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Kawasaki Zephyr 1100
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Make Model |
Kawasaki Zephyr 1100 / ZR 1100 |
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Year |
1999 |
|
Engine |
Air cooled, four stroke transverse four cylinder. DOHC,
2 valve per cylinder. |
|
Capacity |
1062 |
|
Bore x Stroke |
73.5 x 62.6 mm |
|
Compression Ratio |
9.1:1 |
|
Induction |
|
|
Ignition /
Starting |
- / electric |
|
Max Power |
93 hp 67.8 kW @ 8000 rpm |
|
Max Torque |
89 Nm @ 7000 rpm |
|
Transmission /
Drive |
5 Speed / chain |
|
Front Suspension |
|
|
Rear Suspension |
|
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Front Brakes |
2x 310mm discs 4 piston calipers |
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Rear Brakes |
Single 240mm disc 2 piston caliper |
|
Front Tyre |
120/70-18 |
|
Rear Tyre |
160/70-17 |
|
Dry-Weight |
249 kg |
|
Fuel Capacity |
19 Litres |
Kawasaki were the first Japanese
company to look back on their own history for inspiration when designing new
bikes. The result was the Zephyr range, introduced in 1991. The 550 and 750
Zephyrs, both styled like Kawasaki's muscle bikes of the 'seventies, sold
well to people who were attracted to the simplicity and spirit of a
'seventies bike, but who wanted 'nineties reliability and a warranty. The
'retro' movement was born. But what real muscle bike fans wanted was the
true successor to the hairy-chested Zl and the later Z1000.
They got it in 1992, with the
Zephyr 1100.
In stark contrast to the firm's
other flagship 1100,
the ZZ-R, the Zephyr is a model
of simplicity,
consisting of little more than an
engine, two wheels
and just enough other equipment
to hold them
together. Visually, the Zephyr
takes its styling cues from the Zl. But not a standard Zl. What Kawasaki did
was to build a bike that incorporated all the modifications people made to
their old Zeds as technology moved on and parts from later bikes became
available.
So, the Zephyr has an alloy
box-section swinging arm at the rear, operating remote reservoir twin shocks
with adjustable damping. At the front, huge twin brake discs and four-piston
calipers from the ZZ-R1100 are a far cry from the Zl's single front disc and
single-piston caliper. Alloy wheels fitted with wide, sticky tyres complete
the picture.
The result of all this attention
to the running gear is a bike that's superbly balanced, with plenty of
ground clearance for fast back-road riding, and impeccable low-speed
manners. The Zephyr is a heavy bike, but it carries its weight low, making
for good manoeuvrability The low seat and upright riding position help here,
too - a relief for many after the race crouch of most modern sports bikes.
But it's the engine that gives
the Zephyr its real character. The air-cooled unit is based on the old
GPzllOO - strong, almost over-engineered, and still a favourite with drag
racers and tuners. Freed from the need to produce awesome peak power figures
for maximum speed, the engine designers were able to concentrate on getting
smooth, strong, useable power from as little as 2,000rpm all the way up to
the relatively lowly 9,500rpm red line.
The only concession to the
technological advances made since the 'seventies is the air-cooled motor's
twin plug set-up. The use of two spark plugs per cylinder helps improve
combustion efficiency and beefs up an already fearsome midrange power curve
-there are few bikes that give the same impression of arm-tugging
acceleration as an 1100 Zephyr. In the real world, the Zephyr's power
characteristics make it easy to drive off the line fast, or power hard out
of turns without worrying what gear you're in.
If the midrange is impressive,
the Zephyr's high speed manners are less so. Flat out at around 140mph, the
combination of old-tech chassis and suspension components, and a
riding position that turns you into a sail, means the Zephyr weaves and
wobbles along seemingly on the very edge of control. Unless you want to lie
flat on the tank, 130mph is a more realistic top speed, and the lack of a
fairing means anything over 90mph is uncomfortable for long distances.
But paradoxically, it's this very
aspect that makes the Zephyr so popular. Not everyone wants a bike that can
do 170mph and handles so well you have to be a budding racer to take it to
its limits. There's definitely a place for the Zephyr's low tech, low cost,
high fun factor approach, as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have since proved by
following Kawasaki's lead and producing their own contributions to the retro
revolution.
Source of
overview: Super Bikes by Mac McDiarmid
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