2005 Kawasaki ZZR1200 Motorcycle reviews

36 years of riding and this bike is second only to my 95 gpz1100. Back to zzr1200 just bought it 2 days ago. It is an amazing machine. If you are going to use it as a sport-touring bike you will have to do the following to it to make it on a long haul. Heli-bars, or at least gen-mar risers, or like I did on my gpz1100 high bend dirt bike bars. This will put you in a more upright position, "no back ache" as we are not all 20 something anymore. Seat selection is very important if you want to log a lot of miles. Mine has a corbin on it now, but, "I have no butt" as my wife says. So I will be switching it out for a Day-Long Touring Saddle by Russell. I rode this bike from Vegas to Colorado, just a short 584 miles. It performed perfect. It loves to cruise comfortably at 100 mph. It has great roll-on power, going 75 mph and grab the throttle and before you are done passing that semi you look down and you're at 130!!! Maybe because I have no butt, but I was not able to ride it longer than 60 miles before my rear hurt soooo bad. The day-long saddle will cure that. I have bad knees also, so I will be lowering the pegs 1 and 1/2 inches also. On the last 50 miles, a guy in a retired police car flew past me. I was running a nice and easy 90 mph. So he had to be doing 130. I couldn't let this happen so, I grabbed the throttle and caught and blew by him doing 175. "You should have seen his face". But listen here folks, not everyone is a speed freak like me. This bike is "without sinking thousands of dollars in", the best bike you can get your hands on. Previous bikes: CB1100 supersport Gs1100 gs1150 454ltd 1400 intruder chopper GPZ1100 intruder 700 virago 1100 and about 20 other street bikes and another 30 dirt bikes. You can't go wrong with a zzr1200 but from stock will take some fixing to make it touring ready. But a 160hp sport-touring bike, What a thrill. Show less

Have had a Honda 1100 Ace for 7+ years and wanted something with definitive power. After A LOT of research, the ZZR1200 seemed to have the right stuff. After 1000 miles, I am sooo happy, (SEE GRIN) under helmet. This is a smooth, reliable, comfortable for 6-8 hours space ship. There are others, BMW, ST, and the FJR that are in the neighborhood but this is more power, has a sportier feel and to say the least it is simply explosive. Crack your wrist and you're gone but remember not too much crack. Drive smart! Show less

Hard to find as there doesn't seem to be very many of them. I have three friends who all want one, they never knew anything about them until they saw mine. A Sacramento dealership owner got a used one in and parked it in his own garage and it's his opinion that it's the nicest bike he's ever ridden as well. I fully understand and agree with the raves you read about on these reviews and you will understand too when you see, hear, and ride one yourself. Did I mention fast? As fast as you want it to be. Show less

This bike is off the hook, plain and simple. If they make them better than this, I don't want to know about it. I'm having way too much fun at 45. If you have the means, get one. This bike is a sleeper. It draws unbelievable attention on the streets. I had an 87' Concours before this and I thought that sport touring couldn't get any better on that bike. Long live the "Mighty Ninja",uh ZZR1200! Show less

What a Bike!!! This is the third bike that I ever owned and by far the most practical. I purchased it the day after I sold "My Tractor" (1998 Fully Customized Sportster). My wife's first impression of it was that I was looking at another sportbike. When she got on the back, she was much more accepting. Then, when she finally sat on it with the Corbin seat and backrest, it was worlds better than my other two prior bikes (Other one being 1997 ZX-6R). It isn't a Road King, but one up with the guys on a bike trip for a week is no problem. I've had this bike since July of 2002 and enjoy it every time. I'm a physician and I commute to work on it daily (weather permitting). There are so many things to say about this bike. The Twin Headlights are so incredible that I only use the low beams during the day because they are so bright (even before adding Silver Star bulbs). The taillights are huge (excellent lighting from behind). Performance is incredible for a "Sport Tourer". Want more? Add the Muzzy Full System and a jet kit and it will boost the HP by about 13%. It's like having a new first gear! The weight is the only mild setback for this machine. At over 600 lbs., it is a Sport Tourer and won't handle like a 400 lb. sportbike in the twisties. It screams going straight, but you need to enjoy the turns a little slower because of the extra 200 lbs. The extra weight - all the better for the trips. Problems? Nothing mechanical so far...I keep the oil changed every 3,000 miles, synchronize the carbs once a year, change the fork oil annually, and have used Dunlop D208's on it after the original tires were changed at 9,000 miles. Front tire cupping seems to start about the 7,000-mile mark, despite regular air checks. The brake pads and chain are still original and plenty of wear left to go. Show less

