Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 reviews

I couldn't resist getting a used '99 with only 800 miles on it 2 years ago. The bike's a gas, although with 4 into 1 muffler and rejet done by the previous owner it eats gas, too (30 mpg) and premium at that! But it flies -I've had it over 120mph on the freeway - solidly. The handlebars were built for that speed. Unfortunately, the real world dictates you go slower, so invest in Heli-bars, unless you want a sore back. Around town it handles well, and it doesn't feel like 500+ lbs. The centerstand is a nice feature and works easy. You can now find soft saddlebags to make it a touring bike. A pair of Nelson Riggs Spheres only set me back $100. Compare that to what bags for cruisers cost! The aggressive seating position (less so, now with the Heli-bars) is something I want if I'm fighting traffic. It's easy to shift, and easy and fun to ride, once you get used to it. It's not perfect for me, but what the heck, at 51 I'm probably more suited to a wheel chair! If you want frame sliders for the ZX 11, good luck. I have yet to find any. One slow speed tipover scraped a portion of the half-fairing, but it didn't dampen my excitement for the bike. Show less

OH THE TIME HAS COME WHEN ONE CAN NO LONGER DRUEL AND DREAM BUT ACTUALLY GETS THEIR HANDS ON THE BIKE THEY ADMIRE. IN MY CASE, IT IS THE ZX 11. THE ABSOLUTE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IS THE SIZE OF THE BIKE WHICH IN COMPARISION TO OTHER SPORT BIKES, IS ON THE "LARGER" SCALE UNLESS YOU COMPARE IT TO THE GSXR 1300. THIS BIKE LOOKS HEAVY AND IT IS. YOU WILL FIND MANY DIFFERENT QUOTES ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF THIS BIKE AND IT IS IN THE +500LBS RANGE WHICH IS FINE FOR ME BECAUSE AS A SPORT TOURER, I WANT THE BIKE TO RIDE ME AND NOT ME RIDE THE BIKE. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH BIKES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHILE RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE OR LONG HAULS, WHEN YOU HAVE A "HEAVIER" MACHINE, IT ABSORBES THE BUMPS AND BRUISES. WHEN YOU RIDE A LIGHTER MORE NIMBLE BIKE, YOU SPEND MUCH MORE EFFORT CONTROLLING THE MACHINE ITSELF MAKING YOU MUCH MORE FATIGUED UPON YOUR ARRIVAL. ALTHOUGH THIS BIKE IS VERY STABLE THROUGHOUT THE TURNS AND TWISTIES BUT IS DEFINITELY NO MATCH FOR A DUCATI (LIKE ANYTHING MATCHES A DUCATI IN THE TURNS) OR TYPICAL RICE-ROCKET BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU didn't BUY THIS BIKE FOR THAT PURPOSE ANYHOW. ONCE YOU EXIT THOSE TURNS ANYONE WHO HAS GOTTEN THE JUMP ON YOU KNOWS YOU'LL BE FIRST INTO THE NEXT SET OF TURNS. :) I HAVE SEEN MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT THE STOCK SEAT ON THIS BIKE. MY OPINION IS THAT IT SUCKS BUT YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF VERY HAPPY WITH THE STOCK SEAT. LET ME CLARIFY, THE STOCK SEAT IS GREAT AND CONFORTABLE FOR THE FIRST 75+ MILES OR SO. AGAIN, THIS IS MY OPINION AND YOU MIGHT FIND THAT STOCK SEAT PERFECT. I'M NOT A SUSPENSION BUFF AND I REALLY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE SUSPENSION OR THE OTHER. I'M A HARLEY RIDER ON A SPORT-TOURER MOTORCYCLE WITH THE OCCASIONAL NEED FOR THAT SPACE BETWEEN TWO CARS FOR THE EXIT FAST APPROACHING AND I NEED TO BE THERE IN 1/2 OF 1 SECOND OTHERWISE I MISS MY EXIT AND SPEND THE NEXT 2 HOURS TRYING TO FIND MY WAY BACK AFTER TAKING THE NEXT EXIT, STOPPING AT THE CONVENIENT STORE AND TRYING TO GET DIRECTIONS FROM HA-BEEB. TIRES ARE ALL DEPENDENT ON HOW YOUR RIGHT HAND WORKS. THE SAME FOR GAS MILAGE. BEING THE LAID BACK RIDER I AM, I GET 45 MPG. I ALSO GET 10-12,000 MILES OUT OF TIRES, 25-30,000 OUT OF CHAIN AND SPROKETS WHICH IS UNHEARD OF FOR MOST RIDERS. I'M ALSO THE GUY WHO HAD A 85 VFR 750 WITH 130,000 MILES AND NOT A SINGLE VALVE ADJUSTMENT. JUST ASK THE AVERAGE MECHANIC ABOUT THAT BIKE AND THEY WILL TELL YOU IMPOSSIBLE; WELL I DID IT AND THE ONLY REASON I DUMPED THAT BIKE WAS THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I CURRENTLY USE MICHELIN PILOT ROAD TIRES AND VERY HAPPY WITH THEM. THEY HAVE HAD THE PILOT RACE TIRES FOR SOME TIME AND THE PILOT ROAD TIRES ALOT OF DEALERS don't EVEN CARRY NOR HAVE THEY HEARD OF THEM. ENGINE WISE, I WILL STRETCH AND SAY BULLETPROOF. IT IS TRUE THAT THIS BIKE IS NOT MADE TO WHEELIE. THOSE HOTSHOTS (WHICH I ADMIRE BY THE WAY WHEN THEY PASS ME ON THE INTERSTATE OR BRIDGES ON ONE WHEEL) WHO TAKE A ZX-11 AND RIDE THE ONE BACK WHEEL ARE PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETE WITH THE OIL PUMP WHICH IS NOT IN ANYWAY DESIGNED FOR WHEELIES. THIS ENGINE IS NOT A BULLETPROOF ONE WHEN YOU WHEELIE ON IT AND OIL STARVATION IS A HUGE PROBLEM ON THE ZX 11 IN PARTICULAR. YOU CAN BUY THAT AFTER MARKET KIT WHICH BYPASSES THE OIL PUMP SOMEHOW BUT THAT IS IN THE AREA OF $700 AFTER INSTALLATION. BUT YOU WILL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF YAHOO'S OUT THERE WITH THE NEED AND KEEP IT UP GUYS CAUSE I FIND YOU ENTERTAINING WHEN YOU BLOW BY ME ON ONE WHEEL. AS WITH ANY BIKE, KEEP