Why the ZZR1200 Is better than the ZZR1400.

Other stuff I forgot to mention, ZZR1200 Has 2 fuel pumps 2 oil pumps 2 engine fans so it's more reliable.
This video is just my own opinion, It's my channel so I can say what I like.

[@craigjoelbutchins2522]

Loved my 1200, never let me down, ultra reliable, perfect power band, rode all the 3 gen ZZR 1400's and chose those carbs every time.

[@williamsterben]

3 gen?

[@Kawasquid101]

Glad i watched this. Ive got a 2005 zzr 1200 and absolutely love it

[@pjas1969]

The 1200 is one of the last great analogue bikes, and all the better for it 👍 Love mine.

[@commonsense769]

I love my ZZR 1200 and agree totally with your advice!

[@descendantofphineas7785]

I picked up my 1200 for 2000 dollars with 20k on the clock. Love mine.... All the power and speed ever needed...

[@flybobbie1449]

Just keep on top of cam clearances, easy job on the ZZR1200. Makes quite a difference regards vibration and comfort on handlebars. Also cured noise that seems to be reflected up from under the instrument cluster.

[@steveprentice4513]

I've just bought a zzr1200. So how do you do the valves clearances ?

[@flybobbie1449]

@@steveprentice4513 Shims, bit of a rig ma roll.

[@sanderslongdrive]

The ZZR 1400 has rubbish ABS brakes and the wheels and frame are coated with one layer of emulsion, likewise the GTR1400. I'm a 71 y.o. biker who has owned / ridden nearly every big Kawasaki and often several times over. In my view the outstanding bike of the last 50 years was the GTR100 (owned three) and indeed recently cannabilsed one in order to finish off a GTR1400 - mudguards etc. P.S. My (2002) ZZR1200 is immensely uncomfortable on long journeys and a recent ultra long day's riding of 700 miles left me in pain for several days!

[@defender714]

you coulda done a seat mod

[@akfortump2024]

@@defender714 helli bars

[@LINKchris87]

Keep bringing 1200 content, I like that bike a lot. Could you give your opinion/review about the Hayabusa?

[@mcycle24]

I’ve not ridden the Busa , But from what I’ve seen online it looks easy enough to work on and there is lots of tuning stuff available for it So it’s a good alternative for sure.

[@LINKchris87]

@@mcycle24Yeah, looks like it. Both 1200 and Busa look like excellent sport tourers that can ve bought for absolute bargains.

[@dominicgalea6006]

The Busa is a monster, great for straight line performance, takes a lot of hard work to corner at speed, while totally capable, its not easy work.

[@dominicgalea6006]

A tuned ZX12R will eat a Busa.

[@LINKchris87]

@@dominicgalea6006 I like ZX12R a lot, but it is less of a tourer and its fuel autonomy is lower so it wouldnt fit my needs as well. Anyway the discussion was about busa and ZZR1200, don't get why you brought ZX12R up 😅

[@g.beissel4655]

Ya, better Off with Zrx or ZZR 1200 buy good upscale parts 😊

[@aurorabray6140]

A brilliant commons sense review, I agree totally with what is said here.

[@dominicgalea6006]

Any thoughts on beefing up the ignition system, I’m thinking of bigger coils and leads to double the voltage at the spark plug. What do you think? And would high volume fuel pumps make a difference or are the stock ones adequate? Oh and if you couldn’t tell, I’m an Australian. We don’t care for emission control here.

[@mcycle24]

I’ve heard of people fitting stick coils as a conversion and claiming a performance advantage. I think the duel fuel pumps where fitted more for reliability so they are not stressed in normal use. So should be adequate.

[@leontye3475]

Loved my ZZR12, zzr14 handles better than the 12..

[@nitramh24]

Good points! I rebuilt the entire top end on my 9R, new block (bored/honed), pistons, rings and gaskets. All this cost me 500 quid (5000 Norwegian kroner). I can sell the old block and pistons for 300 quid, which is around 200 for the entire top end. The good thing about the Kawas is that most parts are reusable, just clean everything and put it back together! In comparison, the build quality on the dirt bike that I'm restoring at the moment (Honda CR500) is horrible! The quality of the 90s street bikes is amazing, and I much prefer working on my Kawa compared to my two strokes, which the whole world will tell you that are "easy to work on", which is simply not true.

