ZRX1200

Always been a bike I wanted, very nearly changed my mind when I went in the dealer and bought my KLR four years ago, figured I'd have another chance someday and then they quit making them.

I have an opportunity to buy a good used one for quite a bit less than what they go for on Ebay and Cycletrader. Good bike, 2001 model (blue), 21K on the clock. Good tires, nothing obviously wrong with it. I have sat on it and heard it run.

I could go to a ZRX forum, but when you go to a forum for a specific type of bike and ask what people think, all you get is "it's the best thing since canned beer".

Here's some back ground;

My KLR650 is my daily rider and I love it. I will always have one, or something very similar, if you only can have one bike, a big dual sport is the way to go. That being said, I want something more road capable sometimes. I doubt I'd be happy with a for real sport bike (my 42 year old knees and hips and back scream just thinking about it) but the ZRX is relatively upright. Someday when the kids are grown, which isn't too far off, I'd like to start riding double with the wife too, and a KLR is kinda under powered and way too tall for that.

Other problems, I've gotten stalled on getting my KZ1100 up and going, and my gut tells me to spend the money on that and start riding it again. I'm also heading back over to the sand box for a year in about another month to five weeks, so it'll get stored for at least year before I get to do any serious riding.

I can have this bike for $3700 cash. I haven't seen one (except for salvaged ones) go on Ebay or cycletrader for much less than $5000 for quite a while. Seems like I can justify the purchase of another bike by telling myself if I don't like it or change my mind, I can always get at least my money back out of it.

Thoughts and opinions?

I have not ridden one but did sit on one at a dealer the last year they were made (2005?)...thought seriously about buying it but decided to wait until the next years' model (because I didn't like the color...really!)...then realized that I blew my only chance at a new one. It seems that every one who has bought one, loves them....and they do seem to hold their value fairly well.

They are definately a blast, it has been less than a year since I sold my KZ1000 and have put about 5k on the ZRX1200 and is just a nice modern day compromise.

I would have bought one but it has that stupid modern sloped forward seat and passenger pegs about 18" below the seat. My wife would kill me if I made her ride that way.

RonKZ650 wrote:

I would have bought one but it has that stupid modern sloped forward seat and passenger pegs about 18" below the seat. My wife would kill me if I made her ride that way.

My wife is pretty short legged, so it may not be as bad a problem. As for the sloped forward seat, anyone heard any complaints about riding comfort? I have put 500 mile days on my KLR before, I'm not really looking to do that on this bike if I get it.

About the color, this one is blue, and looks really good. Call me a heretic, but I'm not that wild about the green they made so many of these in, so this will be cool.

I got some time this weekend, it's about an hour and a half away, Wonder if I should trailer it home or get the wife to drive me over there and then ride it back?

I have heard nothing but good things about them. Where are you located? It seems like all of the zrx's in the Seattle and Portland OR area on Criagslist are going for real cheap. If you save enough on one of those to cover shipping you might want to look there. I also didn't like the green. I wish they would have used the same green on the Z1000 on the zrx's.

Hey Rich. Just wanted to add my $.02. I just picked up a 2003 in late June, and love it! I've put about 5K KM (3K miles) since then, and am very happy with it. I too was looking for something more suited to long distance.

Price wise, $3700 is a good price. I also looked south of the border, and as mentioned, there were few under $5000, and those that were had high mileage. I might have paid less going stateside, but this only had 8700 KM (5K miles) and is in immaculate condition.

I've found you still experience some slight discomfort on longer rides, and there are quite a few comments on the ZRXOA site about this, but much more tolerable that the 650, and the ABT (ass rebound time for lack of a better term) is much shorter. An after market seat is also an option.

Just checked the valves for peace of mind @ 12K KM, which is the FSM recommendation, and all were in spec (though 2 were borderline). Fairly straightforward, but a little more time consuming due to the extra 8 valves, and the extra components for the cooling system, but the nice part is the cams do not have to be removed to change shims.

Chain adjustment is a snap with the eccentrics, and though everything is stock and I have done nothing other maintain the fluid levels, I find the braking on the 650 much more positive (stainless lines and DOT 5). A good flush and bleeding might help though. I also love the feel of the hydraulic clutch.

The only other things I want to look at are adding a fork brace and a bar snake for the slight vibration in the bars. A little skittish when first going into a hard corner (the 650 feels rock solid compared to this), but my next item to experiment with is the suspension tuning.

All in all, a great bike. Sexy, fast and responsive. It has the ability to put a skidmark in the back of your pants and a chubby in the front at the same time.:woohoo: BTW, I didn't care for the green, and I managed to find my first choice of the silver, though I would have been happy with the blue. Good luck.

kawasaki racing green???? Yeah I didn't like it either which is why I didn't buy the bike new plus the squarish features. I bought a zr1100 that was up for sale and looked brand new and if you think the zrx is uncomfortable... I could make a run for the border and back and still be up for a ride after on the rex the zr I would be crippled for life. The zr1100 was just plain no seat and awkward angle. The zrex is a great bike yet.... I still love the kz much better. The real deal. But the racing green looks great on that bike after you get used to the bold angles. It's a bold bike that warrants bold ugly colors. Purple?!? Black and Blue?!?! The gray looks really nice but doesn't fit the scheme as well as the kawaka green and white. It's ugly but so is the bike. But winnin ugly is downright ugly. Pretty is for girls. lol

just about bought a 2000 zrx 1100 for 2700 bux. 20K and a noisy top end. probably just needed a valve adjustment. wasnt too keen on the green either. thought about getting black side covers and tail and painting the tank and fender. if i wasnt looking at the 1980 classic i probably would have got it.

If I had the garage space I'd ask you where it's at if you didn't want it.

But, then I really have no business on a 1200. :S

Nate, it's in Lawrence. That's a little more than I can float cash right away (comfortably), but the bank came through with the loan today, so tomorrow I'm gonna go over there and wheel and deal good lord willin' and the creek don't rise. I'll let you know how it goes. Wife is pretty supportive, just gonna have to shuffle some stuff around to have space in the barn, but I've been needing to go through all that crap for a long time anyway.

This will get payed off in just a couple of months with the extra cash for being deployed. The money for it really isn't the issue. I hate to have to put it away for a year as soon as I get it almost, and it'll most likely cause me to procrastinate on the KZ1100 getting it back on the road.

The plan is to retire pretty quick after I get back, so maybe I'll have more time for the KZ. In fact, I have an approved retirement and orders right now, but my current chain of command stop lossed me to go to Iraq again (I don't wanna get started on that now, suffice it to say, I have some real misgivings about the testicular fortitude and moral courage of certain elements of the senior leadership in the Army right now). I'm not getting rid of the KZ, it was the first bike I ever owned, and I'm keeping it.

Any real long distance touring I'll do on the KLR. It'll most likely remain my daily driver as the route I like to work is more than half gravel. The KLR eats it up, not sure how the ZRX would do. Maybe if I don't like it, I'll swap both for a Triumph Tiger or a V Strom. It would be nice to be on a fast bike again, KLRs are great, but speed demons they ain't.

Good luck, Rich, all the way around. Don't forget pics!