I’ve now logged over 15,000 miles on a motorcycle in the US and probably over 50,000 miles abroad. I consider myself a moderately experienced rider. I’ve ridden a dual sport (DR650), a naked v-twin (SV650) and now this ZZR1200. Going from the DR650 to the SV650 was, in a sense, a doubling of “power”. The SV650 was light, powerful, flickable and actually pretty cute. I loved it. But after two years on that motorcycle, I wanted a change, especially for longer multi-day trips. In comes the Big Zed. So here’s a review of my Kawasaki ZZR1200 after logging a little over a thousand miles on it.
To get started, here are the top three things I like about this bike: a) The engine b) The engine and c) The engine. Yes, true that. What a gem of an engine! I believe this is the last of the old-school Kawasaki carbureted big bores. It provides breathtaking acceleration all through the rev range and hides its 525 lb weight very well. It just pulls and pulls, in any gear, at any RPM, much like an angry pitbull. On paper it can hit 80 mph in first gear and 110 in second. I’ve not really explored it very much above 8000 rpm – there is plenty of grunt before that. While reviewing footage from a recent ride, I noticed how easy it is to hit high speeds. I hit 100 mph in about 6 seconds, and I wasn’t even pushing it.
Now I don’t consider my a fast rider and I usually take it easy on the curves. The SV650 was very easy to lean and confidence inspiring at every turn. The big Zed is certainly heavier to turn, but it’s not very different. I recently rode Palomares Rd and Calaveras Rd and the bike handled pretty decent.
The transmission is smooth and the brakes are adequate. I’ve not been in any situation that required hard braking so can’t say much.
Wind protection is excellent. Highway riding is easy and the wind hits my 6′ 2″ frame below my shoulders. My arms and legs don’t feel the wind. I actually like the leaned over position of the Zed more than the upright seating of the SV650. It makes it easy to ride on the freeway when you are leaning into the wind. The seat is average. I did fine on a 250 mile day ride, but I don’t like the seat pushing me into the tank. The mirrors actually work and give me a decent view of what’s behind. (The mirrors on the SV650 and DR650 were terrible)
This bike came with aftermarket Madaz Racing slip-on exhausts. This is apparently an Australian company that made high quality exhausts specifically for the ZZR1200. I was a firm non-believer of slip on mufflers (what a waste of time), but that may change. When opened up these “cans” sound like an expensive Italian car rocketing away. Around town they are quite enough to not disturb anyone.
With a 6.1 gallon fuel tank, range on this bike is excellent. I hit reserve (nice to have an actual petcock) at about 200 miles, giving the bike a typical range of about 240 miles. The furthest I have gone is 211 miles and I filled it up with 5.45 gallons. I average about 40 mpg.
I like the center-stand – makes chain lubrication and oil changes so easy. An upright bike on the center stand also takes up less space in the garage compared to a leaned over bike on a side stand.
I like the analog gauges. A fuel gauge was a first for me – so that is good. And I’ve never had a bike with digital gauges, but I’m not sure it would be the same feeling as seeing the tachometer needle rise.
The one thing I don’t like are the vibrations on this bike. This thing has a wicked buzz at 5000 rpm (apparently a common problem) which makes it hard to cruise at 80mph on the freeway. I get around that by dropping down a gear. Its perfectly smooth elsewhere, but the vibes are very noticeable between 4700 and 5200 rpm. I plan to sync the carbs this winter, maybe that will help.
I bought a new (to me) motorcycle. After a couple of long (1000 miler) trips on the SV650 I was ready for a change. I sold the SV650 (it went quickly after listing it on BARF and SBR). I was looking for a moderate weight sport tourer with more emphasis on the “sport” part. I test rode a couple of ZZR1200s and I instantly knew that is the bike I wanted.
Initial impressions …
Pros –
Huge power, rocket-like linear pull in 1st and 2nd. Double of the SV650
Heavy and stable on freeway for touring
Comfortable seating position
Good wind protection, huge wind screen
6 gal tank = 200 mile range
Center stand
Cons –
Very heavy (520 dry) – not very flickable
Funky looks, especially the rear
Maybe too much power (160hp, 91lb-ft)
Carbureted, with choke, petcock – old school technology
Huge bike, not easy to fit into the garage
Wow, it’s been over 6 months since I last updated this blog. It was party me being lazy, but also just a super busy year. Kids activities, visitors, travel and work have been keeping me very busy with very little time to ride. I did ride only a handful of times this year, but didn’t really get around to blogging about them.
