The CB1100F returns!

The 83 1100F was the best bike that year. Fast and smooth. A one year wonder. This one is an after thought. Just a bike looking for market share. Do like the header though.

Lots of valid questions (points? ). But one thing that is driving 'used bike' costs up is rising fuel costs. I teach motorcycle safety classes and we are experiencing record numbers with no advertising at all.
"Back in the day" a guy could go around and pick up complete KZ1000s leaned up against a shed for a hundred or so, take it home, clean the carbs and throw some fresh fuel in it and she'd "go". Not too many of those deals around these days; used bike prices are going up, period...regardless of 'vintage' status.

I'll stand by my assessment of the Zephyr line not making reasonable power as part of its sales failure (can't be the 'looks'!)...and hey, I'm a big Zephyr fan...I'm sure I'll have one (or 3!) someday soon. But look at Bandits. Plain-jane basic bikes that had a pretty darn long run with their air/oil motor; I think that part of their alure was that they were pretty strong right off the floor, but more: they responded very well to hot-rodding. Shoot, changing the exhaust on one of those things (1200) got similar results as when we'd change an old KZ1000 pipe out...big differences...and the thing was based on a motor that already had a big aftermarket base. Making real power out of those things is easy.

I think that buyers don't want to buy a brand new 1000cc - 1400cc (sport) standard and get crushed by a 600cc supersport. You at least want to be "in the hunt" when you cross the line. I think that this means a successful standard is going to have to put out something in the 120 neighborhood, and that's not unreasonable with today's technology. They can make it look the way we want and they can give it a 'sack' to keep us happy...maybe even be able to keep it air-cooled.

I may have to put the flame-suite on for this one...but there's my 2 cents, none-the-less.

:laugh: -KR

The ZRXs did come to Canada, in 1100 (1999-2000) and 1200 (2001 - 2005) iterations. With the quarter fairing they made for a beautiful tribute to an ELR, based on the liquid cooled ZX11 engine.

The 1100 came with a five speed gearbox and ran just under 100hp. No end of owners changed the rear sprocket to lower the revs at cruise speeds, and there were several other common upgrades made, including substituting ZX11 cams and adding a D&D pipe. That put the bike into about 120hp, although the one I've ridden seemed too loud and not as refined as the stocker.

The 1200 came with a slightly redesigned seat, a new swingarm, and about 130 ponies at the rear wheel. While that number is down from ZX11s at the time, it made for very happy ZRX owners and I've yet to hear anyone complain (not discounting those who went out to find more power anyway)

As a new version of my old KZ I keep looking for a good used ZRX - a green one please.

Sadly, Kawasaki Canada stopped importing them after the 2005 model year. There was some talk of a 1400 version to compete the Suzuki GS1400 in European markets.

violentvintagecycles wrote:

...buttt ugly...cross between a bwm, a sportster and a v-max....

It's not a CB1100 but it looks good. What do you guys thik of the 2008 not for us CB750?

Or the CB400?



Post edited by: Bluemeanie, at: 2008/01/30 18:28

And last but not least the Kawasaki ZR750!

I like the 400 and of course the 750...good lookin' rides, for sure.

ZRX: 1100s made about 99 at the rear wheel. 1200s made about 120 at the rear wheel. The motors look a lot alike, but nothing interchanges; they are different. The 1100 was based off the ZX11 and the 1200 was based off the ZZR1200...different motors. Both take to hot-rodding very nicely. If you drop ZX11 cams in the 1100 you get a flat spot in the mid-range that is hyper-exagerated by their performance when they kick-in right after that. The 1100 cam to have is from the 95-era GPz1100 that is also based off the ZX11 motor...hotter than the ZRX, milder than the ZX. GPz and ZRX are side-draft the ZX is down-draft. Trivia, but thought maybe somebody'd like to hear. (I worked in a shop that had a dyno for a few years and we had some impressive ZRX and ZX tuning going on).

-KR

Interesting thoughts about the Zephyr models. My thought is that they were brought to market at the wrong time. Heavy cruisers, especially those from the Big Four, were just really gaining presence in the market place. Sport bikes were gaining performance at a dizzying rate. And most of us that have a KZ now probably didn't have a motorcycle during that time (early '90s). The UJM styling of the Zephyrs probably wasn't considered "cool" during that time as well. It seems to me that those were the factors that conspired against the Zephyr's run in the USA.

Just like the Boomers fueled the resurgence in muscle car and HOG interest in the '90s. Those of us that grew up later (there are exceptions of course) are fueling the interest in the KZ line and other '70s and '80s cultural icons.

Finally, we can thank another invention of the '70s, the Internet, for bringing us together at KZRider and fueling the interest in these fine machines. Now, the question is whether interest in a reintroduction of the Zephyr line goes beyond us. Perhaps the marketing department at Kawasaki already knows the answer.

For me horsepower isn't the only consideration. I'm quite happy on my 60 HP or so 650s. I don't need a 120 HP bike to make me walk into a dealership. If I had the inclination to do so, I'd walk into a Triumph dealership and buy a Bonneville. The proper style of motorcycle does more for me than horsepower. Heretical, I know.

As for the CB1100F, it does nothing for me. Perhaps it would be better in person, but the pictures don't inspire me to own one.

Um, I think the Z1000 Kawi was the best and one of the earliest retro bikes on the market- right down to the big- azt exhaust:laugh: