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It's
been 16 years since I picked up my first street bike at the
Kawasaki dealer a shiny silver GPZ750 that - for all its
sporting pretensions - essentially straddled the line
between the fast-disappearing "standards" of the time and
the emerging high-tech class of liquid cooled sportbikes
personified by the Honda Interceptors and Kawasaki's own 900
Ninja.
 The
revamped GPZ series that hit the streets in 1984 never
really got the respect they deserved. Too many Ninjas,
Interceptors, FZRs and GSXs out there, I guess. But that
whole line nonetheless struck an enviable balance among
comfort, power, and corner-carving ability. My favored
riding world has always been that of the blue-lined,
high-speed sweepers preferably far from home and as deserted
as possible. And, Superbike roots aside, that was also the
world where my GPZ was most at home, and we completed many
journeys, including one especially memorable 7500-jaunt that
brought us through the Canadian and U.S. Rockies.
Sparing you the
life story and moving to the new millennium, I would have to
say things have changed quite a bit in the motorcycling
world, but not as much as some moto-marketing types would
have you believe. Sure, motorcycles have become ever-more
specialized: cruisers, hard-edged sportbikes, sport tourers,
dressers so big and plush they require a reverse gear, retro
bikes... you know the drill. But, along with this inbreeding
of bike lines, the standard is staging a comeback. Oh, sure,
now they're called "naked" bikes. I guess the marketing guys
found the old term too, um, standard but look closely and
you'll see a class of bike that can be virtually whatever
their owners desire.
Look real closely
at one in particular, the Kawasaki ZR-7 on these pages, and
you'll see something else: a lean, flashy, purposeful
machine with the soul of my old GPZ. It's no accident the
ZR-7's curved gas tank evokes its sporting/standard
ancestors. It certainly should. The versatile air-cooled
inline four cylinder engine slung beneath it is nearly
unchanged, save for updated ignition and fuel system, and
though the frame and running gear are vastly improved (both
mechanically and geometrically), they share the same basic
double-cradle, tubular steel design and UniTrak
lineage.
The ZR-7's
eight-valve DOHC power-plant sports a 9.5:1 compression
ratio and a bank of four Keihin CVK32 carbs, nearly
identical to its KZ/ GPZ ancestors, along with a 21st
century digital ignition with electronic throttle sensor
(dubbed K-TRIC, for Kawasaki Throttle Response Ignition
Control) that varies valve timing in response to engine load
to improve response and fuel economy, according to company
literature. The result is 738 cc's of usable power that,
once you clear a fairly wide flat spot at the bottom end of
the curve, builds from a mellow rumble to a banshee wail if
you let it build to full potential. And that comes on
quickly, I don't have a drag strip at my disposal, but
0-to-70 mph comes in roughly five seconds, give or take a
tick, even in my untrained hands, and roll-on power is
impressive for a bike of this size.
Sure the low-end
gagging can be annoying, K-TRIC notwithstanding, but
otherwise this bike can cruise the boulevards in comfort if
that's your thing; eat some serious interstate with only a
slight shudder over expansion joints; or suck you toward its
tubular handlebars as you near its 10,000 rpm redline to
fight a suddenly light front wheel and the unfaired
wind-blast. In other words, the ZR-7 is a
jack-of-all-paved-trades, a bona fide albeit naked standard
that can trace its lineage clear back to the Jimmy Carter
years.
 Still,
at a moderate 75 horsepower and 445-pound dry weight,
according to Kawasaki, the ZR-7 seems happiest when being
put through its paces on a fast, curly but, not too tight,
section of two-lane. The ZR-7 will happily grab any lean
angle you choose with its stock Dunlop 205 series rubber,
though it sometimes sits up for just a moment as you enter
the turns, especially if you're careless with your right
hand on either throttle or brakes. At the same time, its
neutral handling courtesy of 17-inch alloy wheels and a 57.3
wheelbase combined with moderate geometry make the ZR-7 a
bike you can flick about until your brain starts oozing out
your ears and messing up your helmet. Be sure to wear some
earplugs!
Wind the ZR-7 up
as you approach a pair or more of sweeping, lightly banked
esses, hit the clutch for a quick downshift, a dab of
brakes, then crank the metallic blue beast over, close your
eyes, and indulge your favorite Wayne Rainey fantasies...
Well, I guess it's probably best if you keep your eyes
open.
Like virtually all
branches on the KZ/Z-1 family tree, the ZR-7's bulletproof
powerplant has ample room for a bore job and is overbuilt
enough to accept other mods, should you feel the need.
Relatively minor jetting work would probably net a quick
5-10 additional ponies, and you may not even have to replace
the stock exhaust pipe a trick stainless steel 4-into-1 unit
with crossovers near the exhaust ports and a
huge-yet-relatively-light canister. A decent-sized oil
cooler helps keep the ZR-7 from overheating too readily,
though as with any air-cooled bike in Minnesota, all bets
are off should you find yourself stuck in heavy traffic on
the way up north come July.
The suspension is
one area where the ZR-7 really shines compared to its
ancestors, and to most other modern bikes save the full-tilt
sporting models. Its Kayaba monoshock in the rear features a
progressive linkage, seven-way adjustable spring preload and
four levels of rebound damping. The 41-millimeter Kayaba
forks up front are not adjustable, but their stoutness
combined with decent stock tires inspires confidence, and
the tubes don't seem to flex at all at medium-to-high
speeds. Of course, if you plan to engage your hyperdrive and
skin some knees in the tight twisties, you will likely
exceed the ZR-7's limits in short order, but hey, if that's
your scene, you're probably going to be happier on a Hawk,
Ninja, FZR, etc. though your spine and knees may not share
the sentiment after an hour in the saddle.
When it comes time
for a break, the ZR-7's binders will slow you down in a
hurry, thanks to twin-piston calipers squeezing a pair of
300-millimeter rotors up front and a single 240-millimeter
unit in the rear. It takes just two fingers, and virtually
no effort, to engage the front brakes; indeed, after a
couple of bikeless summers riding a friend's spare BMW, I
found them abrupt until I racked up enough miles to get used
to them. The rear brake provides good feedback and is easy
to control without locking up in panic-stop situations. I
have yet to notice any appreciable fade when giving the
brakes a workout. Of course, I have yet to throw a fully
loaded ZR-7 around a twisting mountain road in mid-July,
though I'll be glad to provide updates if MMM wants to
bankroll such a crucial test.
A
nearly-but-not-quite upright riding position and 5.8 gallon
tank make the ZR-7 a more-than-acceptable long hauler. The
comfortable-but-firm seat sits a humane 31.5 inches above
the pavement but has a steep step and thin padding in the
rear, which means any two-up plans are likely to include
frequent "butt breaks" for your passenger.
Instrumentation on
the ZR-7 is a step above spartan, including a large tach and
speedometer, inset trip odometer, fuel gauge, and all the
usual idiot lights. For some reason, though, the backlit
tach and speedo are difficult to read once dusk arrives. The
clutch and brake levers can be adjustable so that they're
closer the handgrips. A nice touch, I suppose, but not
something I've ever felt a need for in the past. Kawasaki
offers a windscreen (about $90) but no fairing for the ZR-7,
an oversight I hope to see remedied soon, though the
aftermarket already has some options available.
So far, my gripes
about the ZR-7 are relatively minor. Despite an advanced
ignition, it tends to hesitate a moment when you crack the
throttle at sub-highway speeds, requiring a crisp throttle
hand and decisive clutch work. The aforementioned jetting
should address this, however. I'd like to see an aluminum
swingarm straddling the rear wheel in place of the braced
steel box section. While we're at it, how about some of
those slick eccentric drive chain adjusters that I remember
so well from Kawasakis past and present, such as on the
ZRX-11 and various members of the Ninja family? The engine
seems overly busy at highway speeds, making me wonder if a
taller fifth gear, or better yet a six-speed transmission,
might better serve it.