THE ELECTRICAL PARTS COVERED WHETHER YOUR WASHING THE BIKE OR IT GETS RAINED ON. ME, I JUST PUT A GARBAGE BAG OVER THE HANDLEBARS WHEN I'M WASHING IT AND THIS IS GOOD ADVICE FOR ANY MOTORCYCLE. THE BRAKES ON THIS BIKE I FEEL ARE A BIT ON THE WEAK SIDE. I don't RIDE HARD ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT BRAKE FADE BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE BRAKES COULD BE A BIT STRONGER ESPECIALLY ON A BIKE THIS SIZE. FROM EXPERIENCE, BRAKE PADS SUFFER FROM HEAT SO MANY RIDERS BUY THOSE EXPENSIVE RACE PADS; DO NOT DO THAT ON YOUR STREET BIKE. RACE PADS REQUIRE PLENTY OF HEAT TO OPERATE CORRECTLY AND THE NORMAL STREET DRIVER CAN'T HEAT THOSE PADS UP TO EFFECTIVELY USE THEM. IF YOU THINK STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IS SUFFICIENT, WELL UNLESS YOUR STOP AND GO REQUIRES YOU TO SPEEDS OF 120MPH+, don't WASTE YOUR MONEY. POWERWISE, THE BIKE IS INCREDIBLE. THIS BIKE IS AROUND THE 10-SECOND QUARTER MILE MARK AND WILL SIMPLY AMAZE YOU AS TO THE POWER/SPEED RATIO IT HAS WHEN IT COMES TIME TO USE THE POWER TO GET INTO TRAFFIC, GET AWAY FROM SOME NUTCASE, OR JUST FIND YOURSELF ON THAT OPEN INTERSTATE AND TIME TO FLY. SURE, THERE ARE 2 BIKES I BELIEVE OUT THERE THAT ARE FASTER, BUT WITH A 10-SECOND BIKE, I ASSURE YOU THAT 10-SECONDS AND A TOP SPEED OF CLOSE TO 180 IS PLENTY. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THE STYLE IS STILL COOL, THE BIKE IS STILL FAST AND EVERY COP WHO PULLS UP NEXT TO YOU KNOWS THAT YOU don't HAVE TO PULL OVER IF YOU don't WANT TO AND THERE'S NO WAY TO STOP YOU. :) THAT OLD ATAGE DOESN'T APPLY HERE CAUSE THIS BIKE IS FASTER THAN THAT RADIO OFFICER. ANOTHER OPINION HERE THAT MAY UPSET SOME YOUNGER RIDERS WHO ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE SOMEONE ELSE TO LET THEM HAVE THIS MOTORCYCLE. MY ADVICE IS TO STEER CLEAR FROM THIS MOTORCYCLE IS YOU RESEMBLE ANYTHING OF A NOVICE. THIS BIKE IS COMPLETELY UNFORGIVING. ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY UNFORGIVING. EVEN AS POWERFUL AS THE NEW 600cc CYCLES ARE, THEY HAVE A TRUE ASPECT OF FORGIVENESS WHILE RIDING, THIS BIKE DOESN'T. AS FAR AS THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE, THE AVERAGE JOE WHO HAS SOME MINIMAL EXPERIENCE WORKING ON ANY TYPE ENGINES, CAN SUCCESSFULLY WORK ON THIS BIKE. ONCE YOU LEARN (LIKE ME) HOW THE FAIRINGS COME OFF AND ON, WHICH ONES TO TAKE OFF WHEN AND FOR WHAT JOB, THEN IT COMES TO BE A SNAP. YOU WILL WANT TO DO THIS WHEN YOU FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE DEALER WILL CHARGE YOU FOR THE MAINTENANCE. EVERYTHING UNDER THE TANK AND FAIRING IS RELATIVELY EASY TO WORK ON. OIL CHANGES, SPARK PLUGS, FUEL FILTERS, STARTERS, FUEL PUMPS, ETC. ETC. ETC ARE ALL EASILY ACCESIBLE AND YOU CAN DO THIS WORK YOURSELF. SHOOT, EVEN IF YOU BUY A ZX 11 THAT HAS BEEN SITTING AND HAS "BAD" FUEL, YOU CAN YOURSELF TAKE OFF THE CARBS AND CLEAN THEM YOURSELF INSTEAD OF THE $300/BILL FROM YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO DO THIS JOB. VALVE JOBS YOU DO YOURSELF ALSO BUT YOU NEED THAT $12/SPACER TO MEASURE THE VALVE GAPS. IT CAN NOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH THAT IF THE CARBS NEED TO BE CLEANED, EVEN IF YOU SIMPLY THINK THE CARBS NEED TO BE CLEANED, YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THEM, TAKE THEM APART AND CLEAN THEM OTHERWISE YOU'LL JUST HAVE THE CONTINOUS ROUGH IDLE AND POOR PERFORMANCE. RUN THE BIKE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE CARBS WILL NEVER BECOME SLUGGED UP, OR VARNISH, ETC. DIRTY CARBS WILL NEVER COME CLEAN WITH THOSE OVER THE COUNTER GAS/CARB CLEANERS. THERE IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE; THEY NEVER WORK. THEY DO WORK EXCELLENT ONCE THE CARBS ARE CLEAN. OK, don't BELIEVE ME AND TRY TO USE THOSE CLEANERS INSTEAD OF TAKING THE CARBS OFF AND TAKING THEM APART AND CLEANING THEM. YOU'LL JUST BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE WHO SITS WITH A ROUGH IDLE AND CONSTANTLY PLAYS WITH THE IDLE ADJUSTMENT, WHICH BY THE WAY ON THE ZX 11 IS A VERY EASY REACH SINCE IT STICKS OUT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BIKE JUST NEXT TO THE FAIRING AND NOT "INSIDE" THE BIKE WHICH MAKES IT ALMOST MISSION IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH AND IF YOU CAN REACH IT, YOU'LL BURN YOURSELF ADJUSTING IT. WTG KAWASAKI ON THAT DESIGN. THIS IS THE MACHINE THAT CAN TAKE APART ANY CAR BUILT ON THE ROAD TODAY WITHOUT QUESTION. THERE ARE CURRENTLY ONLY 2 OTHER CYCLES WHO CAN SLIGHTLY OUT-RUN YOU BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY LICK OF SALT IN YOUR RIDING ABILITY, THOSE OTHER BIKES ARE NOT GOING TO BLOW YOU AWAY AND IN MOST CASES, YOU MAY JUST OVERSHADOW THEM. NOW REMEMBER, THIS EXTENDS ALL THE WAY BACK TO MODEL YEAR 1990 WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING CONSIDERING YOUR TYPICAL YAHOO ON HIS NEW 2003 929RR OR ZX-12 WILL THINK YOUR MEASLY 1990 CAN'T COMPETE AND HE COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG. HAPPY RIDING!!!!!! Show less

