's never failed
to impress. Everyone's owned shit bikes, but has anyone ever owned
a Kawasaki that didn't stir the soul just a little bit?

 

<fx: sticks up hand>

I very much enjoy riding my 7R, but that's because I'm not worried
about crashing it. And the appearance of it makes me sick.

The Kawasaki I most fancy (a go on, at least) is still the W650.

 

[snip]

Thanks for the detailed explanation - much appreciated. It sounds like a
sorry situation and no mistake. Speaking purely selfishly, I suppose it
means I might be able to pick up a good deal when I buy a >125cc bike
later this year (probably towards winter, when dealers are presumably
slightly more desperate), but it'll be a bugger if I have go miles to
get bits for it, or get it serviced.

 

The ZR750, maybe. The Z750 is uberCool

Yersh. That is a little odd, I spose.

Dunno why they've dropped the ZZR12 - I thought they were still
selling enough of them.

They've probably still got a warehouse full of ZZR600s...

 

they're supposed to be jolly good fun!

 

Oh yes! A nice jaunt down to the coast for a picnic
with lashings of Ginger Beer will be just the ticket!

 

*All* bikes are jolly good fun if you're in the right frame of mind.

 

.... for a 650, with half the power of a modern 600, spongy suspension
and just-OK-ish brakes - IIRC from when I had one as a loaner. It was a
bit like an ER-5, with a different seating position, really.

It was OK for one day, to get to and from the shop while my Aprilia was
in for a service or something, but I'd get tired of it very quickly.

 

CT wrote:
[kawasaki W650]

and a tartan blankey in the old picnic hamper, what?

 

Are there any Z750 twin owners here?

You're right - Kawasaki have built very few dull-but-worthy bikes. The
GT550 comes to mind (the GT750 was considered quite hot stuff when it
appeared, though) and I suppose there are few old 1970s twins, but
generally, they've always had that sort of zap and charisma that most
Hondas haven't.

 

I've heard that as well, and I don't believe it for a moment, actually.

 

I bought an ultra-clean low-miler in about 1997, and it was a brilliant
working bike. Bits of frame got rusty here and there, but nothing else,
mainly because I garaged it, I s'pose.

It was smooth, comfy, economical and had an excellent range. Bloody good
working bike.

The handling was pretty crap, agreed. There was aone of those famous
"ukrm occasions" when, at about 4am as we were leaving to catch the
ferry to the Bol (the last one at Paul Ricard), the bloody Ducati
wouldn't start properly - it turned out to be a defective plug, but not
something that could be diagnosed in 10 minutes in the dark.

So I threw all my luggage into a pair of hard panniers, clipped them
onto the GT, plonked the tank bag on the tank, and trying to forget that
I was on a balding back tyre and that the head races were *utterly*
fucked[1], wound it up to the ton and caught the others up on the
motorway to Dover.

And rode it to the Bol & back. It was that kind of bike - you could just
hop on it and it would get you there.

It weaved like an utter bastard on that trip - on the autoroute coming
back, I had to let Alien Kev on his 600 Divvie, disappear into the
distance because at 110 the GT was getting uncontrollable.

I flogged it to Eddie as a cheapo hack, and he flogged it to Statto, and
AFAIK it's still going.

[1] I'd decided I'd sort it all "after the Bol"....