This is the stock 2003 ZR-7S
This is my ZR-7S with all the modifications I have made (see list below).
This is the stock 2003 ZR-7S
This is my ZR-7S with all the modifications I have made (see list below).
GENERAL
Accessories I've added
Convenience/Safety/Durability Features:
Here's a review of the ZR-7S from Motorcyclist Online, see http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/kawasaki_zr_7s/
Here's a "beginner bike" we can all get behind-except upon slightly closer examination this particular Kawasaki isn't really a beginner's bike at all. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. In an era of niches within niches, this one's just a simple, easy-to-use little motorcycle that doesn't ask for nearly as much as it gives back. An unassuming, shy thing, it was easy for the ZR-7S to get lost in all the SV650 bargain/performance-bike hoopla upon its introduction last year, because both bikes are at approximately the same price point. Really though, price is about the only thing these two have in common. And now that Kawasaki has added the frame-mounted fairing and the "S" designation, the bike's course has shifted even further from the SV's.
If the SV650 (particularly the new, faired "S" model) is a poor man's Ducati, then you can think of the ZR-7S as a poor man's Suzuki Bandit 1200S-a sporty/comfy bike that does everything but wash the dishes. There's a Bandit in the ZR's price range, too, but the Bandit's 600cc motor is wheezy next to the ZR's 738cc engine. (The little Bandit makes a couple more peak horsepower-72.9 hp vs. 65.6-but the ZR makes 43.8 foot-pounds of torque at its 6000-rpm peak to the Bandit's 38.6 foot-pounds at 9000 rpm.) CB750 Nighthawk you're thinking? Hardly. That relic still rides on bias-ply tires, has no fairing and, in general, looks like a cheap model of itself. Katana 750 then? After you, for $7299. Nay, the ZR-7S is an army of one.
The ZR-7S weighs 520 pounds with its 5.8-gallon fuel complement-almost 100 pounds more than an SV650. So even though the ZR's a frisky back-road tool, the extra weight it carries in the form of a standard centerstand, a big thick seat, nice passenger grabrails, bungee rails, etc., sort of aims it in a more sport-touring/commuter-bike direction, and in that niche the ZR excels like few econo bikes we can recall. As a matter of fact, the ZR's one of the best commuters in the paddock thanks to said seat, a rubber-mounted engine, standard-bike ergos including a high and wide handlebar, decent wind protection-and 48 mpg gives it 250-mile range, a feat none of the expensive luxoboats can accomplish.
That old air-cooled four-banger won't be mistaken for a modern 16-valve version, but it does produce a bit more torque than the current 600s, and it does it at 6000 rpm instead of at 10,000-which is not at all a bad thing on the street. Lug it down to 2000 rpm in top cog (fifth), roll it on and the ZR digs itself smoothly out and away, which makes threading your way through the cars a walk in the park. Kawasaki's throttle-position sensor keeps things fairly smooth and flexible. Rolling along at 70 or 80 mph, the engine's rubber mounts keep vibration at the grips to less than that of a current CBR600F4i, for instance, and the little engine's right at the base of its powerband. From there it pulls hard enough up beyond 120 mph or so to leave any car eating its dust even if it lacks the arm-stretchability of a Suzuki Bandit 1200 or Kawasaki ZRX1200R. (And why do we keep saying "little" anyway? Remember when the sohc CB750 was huge?)
Suspension is on the soft side, but pretty well damped (the shock could use a little more damping in both directions, though the fork's good), and together with the excellent seat and ergos, long-distance running is not at all out of the question. And we've definitely been around the block enough times to know better than to tour on most of the other "beginner bikes" in the ZR's price range. For another $609.95, Kawasaki will even sell you a set of hard saddlebags with custom mounting hardware and rack.
The ZR's ergos also make careening around swervy back roads an exercise in humility for riders of real "sportbikes," as there's really nothing to keep a good ZR rider from hanging with the pack-well, except long straights or maybe a few thousand feet of altitude. Even then, there's enough juice in the little beast if you keep it spinning above 7000 rpm or so, to stay in the draft. Steering is completely linear (probably because of the wide bar), and the suspension's good enough to keep bumps from throwing you off-line. The tires are sticky enough and footpegs high enough that you can carry heaps o' corner speed on the little ZR (and just low enough to throw lots of sparks in your buddys' faceshields). The front brake's weak enough that you'll soon learn to use the rear; pretty soon you're trail-braking into apexes like you know what you're doing. Matter of fact, the ZR would make an excellent trainer for the aspiring novice squid. Bikes that emphasize handling over horsepower will teach you to ride-especially ones with modern wheel sizes (17 x 5-inch rear) that allow you to fit even stickier tires when the perfectly good Bridgestone BT020s are shagged out.
Weak areas? The gearbox is a little imprecise, and shifting can be a bit rubbery. Can't think of anything else. The S lists for $5999, but dealers we spoke to say they're not exactly flying out the door. We're talking discount. Your insurance agent will like your ZR-7S, too. And unlike most of the other moldy items in the bargain basement, this one doesn't have "skinflint" written all over it; you get a stainless exhaust, an oil cooler, adjustable levers, a bright headlight and an overall reasonably high level of put-togetherness. It's an inexpensive bike, not a cheap one. Two thumbs up.