So anyway, here is a new ride report. Morgan Territory is one of the most remote roads in the East Bay. It’s quite easy to get to from Fremont. A short ride over to Livermore and then take N. Livermore Ave to Morgan Territory.
N. Livermore Ave is a flat out straight road with farms on either side. There are great views on both sides. As you turn right on to Morgan Territory, the road climbs through a residential area and then enters the Regional Preserve. The road then narrows down to a single lane road which is very rough in some spots. There are lots of dips and rises, lots of tight blind turns. This is no road you want to ride at night! The road skirts the back side of Mt. Diablo (clearly visible) and then hits the small town of Clayton.
On our way back we stopped at Pyramid Alehouse in Walnut Creek.for a beer and a burger.
I hope I find the time to update this blog more frequently.
I had a couple of free hours yesterday. The Big Chill of 2013 was over and the thermometer showed a mild 65F. I rode out to Calaveras because I’ve ridden Palomares dozens of times now. A few miles in, I saw a left turn to “Welch Creek Rd”, with “Dead End” sign.
Welch Creek is a nice 3-4 stretch of road that ends in some houses or ranches. The road is extremely narrow – about as wide a single freeway lane. The road is twisty with dozens of blind turns. There is no shoulder and the side of the road ends with a steep drop into the canyon. Not a good road to ride at night, or for that matter, at dusk.
The views at the end of the climb (the road is mostly a climb going away from Calaveras) are impressive. The main view is the back of Mission Peak and in between the various mountains, one gets a glance of Fremont, the Bay and the rest of Silicon Valley.
I wonder if the residents there are off the grid. I saw a couple of huge solar panels. Cell phone coverage was surprisingly good.
OK, it’s been a long time since I updated this blog. Well, it’s getting cold and I’ve been riding less. But I’ve also decided to only post ride reports to new places and roads not posted earlier.
In mid November, before the Thanksgiving break, Shobhit and I rode to the top of Mt. Diablo. This was my first time there on a motorcycle. We rode 680 to the Mt. Diablo exit and started the long climb up via the South Gate Road. The road is twisty, curvy and a lot of fun. Traffic was heavy though, with dozens of cars and cyclists along the way.
The views from the top are breathtaking. The observation deck is the highest point in the Bay Area and on a clear day one can see the Golden Gate Bridge and the snow capped Sierra Nevadas.
It was a little hazy the day we were there, but we could easily see the Suisun Bay, the Benicia Bridge and beyond.
The ride home was uneventful. We were planning to ride back the same way, but Shobhit forgot to turn off at South Gate fork. He continued along the North Gate road and my weak horn was no match for his aftermarket exhausts. The North Gate Road was fun too. We ended up in Walnut Creek and found our way to the freeway.
Bob Dylan once asked, how many roads must a man walk down, before they call him a man?
Ever since I’ve been in this country I’ve always wanted to travel The Loneliest Road in America – US50. We tried to do a road trip out to Nevada in 2006, but ended up going to Las Vegas instead. Then came the kids, the dog and the house and I never really got to explore that area.
I got into motorcycling about 2 years ago and it just seemed like a motorcycle would be a fine way to explore the remote Nevada landscape. I researched the area for a couple of months, charted out a few possible routes and discussed the trip with friends online. The final route was as follows:
I have to thank the dear wife here – not only does she entertain the dangerous sport of motorcycling, but she also allows the luxury of multi-day motorcycle trips by taking care of the kids, the dog and the house. I am super grateful to be married to her!
I’m also grateful to have such friendly, enthusiastic and awesome riding buddies – Shobhit on his CBR1000RR and Bobby on his R1150GS. Good riding buddies make all the difference. All photos below are credited to Bobby and Shobhit.
Day 1 – Friday July 12th 2013.
The original plan was to assemble at Niles Cafe on Friday morning and get going by about 8:30AM. That would bring us into Benton Hot Springs by 5:30PM or so. Shobhit sent me an SMS the previous night that he had a leaky valve stem. So we met at Niles Cafe at 8:30 or so and rode to East Bay Motorsports in Hayward.
They open at 9AM, so we hoped to get the stem replaced quickly and be on our way. Nada — the guy says he could only get it done by 2PM or so. I thought the service rep was rude and callous. Anyway, we rode on and met Bruce in Pleasanton. Bruce said we could try Motowrx in Livermore . Sure, they were open and got us in-and-out in under 20 minutes. Great service at a fair price — I would definitely use that shop for my future needs.
