ZX9R's

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jun 30th, '07, 17:25

Saw one today i,m tempted to test ride.
However saw a long term biker today and he says i will regret it ? Apparently not so good on cornering at higher speeds. I,m not out to race around corners at 100mph i am however interested in it's looks and have always wanted one.

So let the comments commence good or bad ?

Please steer me in the right direction here along with their pitfalls and their good points.

J_K · Post by **J_K** » Jun 30th, '07, 17:29

Good bikes.
Bit heavy by modern standards. The geometry is a bit old hat too.
But the motors pretty good.

Good if you want to do a few miles comfortably but not great if you want to go scratching with some mates.

DynaMight · Post by **DynaMight** » Jun 30th, '07, 17:41

Underrated bikes imo. Apparently they handle well, go well. Don't exactly excel at anything but does everything very well. As good as the Fireblades around the same era. Good alrounder and like I said, underrated.

They're not exactly heavy, probably about 15kg heavier than a Blade of the same year which isnt anything any normal rider would notice, certainly not on the road. Besides weight doesnt mean much, my SP1 weighs 200kg dry, almost every Duke (except maybe the 1098) has been a fat pig too and you never hear anyone slate their handling due to weight.

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jun 30th, '07, 17:56

Its an R plate and certainly is gonna be lighter than my GSXF

And reliability wise ?

SlowR1der · Post by **SlowR1der** » Jun 30th, '07, 18:01

I had an imported 1998 (think it was a C2) it was my 1st big bike and i never had any probs with it at all. They are just big solid bikes that are good for munching the miles in comfort, excellent value for money.

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Jun 30th, '07, 20:16

Ive had the C1 and the E1
the C1 was said to have a weak gearbox but mine was ok
the E1 was even better in every way
they handle find my mate has a C1 and when we go out i have a zx10r my other mate on a GSXR 1000 K6 and another on a Blade 929
and the C1 is with us all the way like Dynamight said Very Underrated bike
good for scratching and touring

jason · Post by **jason** » Jun 30th, '07, 22:37

think of it as a sports tourer and you will be very happy with it. More in the line of a vfr800 (but not as slow) than a sportsbike of that age.

as an out an out sports bike of that era it falls well short. I rode one once and could not get on with it at all. You can really feel the weight and its handling is very hard work (putting it politely) - really reminded me of the vfr8 i had the misfortune of getting lumbered with for a weekend as a courtesy bike whilst a gsxr 750 I had at the time went in for warranty work. These days I would never have the confidence to ride something like that fast on the roads for fear of it putting me in the hedge.

but this could be irrelvant on a bike of that age anyway - once a bike is a few years old its all about how its been looked after or how much your prepared to invest in getting it back to its full potential i.e a well loved zx9 with regularly serviced suspension will handle, ride, and generally be safer to ride at speed than a ridden into the ground R1 with shot suspension, worn linkage bearings and fading brakes...

and whilst it might not be the greatest sportsbike It would be a great bike to ride around europe on if thats in your scope - comfy, fairly fast and not boring.

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Jul 1st, '07, 09:29

I would agree with most of what Jason said apart form comparing the 9 to a vfr800
i had to use a vfr(new one) for 10 days while my bike was in for repair and the 9 was way above in acceleration , speed , handling
the vfr felt like your sat on a jelly when banking it my boots n pegs aways touching down
even worst with a pillion on

V6 Mondy have a look here http://www.bikersoracle.com/zx9/forum/
might be useful/helpful

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jul 1st, '07, 10:45

Thanks for the link Rab, i'll check that later.

Still undecided, i'm arranging a test ride and take it from there i guess.
I don't think i'll be doing much touring, mainly for work and 'scratching' (like that word)

r1dave · Post by **r1dave** » Jul 2nd, '07, 12:07

i have a zx9r c2 on a t reg and use it for track days and dont have any problems with it. Ideal for fast road riding and comfy to

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jul 2nd, '07, 17:20

Thinking about it, my 'expert' friend who advised me against the ZX9r, was concerned about the 500 + kg it weighed

No i'm no long term biker, but even i know that's pretty heavy for a bike

DynaMight · Post by **DynaMight** » Jul 2nd, '07, 17:30

V6 Mondy wrote:Thinking about it, my 'expert' friend who advised me against the ZX9r, was concerned about the 500 + kg it weighed
No i'm no long term biker, but even i know that's pretty heavy for a bike

I hate to say it but your 'expert' mate doesnt a scooby. 2003 ZX9R is 186kg dry and apparently the 1999 model is around 213kg wet (oil, fuel etc)

Anything around 160-200kg dry isnt gonna be a huge difference imo, unless you're Rossi. It'll just just a little more effort to chuck about.

tomr6 · Post by **tomr6** » Jul 2nd, '07, 17:46

If you look at your bike and it makes you smile then its good. Doesnt matter what you ride as long as it makes you happy. I saw a ZX9 in Looe yesterday. All tricked up and polished. Chicken strips were a 3rd the width of the tyre. When the guy came out of the shop and saw me looking at his bike he had a big grin on his face. Rev'd it up and fired off with a noisy can. Not my style but it made him a happy bear so its good. Just buy the thing. You'll be a long time dead my friend.

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jul 2nd, '07, 18:30

I totally agree with you, i love my GSXF and it still makes me grin when i,m riding it and i,ve owned for for nearly 12 months now.
I have nothing to prove to anyone and always have what i can afford. That said my Suzuki was always gonna be my first bike for a year or so as a bit of a learning period. I always intended to go for something else a few months down the line but i,m really in no rush.
It's just a bike i,ve always wanted

V6 Mondy · Post by **V6 Mondy** » Jul 4th, '07, 20:35

and i didn't bother with the ZX9R

After listening to a few friends and yes it looked nice but i declined and walked away