Another pick your brains - ZX9R E2

[dern]

I love an old kawasaki but haven't had many of them. Can anyone recall what the E2 version of the ZX9R was like? Always loved the look but I know they're not cutting edge nor anywhere close to it these days. Did they make good back road bikes despite the weight? I read that they were more comfortable than many other sports bikes but how does that translate to 'modern times'?

Bought a 2004 aprilia rsv1000r last year and I can still feel the weight on my wrists so wary about older bikes now

[KungFooBob]

It's the F you want, got the braced swingarm and improved chassis, brakes, etc...

I rode an E once, very quick in a straight line, but didn't handle as nicely as my Blade.

My main memory was having to fix one for my mate, it was a press bike and he was useless with spanners. Kawasaki had some very odd engineering solutions for mounting seats and indicators, stuff that was simple on a Honda was so much more complicated on the ZX9.

[dern]

The question comes about because there's a 1 owner E2 locally to me with 16k on it in mint condition with fsh and the original can and I'm tempted just to buy it... unless you all tell me that model is a shitter

[KungFooBob]

If it's £2k or under it would be worth a punt

[dern]

It's from a dealer so a hair under 3k

[Mr. Dazzle]

That shape is the bike I think of if anyone says "Kawasaki Ninja".

Hope that helps your decision

[KungFooBob]

Seems a bit rich to me.

If you didn't like it you'd struggle to punt it on for much over £2k, imho.

The dealer is probably hoping to attract someone who used to have one 20 years ago and wants to relive their youth.

[dern]

Screenshot 2024-11-19 at 15.48.24.png (1.66 MiB) Viewed 428 times

[KungFooBob]

Wrong colour.

[dern]

Seems a bit rich to me.

If you didn't like it you'd struggle to punt it on for much over £2k, imho.

The dealer is probably hoping to attract someone who used to have one 20 years ago and wants to relive their youth.

Completely agree. I think that the dealer would probably say "yeah, but find another".

I still want it though, obvs

[dern]

Wrong colour.

I prefer it to the green with blue flashes.

[KungFooBob]

Are there any decent 954 Blades about, they were a very good bike?

[dern]

I used to have a 929 and had it for 8 years. I know the 954 is better but it's not an interesting bike for me. Good bikes but it wouldn't be a novelty at all.

[KungFooBob]

I can sell you a 1992 GSXR1100N, 13k on the clock, almost showroom condition, it's got the first of the factory Suzuki shellsuit paint jobs, lovely pink highlights.

[KungFooBob]

What about a Suzuki TL R/S.

I hated the R when they came out, the press slated it, but they've really grown on me, I reckon they'd make a nice road bike.

The S is a bit of a girls bike tho

[Timmy]

I had a C2, was a cracking engine but had a single headlight rather than the twin light E model that came after. If the engine is the same then some earlier C versions had a weak 2nd gear but I never had a problem with mine. Likely beefed up for the later bikes anyway. I liked mine so much I stuffed it in to the side of a car, sad times, loved that bike. It did suffer from carb icing in very cold weather.

[MyLittleStudPony]

It's a nice looking example and I think they were an ok bike in their day (any ZX9R from the C onwards). But I think you'd be bored of it in a few months and be getting rid of it.

[dern]

It's a nice looking example and I think they were an ok bike in their day (any ZX9R from the C onwards). But I think you'd be bored of it in a few months and be getting rid of it.

Maybe but that's ok. Better to try these things out to see if they fit

[Sadlonelygit]

As has been said, you want an F.
E had crap 6 pot calipers, heavy crank, iirc subframe was integral to frame, various other chassis anomalies.
F model was a 170 mph q bike, just had it's thunder stolen by gsxr1000/R1 battle.
Took one to the Black Forest, all day comfortable too!

[Ian]

Check but ISTR Some Es were recalled for frames cracking near the headstock.
Tokicos of that era and have a bad rep for sticking but the 6 pots on my ZX7R work great, but mines never been out in the rain.OTOH the Tokico rear on my ZZR was so bad for sticking I kept a mallet in the top box.

Es suffer from being in between the C which is dirt cheap and the F which everybody wants. Sellers want F prices, buyers want to pay C prices.

If you're under 6 ft try a ZX7R I find mine fits like a glove where the 9R seemed a bit long