Overall, this is a
well-finished bike, but a little extra clearcoat over the
sultry metallic blue paint wouldn't hurt, nor would steel or
aluminum grab rails. The plastic ones it came with don't
exactly inspire trust, and seemingly scratch if you look at
them to hard, let alone throw a bungee hook their
way.
But these are
truly trifling matters when you consider how much bike
you're actually getting for the retail price of $5,699.
That's right, just $700 more than the Ninja 750 I bought
after stupidly selling my old GPZ 750 a decade ago. With a
price like that, Kawasaki may be aiming for the less
experienced, perhaps even conservative end of the market,
but make no mistake, ZR-7 is a whole lot more motorcycle for
the money than any other member of the 750 class. It will
never be a Ducati Super Sport, a Wide Glide, or a Gold Wing,
but for less than a third the cost of any of them, the ZR-7
will cover all the road in between.
by
Sev Pearman
People
who see me think that because of my interest, I probably buy
new motorcycles. Nothing could be further from the truth -
I live on a steady diet of used hardware. I have never
bought a new bike, unless you count that Vespa P200E way
back in '82... It doesn't mean that I don't like new bikes,
just that they were always a bit out of my reach.
 The
Kawasaki ZR-7 bears exception. If the beautiful
electric-blue paint (Candy Lightning Blue) doesn't grab you,
then the $5,699 MSRP will. Folks, this isn't a used CBR600
in the want ads, this is a brand new ride with plenty of
goodies.
The Big K has
created another of their specialties; an inline 4-cylinder
motor that is both powerful and bulletproof. A nephew of
the GPZ 750 motor of the early 80's, the ZR-7's motor puts
out almost 70 horses @ 9,000 rpm, with a rider-friendly 45
foot-lbs. of torque @ 6,000 rpm. Redline is given at 10,000
rpm! The architecture isn't cutting-edge, but it gets the
job done - DOHC, with 2 valves per cylinder, and simple
air-cooling. The cases are tastily finished in a
Vincent-like, gloss-black. Kawasaki chose to run without
liquid-cooling on this model, interesting in this time of
ever-tightening noise restrictions, but did hang an oil
cooler off the bow, to aid cooling chores.
Our test bike was
stinky-new, preventing a thorough, uh...exploration of the
powerband. However, at an indicated 70 mph, the motor was
yawning at 5,000 rpm, with more than enough oomph to easily
propel my large, 5'-10" frame down the superslab. There was
some 4-cylinder secondary vibration felt through the bars
and pegs, but nothing too annoying. It would be interesting
to do a follow-up ride with a loosened motor, to examine
what the upper end of the rev-range feels like. Purely in
the interest of reader service, of course.
The gearbox was a
delight. A five-speeder with contemporary Japanese precision
and robustness, it consistently performed. I was unable to
botch a shift, up or down; nor could I find any false
neutrals. The clutch has a wide friction zone, and was
never grabby. This is an excellent setup for any rider
other than Tommy Trapspeed, especially if the ZR-7 is going
to spend most of its time on city streets.
Neither do the
brakes disappoint. Twin 300mm (almost one foot!) diameter,
fully floating discs grace the front, hauled down by
matching two-piston calipers. Although they are
single-sided, they did not fail to deliver. Repeated hard
stops always felt controlled and did not induce fade,
despite my 220 lb. bulk. The rear is controlled by 240 mm
disc and caliper. Together, they felt adequate, although
I'm solidly in the front braking camp, and rarely use my
rear.