Our first stop was in the small historic town of Knights Ferry. We walked around the old mill, the covered bridge and the creek. Quaint little place with a charm of it’s own.
We took a detour off Hwy 120 — using Rodden Road and Orange Blossom Road. Both were excellent choices and avoided the Hwy 120 traffic altogether.
Our next stop was the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland which is one of the oldest saloons still operating in California. The place has an old western feel to it. The beer was cold and burger was fine. Over lunch Bruce told us interesting stories of his days in Vietnam. This was the first time I actually met a Vietnam vet.
We entered Yosemite soon after and since Bruce had a “lifetime pass” we basically got in for free. Riding through Yosemite was amazing. Every time I come here I am amazed at the natural beauty of this place. Traffic was fairly light through the park and we had an enjoyable ride. Here is a pic from Bobby’s GroPro.
We took a break at the Crane Flat Area and decided not to descend into the Valley as it would take a long time and would further delay our plans. We pressed on, on Hwy 120, at a quick pace. Traffic was very light, and I do recall occasionally doing 80mph in a 25mph zone 🙂 . We did spot a couple of rangers along the way, but were doing modest speeds then and did not get into any sort of trouble. Bruce reminded us later on that Yosemite is federal land, so if you are caught speeding you have to go to Federal court not county court. Well, anyway, we made it to Olmstead point and Tenaya Lake.
The views there are magnificent. The skies were clear and the temperature was perfect. The huge granite domes interspersed between the pine forests make a very pretty sight. In full HD:
All smiles
We left Olmstead point and made a final pit stop at the Tioga Pass. Bruce turned around here and made it back home by 10PM.
The three of us then descended into the Eastern Sierras. Hwy 120 east of Tioga Pass is very scenic too. The descent is gradual, but the road cuts along side a steep mountain face. We made one final stop at the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining. We enjoyed a cold beer with awesome views of Mono Lake.
The last portion of our ride was Hwy 120 from Hwy 395 to Benton Hot Springs. Hwy 120 east of Hwy 395 is a very interesting ride! The road goes through wide open plains, twisty sections and some very dramatic dips. Yes, the dips are almost out of a motocross circuit. The White Mountain range was clearly visible on the way and Montgomery Peak looked very dramatic in the evening sunlight. That section of Hwy 120 is very lonely; we probably passed only 5-6 cars over the 46 mile stretch.
Our hotel for the night — The Inn at Benton Hot Springs — was very nice. We had the quaint two bedroom bunglow for the night and enjoyed soaking in the hot springs while drinking beers. That place is very desolate. We were probably the only people staying there that night. Since we got there a little after 7PM, the inn-keeper Jimmy had left for the day. He left us a note saying that the door was open and a walkie-talkie in case we needed help.
We had dinner at the Benton Station Cafe which is the only place to get food there and offers all of four options for dinner.
Day 2 – Saturday July 13th 2013.
Day 2 began at Benton. As we left Benton for Tonopah, the temps were climbing and the mesh suit was proving pretty handy. As you cross the Sierras into the high desert the landscape changes quite dramatically. Riding out to Tonopah on US Hwy 6 almost felt like we were riding on Mars. The area is dry, arid and desolate. There was little traffic, maybe a car, bike or truck every 5 miles or so.
This allowed for considerably higher speeds and we started running 100 (indicated) and above pretty regularly. Our speeds actually remained in that neighborhood for most of the day. Unfortunately the high speed caused my Sony Actioncam to come loose and fall off my helmet while riding. So the first casualty of the trip was this stupid action cam. I see Shobhit roar past me and wave out frantically for me to stop. We stop, turn around and trace our steps back for a few miles. Shobhit spots the dead remains and they don’t look promising. Meh, that camera sucked anyway.
So we press on to Tonopah and get into Tonopah Station for some decent omelettes. As I try to get gas, I find that my credit card is blocked due to suspicious activity (gas in Benton). Thanks PenFed, but no thanks. I resolve it quickly on the phone and we are on our way. Shobhit and I then switched bikes. I was excited at riding a liter bike on wide open stretches.
Hwy 376 runs north south between Hwy 6 and Hwy 50, basically going through the vast area of nothingness called the Big Smoky Valley. The views are breathtaking, powerful and surreal. The valley stretches out for a about 50 miles between the magnificent Toiyabe Range to the West and the Toquima Range to the East. That part of the state is truly lonely, we must have passed about 3 cars over the 100 miles we rode.
