Hold on, the sky's the limit.
Written: Nov 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: power beyond means, comfortable, fast!, smooth to ride, good price
Cons: heavy clutch, not that good for city riding
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| brulin's Full Review: 2000 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R |
Ninja! The name speaks of beauty, prowess, character, and power. These 4 words are nothing to describe the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R. The 9R sits on the showroom floor, glowing in heavenly light, begging to be ridden.
I have been following the Ninja class bikes for some time now, since owning a Ninja 250R a few years back. I have always wanted to take a 9R for a ride, but had never got the chance, that is of course, until just the other day when i jumped at the chance to take this beast out on the road for a long testride.
With the seat height at just over 32 inches, it's a low ride, with the footpegs pushed back a little to allow the rider into the steamlined position that Kawasaki is known for.
You hit the digital ignition switch and the 899cc in line 4 cylinder, 16 valve DOHC engine jumps to attention, purring like a giant lion ready to attack the open road!
Starting off slow, in a 60km/h limit, the 9R decided to sit in first gear, which I was rather impressed about. I had never seen a bike that would cruise in first gear in town. I started thinking about what it would be like when it got up to the 6th gear.
The limit goes up to 110km/h, the max speed on this stretch of road. As soon as the limit sign passed me, i opened her up, a little too fast, and lifted the front tire off the road, giving me a little scare, yet at the same time, wanting to get it down and see what kind of speed this machine could do.
One of the first things that i noticed once getting it up to 110km/h, was that the suspension was perfect, even for my weight. The bumbs and dips in the road did not register much at all, in fact, pure comfort is a way to express the ride.
After getting out of the city, and heading toward nothing but open road, I let her slowly creep up the speed, 150km/h, 200km/h, 250km/h... i decided to button off there, once realising that i was doing over twice the speed limit.
Corners and turns don't even seem to be a problem, the 9R leans smoothly and just takes them at pretty much any speed that you choose. A corner that recommends 70km/h can be taken by the 9R at anything up to 200km/h, which is what i did on one particular corner, impressing not only me, but the other rider that i had just passed.
With a 5 gallon fuel tank, the fuel will last quite a while, especially on a long ride. The clutch is perfect for open road riding, but not all that good for using to get to work everyday. The clutch is a little heavy, excellent for quick excelleration, but not good for starting and stopping.
Liquid cooling keeps the engine at peek temperature, even on a long ride. Being only 80 inches long and 23 inches wide, the 9R is a small bike in comparison to other bikes in it's class.
Available in the colours of "Lime Green/Metallic Violet Royal" and "Pearl Purplish Black Mica", and starting at $10199, this bike is not only extremely great value for money, but a joy to ride!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
brulin
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Member: Tony Unknown
Location: LaSalle, Quebec, Canada
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
I am the Training Systems Manager with "GoodLifeNow International" and a professional Internet Marketer.
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