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Kawasaki ZRX1200           

I learned how to ride on classic 4-cylinder Universal Japanese Motorcycles from the 1970s.  The Kawasaki ZRX1200 is a great standard UJM motorcycle with a comfortable riding position and a powerful liquid-cooled 1200 cc 4-cylinder engine.  As you can see in the picture above, you get the classic look with modern brakes, chassis and suspension.  I made a video walkaround of the Kawasaki ZRX1200R showing what's great about it, which you can see below.  I'll go into more detail about the bike below the video.

What is it like to ride a Kawasaki ZRX1200R?  Freakin' sweet!  I've done some miles on a Kawasaki KZ1000 and a Suzuki GS1000, and the ZRX1200 has the same look and feel as those bikes, but with a lot more power, a better frame and suspension.  Check out the heavy-duty aluminum swing arm in the picture.  It's a big heavy bike, at 544 pounds wet, but it is a blast to ride down a twisty road.  There are a lot of modifications you can do to make it lighter and improve the handling, which you can learn about on Kawasaki ZRX1200 forums, but in stock form it works great.  The engine is smooth at idle and a little bit buzzy at highway speeds.  If you had an old KZ, you won't mind the buzz with the ZRX1200.  I'd put some squishier grips on it or add a Bar Snake to it if it were my bike.  Gas mileage is in the 40s if you go easy on it.  Seating position is comfortable sporty standard style, which is about all my old body can handle.  It's upright with a slight forward lean and a decent amount of leg room.  The engine has good torque and pulls strong off of idle.  The Kawasaki ZRX1200R makes 112.8 horsepower at 8,500 RPM and 79.6 foot pounds of torque at 6,750 RPM, which shows you that the engine is tuned for strong midrange performance, which means usable power in real-world riding.  If you rev it up, it really goes, and it makes a beautiful howl, even with the stock 4-into-1 pipes on it.  At 8,000 RPM the sound of the exhaust resonates and makes the weirdest oscillating howl in my helmet.  It's impossible to effectively describe, but really neat to hear.  The real beauty of the Kawasaki ZRX1200R is that it is a bike you could comfortably and efficiently ride to work every day and then take up into the hills on the weekends.  It is a truly Universal Japanese Motorcycle, able to be a commuting workhorse and a recreational vehicle at the same time.  If you're a "ride to work, work to ride" guy, this is a great motorcycle for you.  Here are some more pictures.