 The
exhaust is tastefully quiet, and gorgeously finished in
stainless steel. The 4-into-1 headers contain crossovers
that aid in horsepower extraction. The exhaust terminates
in a beautiful all-stainless canister that sweeps up the
right side of the bike. A nice touch are the satin-black
finished bag stays, which both prevent bags from melting on
the muffler, and keep them from being sucked into the rear
wheel.
At this price, a
new bike will have compromises, and on the ZR-7, it is in
the suspension. The front fork is a nonadjustable
damper-rod jobbie, and the rear shock is adjustable for
spring preload and rebound dampening. Those who will whine
about the lack of full suspension adjustment are probably
not considering this model anyway. Perhaps the gentleman
would be interested in our Ninja?
Buyers of the ZR-7
may be perfectly content with the fork status quo. You can
always buy different springs and experiment with preload
spacers, or order yourself up a set of Race Tech's
Emulators. At least you get the appropriate C-spanner for
the shock in the tool kit!
Comfort-wise, the
ZR-7 is a dream. The seat is wide and flat, yet contains
dense foam that prevents hot spots. I measured a low 31
inch height, which enabled my 32 inch inseamed legs to
easily hold the ground at stops. In addition, the nose of
the seat tapers, a further aid to those with shorter or,
uh...more generous thighs. What a concept, a factory seat
that won't get pitched after the first tankful!
The seating
position is simply intuitive. Once perched, the pegs
magically appear beneath your feet, as do the handlebars and
controls into your gloves. No repli-racer contortions here,
just real world comfort. The gauge cluster is equally
wonderful. Large, white-faced analog (!) instruments are
surrounded by attractive chrome bezels, and are easily read.
What's this in the center; yup, a gin-u-wine gas gauge!
Coupled with a traditional petcock, you'll have no excuse if
you run out of fuel. Capacity is a claimed 5.8 gallons and
with early calculations of mileage in the high 30's, a
useful range of 200 miles is to be expected. Mileage may
increase, as the motor loosens up.
Other practical
delights on the ZR-7 include the sorely missed centerstand
and 4-way flashers. My first riding partner had hazards on
his '84 GPZ. My current riding partner has them on his '92
ZX-11. Why doesn't every bike come with them? What does
Kawasaki know that other manufacturers don't? It is a
feature that you'll never miss until you ride a bike that
has it. The same goes with a centerstand. In the world of
hyper-performance, the pounds saved from a second stand
equal lower times, higher speeds and increased lean angle.
But in the day-to-day world of commuting, small trips and
moneysaving maintenance at home, a centerstand is a
lifesaver.
Speaking of small
trips, the ZR-7 would make an excellent light-tourer.
Kawasaki offers a custom fit clear windscreen as well as
soft saddlebags; as does the healthy aftermarket. The
factory believes so strongly in the touring ability of this
model, that they even offer hard bags, ala BMW or their own
Concours. Made for Kawasaki by Givi, they are waterproof,
integrated and sturdy. Givi bags are known for their
quality; as well as their helmet-swallowing ability. I used
to think that hard bags were dorky and overpriced until I
bought a used bike that had 'em. Why struggle with locked
seats and helmet hangers when you can just zip the melon in
a bag, and be on your merry way? With the bags off, all
that remains is an unobtrusive black mount, which
incorporates a handy rear rack for smaller parcels. At
about $600, including all hardware, they ain't cheap, but
this is a case of definitely getting what you paid
for...Besides, your salesman will happily finance them into
your loan.
This is what we
used to call a standard bike. Fun enough for some
scratchin', without the day-to-day literal pain that a
full-on sportbike creates; flexible enough for touring,
without the Exxon Valdez dimensions and mass that a tourer
has. The ZR-7 is small enough to be an excellent urban
commando, yet its 738 ccs have more than enough stink to get
you where you need to go. Its lack of plastic makes it
c-h-e-a-p to insure, too. Its a great time to be bike
shopping, and with the new, feature-soaked ZR-7 coming in at
$5,699 (under $6400 with hardbags!) you can afford to buy
new.
M.M.M.
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