ZZR1400, Teenage me's dream bike
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 11:46 am
Hi all, I hope this is the right place for this. It's not a restoration or the like but I have recently bought the bike I've wanted since I first started riding and will be slowly revamping the whole bike to make it mechanically as fresh as reasonably possible without spending too much.
Back in 2006, I was just beginning my biking journey. My dad had had bikes my entire life (and a long time before me too) and I'd had field bikes and quads for years but didn't really have much of an interest in them otherwise. In 2005 my dad bought me a 1992 NSR125 in a box with the intention of it being mine when I hit 17. We built it up and it ran well. In 2006, Kawasaki launched the ZZR1400.. teenage me fell in love. I vowed I'd have one one day, to my dad's utter dismay (hes a Gixxer bloke through and through). 2007 saw me on a Peugeot Speedfight 50cc after my CBT, a CG125 at 17 for my test (unfortunately the NSR never saw the road, insurance made sure of that). I passed after the 2nd attempt at mod 1 and the 1st attempt at mod 2, which allowed me a restricted license to 33kw for 2 years.
I went and bought a '94 ZZR600 sight unseen and rode her home (slap wrist here). We took her to get the restriction fitted and I spent hundreds, maybe thousands of miles riding that all over Wales. A month before I hit 19 I passed my car test and that was it. Barely rode the bike again, never had her destricted, sold up and became a car guy for the next 10 years or so.
In 2023, I decided to get a bike again. After much trawling of the web, I went and bought a '97 VFR750 with 12k on the clock for £1300.
Steal of a bike, couldn't wait to get it. I'd read so many owners and published reviews that I had such high hopes for the bike.... I HATED IT. Everything about it, I hated the riding position, the power delivery, the high centre of gravity. Genuinely have never been so disappointed in a bike ever. My ownership catalogue was small, but as is common I'd ridden so many different bikes from friends and family but that VFR was just not for me at all.
I had it for a year, put 12miles on it and sold it for £1300.
I decided it was time.
A ZZR1400 was happening, I'd not be happy with anything else.
So here we are, my very own 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400 Gen 1 in silver. Far too many previous owners, high mileage and yet the best bike I've ever owned by a country mile.
Back in 2006, I was just beginning my biking journey. My dad had had bikes my entire life (and a long time before me too) and I'd had field bikes and quads for years but didn't really have much of an interest in them otherwise. In 2005 my dad bought me a 1992 NSR125 in a box with the intention of it being mine when I hit 17. We built it up and it ran well. In 2006, Kawasaki launched the ZZR1400.. teenage me fell in love. I vowed I'd have one one day, to my dad's utter dismay (hes a Gixxer bloke through and through). 2007 saw me on a Peugeot Speedfight 50cc after my CBT, a CG125 at 17 for my test (unfortunately the NSR never saw the road, insurance made sure of that). I passed after the 2nd attempt at mod 1 and the 1st attempt at mod 2, which allowed me a restricted license to 33kw for 2 years.
I went and bought a '94 ZZR600 sight unseen and rode her home (slap wrist here). We took her to get the restriction fitted and I spent hundreds, maybe thousands of miles riding that all over Wales. A month before I hit 19 I passed my car test and that was it. Barely rode the bike again, never had her destricted, sold up and became a car guy for the next 10 years or so.
In 2023, I decided to get a bike again. After much trawling of the web, I went and bought a '97 VFR750 with 12k on the clock for £1300.
Steal of a bike, couldn't wait to get it. I'd read so many owners and published reviews that I had such high hopes for the bike.... I HATED IT. Everything about it, I hated the riding position, the power delivery, the high centre of gravity. Genuinely have never been so disappointed in a bike ever. My ownership catalogue was small, but as is common I'd ridden so many different bikes from friends and family but that VFR was just not for me at all.
I had it for a year, put 12miles on it and sold it for £1300.
I decided it was time.
A ZZR1400 was happening, I'd not be happy with anything else.
So here we are, my very own 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400 Gen 1 in silver. Far too many previous owners, high mileage and yet the best bike I've ever owned by a country mile.