I bought my 1999 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 over a year & a half ago from a good friend of my fathers. I received a unbelievable deal on this bike. I paid only $6,000 for the bike originally, it had 3,000 miles & was never dropped along with being adult owned. The blue book value was over $8,500 at the time, with over 10,000 miles. I was not for sure what I was getting into when I purchased my ZX-11. Being only 19 at the time, I thought it might be a old mans bike, being a sport touring model. Man was I wrong. The stereotype that the ZX-11 is a old man's motorcycle is for people who do not know anything about them, judging them on looks, or size. The bike scared the pants off me for a good year. It's speed is unbelievable for it's power to weight ratio. I have approached 174mph on my ZX-11, & that was not even redlining it. I constantly run high 10's to low 11's on the quarter mile. When it comes to racing, I have only been beaten by a selected few, majority of the time they were better riders. I can tell you this, a ZX-11(stock) will eat the majority of your sport bikes. Including the CBR 929, GSXR 750, & every 600 made along with many more. I will admit that the newer Super Sport bikes are lighter & faster, like the GSXR Hyabusa, the CBR 954 & the R1, along with the new ZX12. But those bikes have more advanced technology. I still stand firm on saying that none of them offer the style and comfort that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX11 offers to the rider. I have done nothing but improve my ZX-11, I put new tires(190 rear) on it, & I change the oil regularly. I also have had the frame polished along with the wheels & other parts of the bike, a new windshield(Zero G), & carbon fiber extras(gauges,tank skin). All of these extras make my ZX-11 stick out. Combine that with unmistakable ZX-11 candy red wine paint, this bike is one of a kind. I can't tell you how many times people have asked questions about my bike or offered cash for it. It especially appeals to the older groups, including cruiser riders. Many of them do not know what they are getting into. One thing is for sure, the ZX11 will go down in history as one of the most stylish motorcycles ever. I would recommend the ZX-11 to anyone looking for a reliable, crazy fast motorcycle. It has the performance of a Super bike, while giving you the comfort of a cruiser. With its one of a kind looks, you are sure to turn some heads. If you have any questions or comments about my review, feel free to contact me through e-mail. My address is, Codithman@hotmail.com. I welcome any comments you have to offer, I also have pictures of my ZX11 & would be happy to share them. Good luck & happy riding! Show less