[@mcycle24]

Great post, Thanks for sharing the information.

[@justinturner4327]

Hi @mcycle24 how are you finding the E10 petrol with zz1200's running on carbs ? Great video with some very good points btw!

[@mcycle24]

I didn’t notice any drop off in performance or economy in using E10 fuel on the ZZR1200 , carb bikes can run fine on it. Just a load of scaremongering by people who don’t know what there talking about as usual.

[@dominicgalea6006]

Having owned both bikes I agree, Half rpm on the zx14 was 170 kph on the zzr 160. Splitting hairs performance wise. Zzr is way more agile, it also brakes better. The frame on my zx14 did fail, that’s how I ended up with a zzr.

[@mcycle24]

Thanks for the extra information, Appreciated.

[@dominicgalea6006]

@@mcycle24 I highly recommend replacing the complete exhaust system with an aftermarket one, and disconnect the Kawasaki Kleen air system.

[@dominicgalea6006]

@@mcycle24 While my old zx14 made 190 hp. My zzr1200 must be making 180 hp. After fitting a full Black Widow exhaust system, I then disconnected the Kleen air, and the bike would not start. So we removed the Kleen air system completely. Then I realised that the ZX12R has larger velocity stacks than the ZZR so I made some adjustment as follows. I made 2 cuts on a 45 degree angle on each rubber stack. About a half inch apart, I ran both cuts down the front of each stack so they meet in the middle in a V shape. The result was a leaner running motor swallowing a greater CFM. My arse Dyno tells me this produced an extra 10 hp.

[@MrMitokiller]

@@dominicgalea6006 zx 12 r has same engine as zzr 1200?

[@steveprentice4513]

Good review. I've just bought a ZZR1200, with 25000 miles for £1200. Please anyone with advice like the chap below regarding valve clearances, and how to do it, please tell me.

[@mcycle24]

I have done a video on valve clearances.

[@ZedHeadzx14r]

Good video. I never comment but zx14r soulless? I can't think of a soulless kawasaki myself im sure there must be some but I can't recall. I think because kawasaki does such a great job at giving there bikes if nothing else soul when the owner chooses one they fill the same way you do about zzr1200!! The funny thing about kawasaki is they make you say those magic words( I'll never sell this bike lol) Again well done on all your videos and I look forward to trying the zzr1200 one day! #zedheadzx14r

[@jayflash2035]

I agree with what you’ve said, and it does seem that the 1200 has been unfairly maligned in various ways

[@mcycle24]

Yes mostly by people who haven’t even ridden it !

[@flybobbie1449]

If you took the the fairing off and went naked, people would see the size of the engine and give it bit more respect. When i had my GPz900. bikers on Cbr thought it was a small under powered bike, till i raced them off the lights.

[@defender714]

hes right.

[@dominicgalea6006]

Do you know if the ZZR1200 can fit a 190/55 rear? It seems to look like there is room.

[@mcycle24]

I think the wheel rim is only 5 and a half inch wide and the maximum tyre size is 180, To fit a 190 you will need a wider 6 inch wheel from a ZX12 /ZX14 .

[@dominicgalea6006]

@@mcycle24 thanks for the info. That rear shock you added is $650 AU $ here in Australia. What other mods have you done on your ZZR? Could you do a video on all the mods? I tried the 4 degree timing advance, but did not notice any result so I changed it back to standard. This really puzzles me, I always believed more timing would improve performance, of course 10-15 degrees is optimum. I thought 14 would be good, but it seemed no different, any idea on that?

[@mcycle24]

@@dominicgalea6006 Advancing the ignition won’t make a difference unless your using high octane fuel, That’s what I’ve been told.

[@flybobbie1449]

High octane fuels are for higher compression ratio, might achieve with modded turbo engines. Higher octane fuels burn more slowly, reason why if i want my sports car exhaust to pop more, i use super unleaded. I find in the ZZR the engine feels rougher if i use super rather than std unleaded. I have even run it on Avgas which is 100 octane, but could damage the catalytic converter or valves.

[@Vladimir-ks2nl]

Я купил 1200 хочу 1400 но не понимаю что он говорит напишите мне какой лучше.