Dale Walker zl900 Eliminator 1985 magazine test

Dale Walker testing the zl900 Eliminator for a magazine back in late '84 early '85

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Hi Guys .......... The 85 Eliminator was only 900cc. It could still run 11.30s and the clutch lived forever being it was large and the bike was low geared. The V Max was the king , Suzuki GS close 2nd V 65 3rd. My school ZL 900s with a pipe and carbs could run 10.60s with me on them, and I had 3000 passes on one of the bikes. The other bikes listed would have broke parts by then, and also went through a dozen clutches. Neat little bike at the time for sure ............ Cheers Dale

[@abcanimal]

Absolutely VMAX was the king. I have a 1990 model and I love it!

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Hey Guys, the same day I tested the ZL-900 I also tested the V-65 Magna and a few other crusiers. I This test day was for polular mechanics magazine, but I also did a cycle guide day. The Magna did in fact beat the ZL 900, but only by a hair. If I remember I went the best 11: 39 @ 117 on the Kawi and 11:32 @ 119 on the Magna. Jay Gleason wieghed 110 to 112 pounds suited up so theres you half second. I was about 158 lbs ready to ride. Cheers Dale Walker

[@repairandcreate6192]

That had to have been a fun job

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

@@repairandcreate6192 It was for sure > Cheers Dale

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Hi Rick Daves not here ......... lol I happen to see this again so thought Id pop in, I had five ZL 900s set up at my drag racing school back in the day. The best i ever went on my stock motor with 33 mm smooth bores, one off 4-1 exhaust, open meg pipes, lowered and lightened with a wrench was 10.62 125 mph . I had over 6000 passes on one bike and it will still get in the 10s. Ah yes those were the days Happy new year Dale Walker - Holeshot Perf

[@antoniocoelho5168]

my fav bike of all

[@ronniec8038]

That launch tho.....

[@kowalskideahl]

I have a real nice 1984 Honda V65 Magna 1100 with 24,000 miles on it damn such a fast motorcycle, I love it to death, rode it today for a very short period at 15 degrees I can't keep out of that unlimited power and torque but it looks like the ZL900 doesn't miss it by about a little over a 1/2 a second in the 1/4 mile which is probably 3-4 bike lengths but not bad at all for a 900 vs 1100 some of these old bikes are very impressive even with todays modern bikes and cars. Gotta appreciate it.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

I tested the V65 Magna the same day and it went the best of 11.20 ET DW

[@ivanmehandzhiyski6014]

Man the upshifting is on another level...

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Cheers DW

[@craigoverall1126]

Great stuff Dale!

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Old but still neat !

[@beecoo66]

I have an 86 for sale....1000 bucks.....need to go

[@milwaukeebiker]

I've owned 3 of these, 2 85's and an '86 back in the late 80's and 90's. The best thing you could do was rid it of the stock airbox, add K&N separate filters, timing advance, and anything but those stock mufflers and then a V65 or vmax wouldn't be even close up to 100 mph. I run a highly modified Evolution Harley for many years now that is just as quick, more manly and less boy-ish.

[@user-er4nh7pq2d]

milwaukeebiker if you say. how fast before you get speed wobble?

[@milwaukeebiker]

The only time I had a problem with front wobble was when the front tire was half worn. They got replaced early after that.

[@toecutter1547]

coolest bike ever. the sound with the individual air pods under your crotch was unreal!

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

I really miss Bayland's Raceway in Fremont CA !

[@davidleonard8369]

I really miss carlsbad raceway. Back in 1988 I ran a best of 11.06 @121 mph on my brand new vmax. Then I made a pass on my friends 1985 vmax and ran 10.88 @ 126 mph. That's when he told me they put milder cams in the new models. Still haven't owned a 10 second bike but I'm having a blast on my 1997 sportster. 11.62 @ 116 mph in the quarter and low sevens in the eighth.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

@@davidleonard8369 Nice David, that was a good job on the 85 V Max. I went 10.62 @ 129 at Bayland's for CW magazine. Jay Gleason went a bit quicker, but he had almost 40 lbs on me ! Cheers Dale

[@jconte6238]

I had two of these as well as two Vmaxs. The Eliminators were more fun and easier to ride. Back in the day the cops would just scold you for doing burnouts. Now they want to call in a swat team and lock you up.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Ha Ha ...... so true J ....... DW

[@chrisvantassel8867]

I am like a lot of people here and owned some of these never to be built again beasts. I have been on a mission to own the 3 bikes I lusted after in 1985. I was able to find a 1985 Vmax with 992 original miles in purple, a 1985 V65 Magna with 13k miles in red and a 1985 ZL900 Eliminator in red with 10k miles. All are all original. I have newer bikes but nothing is like these 3....I was never a fan of the Suzuki although they were great bikes.

[@kowalskideahl]

@zloacom Well I guess everyone likes what they like but I bet they don't have mods for any other old crusier bike like the supercharger that they offer for the magna only. And I don't care what you do to your Kawasais or anything else, a magna with a big bore stroker kit, cammed, and a supercharger, which is all you could possibly do to the magna, your bikes or any other crusier bike on this earth modded or not, wouldn't no which way it went, it would be a crusier "GOD".