Shobhit ran his bike a few times up and down that desolate road and Bobby took some video —
And we eventually got down to monkey business
We turned left on hwy 50 and rode the windy fun road into Austin. As we got into Austin for gas, we were welcomed by a huge thunderstorm. It rained heavily for about 10 minutes and stopped. This reminded me of India — heavy short downpours followed by cool crisp weather.
We left Austin and took Hwy 722 which goes through the Desatoya Mountains and Carroll Summit. This is an extremely lonely road with very little traffic (again, maybe 3-4 cars in the 50 miles stretch). There is a huge salt flat along the way and as you descend into this vast valley, it creates a magnificent impression. The salt flat is visible in the left part of this picture.
I was back onto Shobhit’s CBR and loved every minute of it. Interestingly we came across a bunch of cows standing right in the middle of the roadway. I was leading and intended to pass them on the left. As I came close to the group, one of the cows got agitated by the sound of the motorcycle and started running (charging?). Thankfully she ran the other way and we passed through without incident.
The winding road up to Carroll Summit is amazing. I was pushing the CBR to my limits 🙂 and it was fun. As you come down the summit you see these interesting cave like rock formations on your left before you hit Eastgate.
We then merged back onto Hwy 50 and stopped for food and beer at Middlegate Station. Trying to avoid meat as much as possible, I order a veggie burger with my Sierra Nevada. It was awesome! Probably better than any veggie burger I’ve eaten in the Bay Area. I know, veggie burger + beer in the middle of the Nevada desert, how weird is that?
Bobby struck up a conversation with “dude” there. It turns out that he is actually a biologist trained at the University of Arizona. He came to the NV desert to study biodiversity and settled at Middlegate. He showed us his finger deformed due to rattlesnake bite. It also turns out that the whole place (restaurant, a few rooms and a gas station) runs totally off the grid on a diesel generator.
We gassed up in Fallon (one of the larger Nevada towns) and our final stretch of riding to Topaz was uneventful. We rode through several farming communities and the small (and beautiful) towns of Smith Valley and Wellington. I was tired and wanted to get done with the days ride. Bobby and Shobhit were riding behind me and wanted to stop at the Walker river. I didn’t see their flashing lights so I rode on — but in retrospect it would have been a good idea to take a break there.
We got to our hotel at about 7PM and after a quick drink and dinner we were off to bed. The hotel was a typical cheapo Super 8 with a gas station, convenience store and casino. It served it’s purpose, that’s all.
Day 3 – Sunday July 14th 2013.
We started early on Day-3 riding through Monitor Pass and Ebbetts Pass towards the Bay Area. As we left the hotel I noticed my speedo not working. It was smooth till about 50mph, then jumped around and died. We stopped briefly to check for a loose cable, nut or screw. I didn’t find anything, so we pressed on. The speedo worked intermittently on the ride back but it surprisingly work perfectly for the last 60 miles or so. A quick search on the Internet showed that my speedo rotor may be getting old and is probably due for a change.
Coincidentally we rode Hwy 89 and Hwy 4 the day after a big bicycle race – the Death Ride. The roads were squeaky clean, there was very little traffic and the weather was perfect.
We stopped at the Kinney Reservoir and Lake Alpine. We strolled down to the water and headed to the Resort for a cup of coffee. We were greeted by this furry friend.
She actually sat next to me for a long time. Must have been all the attention I gave her.
The ride was pretty much uneventful after that. We gassed in Copperopolis and made our way back to the Bay Area by about 2PM. We hit terrible traffic on 580 and took 84 over to Fremont.
Lessons learnt –
Motorcycle trips are a lot of fun. I would definitely do this again. I hope I can make it an annual tradition.
Safety was our #1 priority and it should always be. When the ride ends with only a lost helmet camera and a broken speedo – I call that ride a success! No crashes, no injuries, no breakdowns, no risky situations.
Three hundred to three fifty miles is the ideal sweet spot for riding per day. We did about 440 miles on Day-2 and were exhausted by the end of the day.
I should ride slower, take more stops and take the time to “smell the roses” along the way. There were a couple of places (e.g. the Walker river) where I was leading and the others wanted to stop. I pressed on, when in fact I realized later that stopping & taking a break would have been a good idea. It just didn’t occur to me while blasting through the canyons.
So there you go. The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind.