I've ridden for about 20 years now and have owned 4 bikes prior-my most recent being a very crotchety 750 Virago. I had decided to buy a new/fairly new bike. I was tired of the unreliability of an older bike and dealing with zip ties and duct tape. So the pennies were saved and off I went. I checked out the Concours, FJR, and the BMWs. My budget for a used bike lived in the 6k range, but it could grow a bit for a newer bike that sang to me, and it would have to belt out an aria. We needed two up riding capability and comfort for shortish touring. I went to Boulder with the wife to "just look at" an 03 with 16 miles on it. I explained all the way there that we probably weren't going to buy it since this was definitely NOT a touring bike, it was just sort-of a touring bike, besides, I just knew she wouldn't like it enough to trade in a comfortable touring/cruiser seat. I tried like mad not to let the sales guy see the huge smile on my face when I looked at it. I tried really hard not to belt out a "whoo!" when we fired it up. When we went out for a test ride, it was a looking like it was going to be a big argument/convincing to the wife-no way that seat would meet with her approval, no backrest and all. When we returned she got off and said "I like this bike-we should buy it." Well so much for playing hard to get with the sales guy. Needless to say I bought it that day and have loved every minute. It is fast like no tomorrow, comfortable for the everyday travel, and even when I'm juicin' the throttle I get no worse than 40, and that's a lot of Evergreen, Turkey Creek Canyon/Decker juicing. I keep telling myself that I'm a mature father and husband and that this is my practical, high mpg commuter bike. Then I twist the throttle and that smile from my teenage years comes back. You can really have it both ways with this bike. Show less

After 10 years on my 1992 ZX11 I decided to upgrade just because I figured the new stuff must be better. What a great move! The 2003 ZZR 1200 is the most awesome bike I've ever ridden and I've tried just about everything. This bike does everything well. It will cruise the back roads with girlfriend at 40mph or blast the high desert at 140. It's rock solid. It brakes well, handles well, is fast and gets about 40-50mpg. In addition, it's one of the best looking bikes I've ever seen. On the open road, the weight works in your favor and makes the bike feel much more stable than others weighing 100lbs less. I would change nothing about this bike other than the flat spot at about 3800 rpm and the tank pinches your wrists on a full stop parking lot turn. This bike has my highest rating and recommendation!!! You'll love it. Show less

So it was just a little over two months ago when I aggressively started looking at used touring bikes, primarily to take the wife on scenic road trips across Southwest U.S. I had a price range of 4 to 6 grand, 25 years riding experience, and a deep desire to hit the road. I am thirty-six years old, so I figured I should do the the responsible thing and find a nice, quiet, mild-mannered sport/touring bike... like a used BMW K1100, ST1100, etc... After testing out a few (YYYYAAAWWNNN) BMWs and the like, I decided (and please no offense to BMW owners here) I don't like BMW's. I'm sorry to say it. I really WANT to like BMWs, but they are so boring. I know a BMW is what I should really be wanting... they are reliable, comfortable, sane, quiet. But they provide about about as much emotional pleasure and thrill factor for me as a root canal. Then I came across a local ad for an 02 ZZR 1200. It looked cool from the picture, but I literally knew nothing about ZZR's. I did a little research and thought I should at least take a look. I dragged the wife and kid across to the other side of Denver to see the thing, knowing for sure I wouldn't buy it, didn't need it, couldn't justify it to the wife anymore than an FHM subscription. But as soon as I saw the silver beauty sitting in the driveway, I knew I was in trouble. It is a beautiful machine... a sexy slippery work of art that looks fast standing still. And it's big... big enough for my 6'6" frame. The owner started the thing up, revved the throttle and I was done for. I don't like sportbikes, I told myself. I am responsible. I am a cautious, careful adult who wants to tour the southwest US in comfort. Nevertheless, the seller had a cashier's check in his hand the next day, and I have spent the last couple months wondering... What the Heck just happened? I now own a 145 hp motorcycle capable of blowing the doors off of anything that HAS doors, and can reach 150 mph faster than your wife can scream "SLOOOOW DOOOOWN!!!" The bike is rock solid at 140 mph, is very comfortable, and the ZZR1200 gets over 45 mpg. I have discovered a great, reliable and affordable motorcycle. Show less

This bike is my 5th motorcyle. I think it is the best. I love to ride long distances, but dislike the Crusier look. I opted for the ZZR as a compromise, and I am glad I did. This bike handles like a Superbike and is much less taxing on me. I just did a 2,000 mile trip and had no issues. Very good machine!!! Show less

Bike is very smooth and responsive to the throttle. Fuel injection would have been nice. I've had numerous bikes in the past, the last being an R6. I really feel at one with the road on this machine. Show less