[@GGabrielKish]

I remember sending out a 900 head for porting, valve and cam work yrs back, and buying his custom exhaust (and more stuff as well) for my ZL900 Dale was was super busy with everything in his professional life yet still always had time to talk or give advice. Cheers to you Dale.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Thank you ...... DW

[@tangledline]

Damn hell of a launch!

[@ronniec8038]

Stellar isn't it? Damn...

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Pretty good, but not perfect ...... Cheers Dale

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

@@ronniec8038 Thanks DW

[@1satisfiedmind]

Ive yet to actually see one of these on the street.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Very seldom now that they are old. DW

[@jarin12ga]

I had a 1985 red eliminator.One day I beat a R6 till we hit 100MPH then he passed me.But what a fucking low end rocket.I hit 150MPH red lined there is NO room for more.0-60 times where crazy!Fun bike!

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

They were fun ! DW

[@nicholash8021]

I know this is a VERY old thread, but I hit 155mph on my 1986 eliminator and I was not yet at the redline. I figured I could have hit 160 had I gone further. I slowed down only to avoid hitting a jersey barrier. I will never forget it. As far as I know, it was stock other than a possible governor removed by the prior owner, but I bought it at only 1 year old in 1987 and it had only 3k miles on it.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Who is this Dale Walker anyway ? Hi Andrew Cheers DW

[@beecoo66]

Just picked up mint 900....dark blue

[@garygabrielkish1402]

Damn! What an animal. He looks like a Cheetah about to run down his prey when he was ready to launch. Ahh, the good old days :)

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Time sure flew bye that's for sure ! DW

[@kenzo5716]

Fast macho-looking bike!

[@benoitleblanc6147]

I have 1 in great condition and another for parts.. great bike !! Powerful and the acceleration make me smile each time. Solid bike ! The funiest bike !! I keep it forever!!

[@James1toknow]

I bought one back in 86 she was great everyone wanted to ride it, only my brother got that honor. She was fast.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Nice James ! Dale

[@JavaDevJPC]

love these. I sold my 85 ZL900 last fall. I miss it now that the weather is better.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

I should have kept at least one of my school bikes, but like a dummy I sold them. Cheers Dale

[@eavenman44]

have a mint 85 for sale right now!!!!! 40,000 kms original and needs nothing for a safety check.

[@spikeman68]

I KNOW THIS IS OLD BUT I HAVE TO....i talked to dale in the late 80s after i picked up my zl,he was tho only one at the time(out of a mag)that advertised parts for these bikes,i spoke with dale himself and he was awesome,exhaust ideas from him opened the beast up,talking about the bike itself he said they were bullit proof ,he was right ,just showing guys at work how cool this bike really is.........thanks dale my zl thanks you

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Thanks for the kind words, It been one hell of a ride ! DW

[@craigmax3779]

Wow i haven't seen dragway 42 in years my V65 would run 11s w/me on it 185lbs. They said it would do 10s but probably with a 100 lb. guy that knew what he was doing I just wanted to not flip it all that rubber on the track that front tire didnt touch till 3rd. I was happy at 11.54 think that was my best run. The the Vmax in 85 changed everything. I would love to buy either w/low mileage and ridden nice not how we ran our. Its funny in 84 they ran 10s. and it took years to make them much guicker. All u have to do was to tree a newer bike n u were gone

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

If your talking about this video, it was at Baylands Raceway, or also called Fremont back in the day in CA. DW

[@bryco32]

Any video of the Madura 1200 from those test's?

[@kowalskideahl]

Were would it be located at if you had it?

[@buddysherart1143]

0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds, Eliminators rock

[@EliminatorZL]

Top video! Great to see this cult bike driven by Dave Walker. Proud owner of a ZL900, Rick / Netherlands.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Thank you ........DW

[@kowalskideahl]

@zloacom Well if you do some research on the Magnas performance you will find that it will run a 1/4 mile in 10.8 seconds at 125 m.p.h. Were this bike ran 11.4 at 117 m.p.h. but not bad at all for a 900 versus an 1100. Cyclechaos may be the website I found that at.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

The only time Magna ran a 10.8 ET was one time with Jay Gleason riding and perfect conditions. He literally was 110 pounds in riding gear. Apples and oranges ... I ran the Magna on the same day at the same track ..... DW

[@Vetteowner565]

Had a new one. 11:60 et. 150 lbs.

[@Honk1117]

Lol i spun the crank bearings out of mine at 6200 miles

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

I had over 4000 passes on 4 of my school bikes, and they all still ran great. You had a bad oiling problem, or maybe did wheelies. DW

[@jarin12ga]

Yea,fucking nuts off the line.These bikes are geared so good/low for drag!The weight actually helped it hook right up!!Great for quick rides,with the small acorn gas tank,can't go far.No problems tho.I miss it sometimes!!!

[@chrisoconnor9021]

vmax contender

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

All stock the ZL 900 would run 11.30s best, and on the same day V Max 10.6 close to 130 mph. Up to 100 mph the little ZL would match it though. Cheers Dale

[@mattwalker8747]

Madman, real races are 1/4 mi and not 1/8. In 1/4 mi the zl was the slowest bike of the bunch. V65, vmax and even that pos Suzuki manure beat it.

[@DaleWalkerHoleshot]

Know it was not , what bunch ? DW