I reciently sold my zx11 and bought a newer model kawasaki. All I can say is that I'm really sorry and I want my zx11 back. I will never do something as stupid as that again. What the @#$%! was I thinking. That bike tore up the road on a cross country trip, and was a blast around the city. Anyways...I'm looking for another zx11, so if anyone wants to sell one I would be glad to hear from you. Show less

I purchased a 00' ZX-11 in February of 00' wondering if I was going to be satisfied with the bike. Well, it's one of the most versatile bikes I've owned. It's nothing to laugh at on the drag strip, and if you're a "Rider" with nerves and guts... Then the 300 and 400lb bikes will always get sucked into the ram air. Adjust the suspension, and she's everything you'd need. After about 5,000 miles I noticed a bit more violence from the engine and the rear wheel. And with this bike at over 550lbs, it will pull the front wheel straight up to 12 o'clock at will in 1st and 2nd. I love the 11th heaven, but I'm buying a ZX12R or the Hayabusa in Feb.01' to feed my need for speed and "POWER". Show less

From the factory this beast needs some minor work, but it will pay you back in the long run. I have a 96, and doubt I'll ever get rid of it. I've made some minor modifications that have paid off in power and acceleration, not to mention simply commuting. Mods that are a good idea: pipe it, jet it, K&N filtercharger, ignition advancer, and replace the stock coils and wires. Kawasaki didn't do a perfect job tuning this bike but the small amount of effort is worth it. Mine has 9000 miles on it and it's still scary-fast, and more dependable rain or shine than a Swiss watch. Show less

The ZX11 is no fresh sheet of paper. It's been around for ten years. That doesn't make it any slower brother! It's my first bike. Lets just say that it's faster then I will ever be. The power is very smooth. It makes great low-end grunt, and more top end power then I will ever get into. The brakes are good. A little more bite wouldn't hurt. The ride is smooth. A little too much rebound at times. My wife rides with me most of the time. She has yet to complain about the ride. It's a heavy bike, and my 220 pounds doesn't help. Two up riding at slow speeds can be a little challenging. Once under way, this is never an issue. Wind protection is excellent at most speeds. The speedometer is terribly inaccurate. I like the fuel gauge and the digital clock. Hay, I'm a "Rookie" remember? The big 6.3-gallon tank is a plus. I average 42 miles per gallon so far. My only complaint is that the bike requires a $400 service to adjust the valves and sync. the carbs at just 500 miles! All told it still receives a lot of respect from all the other sport bikes on the street! Show less

An unbelievable bike that can border on scary. Very stable at high speeds and in the twisties. Just a few complaints: Your ass starts to hurt after 80 miles or so of touring, the fuel gauge is worthlessly inaccurate, and the gearbox is hit and miss between 1st and 2nd. Mine has actually DOWNSHIFTED when shifting from 2nd to 3rd! But I love the bike and will not be trading it in for anything else. Show less

ZX11 has been around for a while, but still offers a super M/C, for those of us that like comfort and style with our extreme acceleration. The bike still holds its own at the dragstrip and on the street. you're not gonna do much with the hyperbikes on the corners but the stretches are usually yours if you got the nads. Show less