ZZR1400, Teenage me's dream bike

[Omegasteve]

Hi all, I hope this is the right place for this. It's not a restoration or the like but I have recently bought the bike I've wanted since I first started riding and will be slowly revamping the whole bike to make it mechanically as fresh as reasonably possible without spending too much.



Back in 2006, I was just beginning my biking journey. My dad had had bikes my entire life (and a long time before me too) and I'd had field bikes and quads for years but didn't really have much of an interest in them otherwise. In 2005 my dad bought me a 1992 NSR125 in a box with the intention of it being mine when I hit 17. We built it up and it ran well. In 2006, Kawasaki launched the ZZR1400.. teenage me fell in love. I vowed I'd have one one day, to my dad's utter dismay (hes a Gixxer bloke through and through). 2007 saw me on a Peugeot Speedfight 50cc after my CBT, a CG125 at 17 for my test (unfortunately the NSR never saw the road, insurance made sure of that). I passed after the 2nd attempt at mod 1 and the 1st attempt at mod 2, which allowed me a restricted license to 33kw for 2 years.

I went and bought a '94 ZZR600 sight unseen and rode her home (slap wrist here). We took her to get the restriction fitted and I spent hundreds, maybe thousands of miles riding that all over Wales. A month before I hit 19 I passed my car test and that was it. Barely rode the bike again, never had her destricted, sold up and became a car guy for the next 10 years or so.



In 2023, I decided to get a bike again. After much trawling of the web, I went and bought a '97 VFR750 with 12k on the clock for £1300.

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Steal of a bike, couldn't wait to get it. I'd read so many owners and published reviews that I had such high hopes for the bike.... I HATED IT. Everything about it, I hated the riding position, the power delivery, the high centre of gravity. Genuinely have never been so disappointed in a bike ever. My ownership catalogue was small, but as is common I'd ridden so many different bikes from friends and family but that VFR was just not for me at all.

I had it for a year, put 12miles on it and sold it for £1300.

I decided it was time.

A ZZR1400 was happening, I'd not be happy with anything else.

So here we are, my very own 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400 Gen 1 in silver. Far too many previous owners, high mileage and yet the best bike I've ever owned by a country mile.

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[Count Steer]

Hello and welcome.

Dunno what's happened with your attachments though.

[Rockburner]

Hello and welcome.

Dunno what's happened with your attachments though.

Don't you have to have posted a few times befire attachments will work?


Welcome Steve : FWIW I don't like VFRs either (have only ridden one or two), despite the technological goodness therein (we all like different things).

Hope the ZZR works out for you.

[Trinity765]

Hello and welcome

You are definitely in the right place.

[Supermofo]

Hello

Those ZZR1400s looked properly screwed together/flagship stuff from the one a guy had a work a few years back now, very good quality. Never ridden one but look like a 200mph sofa!

My Dad had a 98 (I think) VFR800. First ride of it I hated it. Rode it again a few years later and loved it, I think they need to be ridden a certain way, and like a Fireblade wasn't the correct way

Anyway post up your adventures, with working pics hopefully.

[Yorick]

[Yorick]

[Count Steer]

Hello and welcome.

Dunno what's happened with your attachments though.

Don't you have to have posted a few times befire attachments will work?

I think so but I thought the system flagged up that you can't rather than letting you add duff ones as per the 1st post.

[Skub]

Welcome in man. A great introduction.

I can't see any pics,but maybe you need a couple of posts first as RB says.

I had a couple of ZZR1100s for many years and loved them,so look forward to the coming tales on the 14. I believe they are more difficult to work on than the 11,due to the frame design.

[Omegasteve]

Hello and welcome.

Dunno what's happened with your attachments though.

Don't you have to have posted a few times befire attachments will work?


Welcome Steve : FWIW I don't like VFRs either (have only ridden one or two), despite the technological goodness therein (we all like different things).

Hope the ZZR works out for you.

Yeah weird, didnt flag anything up before I submitted, never mind. I'll edit it when im allowed to post pics

I just did not gel with the VFR at all, yet so many people rave about them!

[Omegasteve]

Hello

Those ZZR1400s looked properly screwed together/flagship stuff from the one a guy had a work a few years back now, very good quality. Never ridden one but look like a 200mph sofa!

My Dad had a 98 (I think) VFR800. First ride of it I hated it. Rode it again a few years later and loved it, I think they need to be ridden a certain way, and like a Fireblade wasn't the correct way

Anyway post up your adventures, with working pics hopefully.

It certainly is a solid machine!

I dont think I really gave the VFR a chance tbh but part of me didnt want to either

[Omegasteve]

Thank you all for the welcome!

[weeksy]

Welcome. Any posting restrictions should no longer be there.

[Omegasteve]

Welcome in man. A great introduction.

I can't see any pics,but maybe you need a couple of posts first as RB says.

I had a couple of ZZR1100s for many years and loved them,so look forward to the coming tales on the 14. I believe they are more difficult to work on than the 11,due to the frame design.

I'll get a few posts under my belt and edit the original with pics .

So far I'd be inclined to agree with you, its very cramped around the engine.

[Omegasteve]

Let me try the pics again

Hateful VFR

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The beauty

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[Supermofo]

That Viffer looked very clean for £1300

I always wondered if the ZZR1400 designer was a Lilo and Stitch fan

[Omegasteve]

That Viffer looked very clean for £1300

I always wondered if the ZZR1400 designer was a Lilo and Stitch fan

Genuinely it was immaculate, the bloke had had it for 15 years and it had full service history.

I've never seen that comparison before but now I'll never unsee it!

[Yorick]

Welcome. Any posting restrictions should no longer be there.

You were complaining about posting earlier

[Ssray]

Welcome, modified zzr11 owner here, if you can't be bothered to read (don't blame you)my thread the basics are, 12kglighger, 4kg off with zrx1200 wheels, a 4 into a exhaust and radial calipers from a r1200rt bmw

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My teenage dream bike was the Honda 250/400 Superdream, thankfully I've never bought one, once I started actually riding bikes I realised they were shit.