Shobhit bought a 2005 CBR1000RR and we went for a ride on our favorite East Bay roads.
I rode the CBR1000RR for a brief time and it was truly amazing. The I-4 engine sounds amazing with the aftermarket exhaust and the power is amazing at all RPMs. Getting back on to the SV650 felt like driving an rickshaw!
Our 40 mile loop was a familiar one: Palomares, Dublin and back. Great roads, great bikes and fun times!
We’ve been Sony Playstation Card members for a long time now and with our sort of spending, the reward points can add up quickly 🙂 I ordered a Sony “sport camcorder” HDR-AS15 a la GoPro and have been quite pleased with the results.
Here is a video of the camera in action, from a short run down 880 and 680. The camera actually ran out of battery in 25 minutes or so. The 16GB u-SD card can record about 2.5 hours of HD video.
I like that the camera supports Sony’s version of image stabilization (Steady Shot) and can record up to 1080p at 60fps. The lens can shoot 120 or 170 degrees (to get that fisheye effect).
WooHoo! Houston, we have liftoff! Here are pics of the new-to-me 2002 SV650. Bought on Saturday October 13th 2012 with 19,833 miles. What an amazing machine! Superb VTwin power, smooth revving engine with a wide powerband, retro naked looks and comfortable seating.
The bike was owned by the original female owner for the last 10 years. She bought it new from the dealer, kept it original and never raced, wheelied or abused it in any way. The bike was dealer maintained it’s whole life and came with fresh oil, adjusted valves, new rubber and a full tune up. How could I pass? 😀
Alright, it’s time to bring this blog back from the dead. I sold off the DR almost a year ago and I sorely miss riding. I’ve been itching to get onto a new set of wheels, scanning the used motorcycle classifieds and reading reviews online. At first I thought I’d get back into a dual sport, and to mix it up a little maybe a KLR650 or an XR650L.
I test rode a bunch of Gen I and Gen II KLRs. Between those two, I’d take the Gen I any day. Old school looks, which I guess, are not for everyone, beefy rugged stance and the lack of plastics makes for a great dual sport.
Somewhere in between I stumbled on a Super Sherpa, but quickly realized that small displacement bikes are not for me. My large (and ever increasing) frame and the inevitable need to ride freeways in the Bay Area just makes it an impractical choice.
Then one fine day, out of sheer coincidence, I decided to test ride an SV650. The seller was local and offered to meet me close by to test ride. As I rode it around the block a few times I was amazed at how well it rode. It had a good stance (not upright, but not a terrible crouch) and the power was amazing. It took off a LOT faster than the DR and was smooth all the way to 60mph.
I was hooked. Maybe a street bike is not all that bad after all. Maybe dual sporting can wait a few years. Maybe I need a dedicated dirt and dedicated street setup. And there we go. Sounds familiar?
I started researching 600 class beginner friendly sport bikes and the choices became obvious: Honda Hornet 599, Yamaha FZ6, Kawasaki Ninja 650R and the SV650. I’m not very keen on Monsters or Speed Triples — given their added costs.
I then test rode the FZ6. I really liked the modern fit and finish, the good looks, digital tachometer, underseat exhaust and centerstand. The bike definitely has better wind protection compared to a naked SV. When I started the bike up, I immediately noticed that the bike idles at a higher rpm than the SV. It tends to be smoother (less vibrations), but a tad noisier. I got onto the bike, rolled out in first and shifted into second at about ~15MPH — my first mistake. Then I twisted hard to WOT — my second mistake — … but, wait, nothing happened! The bike really had no response and felt slow and heavy getting to 50MPH. I probably rode about ~5 miles today. I was not very comfortable revving the engine too high on my first test ride. I probably hit 7000-8000 RPM tops in second at one point… didn’t have the balls to go beyond that.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure I don’t know how to ride this bike properly. It seems that I’ll have to “learn” to ride this bike if I get it.
Now for another story. Right after I rode the FZ6 I test rode a Kawasaki ZRX1200R. Yes, your read that right, ZRex. I was thinking: I want a naked, standard bike — how different will this be? My God, was I wrong! What a motorcycle. That thing had 10x the torque of my DR650. It was downright scary, and I was keeping it under 6000rpm. While I was definitely all smiles and giggles after my test ride, I think that’s way too much bike for me.
Anyway, it’s time to decide and get back onto a motorcycle. More in my next post. Decisions, decisions …
Sujit Kirpekar 