Kawasaki ZR-7 reviews

The ZR-7S is a great beginner bike - an excellent value for the money. I have no complaints about the seat, and the gas guage on mine isn't too far off the mark. Only two complaints that I can think of: The gauges are pretty hard to read when riding at dusk/night, and it requires a little more throttle than I expected on take-off. If Kawasaki would change only one thing about his bike, I'd say, "improve the visibility of the guages". Overall though, I'd highly recommend this bike to someone as an excellent choice for a starter. Show less

I love my ZR-7S! It is a beautiful bike and an excellent value. You get alot for the money. It is very comfortable and has plenty of power (approx. 70 horses) for real world riding. It starts easily and is very dependable. No, it is not "high tech" like some of the racing type bikes, but it is great for traveling long distances (riding position, fairing, 5.8 gallon fuel tank, great fuel mileage). The bike comes standard with great radial tires and handles well. I get many compliments on this bike. It looks like it cost several thosand more than it did. I'm 6'2" tall, 250 lbs. and it fits me perfect. It would get 5 stars but for the "older" type engine technology which is fine for its price. Considering the value for the money, this bike gets 5 stars. Show less

First, I ride a KDX200 in most of my spare time. It's a blast! The ZR-7S is a great value. If you want an inexpensive yet great ride, the ZR-7S is it. Aside from the 2002 color(I say it's Metallic Blue), you might not find a better deal. I WAS a cruiser rider, so take it for what it's worth, this bike is a lot of fun and handles great. My corbin seat is on the way. As for the rider from West Virginia, CONSIDER THE SOURCE! Of course the ride is better going from a beginner/intermidiate level sportbike to a HOLY *!#! it's fast sportbike. Show less

I bought my zr-7 2 years ago new and have logged 17,000 miles on it so far, I have not had any problems with the bike and run it hard. best improvements that can be added are a jet kit,exhaust and corbin seat. the engine may be a tad low on power but it is nearly industructable so running slightly hard is a non-issue. Show less

I have been riding bikes of all descriptions for over 25 years. After moving back into the London and losing my garage my old bike had to go :(. It wasn't long before I was miserable and missing two wheels just too much so off I headed to my local bike dealer to fix the problem. City riding was going to be the main use of the bike with a few tours and the bikers joy of Sundays in the country, so I really needed an all rounder. I am also a pretty big guy and the fashion for today's pocket rockets are just too small for me to be comfortable on for any period of time so after looking at all the usual Hornets, fazers and bandits, along with their sportier cousins I confounded everone that knows me by buying the ZR7! Let me explain why - The ZR7 is not a fashion statement and its not a super speed machine, what it is is a superb all-rounder that does most things very well at a really reasonable purchase price and with far lower running and insurance costs than most bikes around this size. I commute on it into the City most days and its low speed handling is great, in the UK we can lane split even in very heavy traffic (so long as you are careful). When you get to open roads you can wind up the motor and make excellent progress and while never leading the pack most riders while find it hard to lose a Z even on twisty sections. On rideouts with friends it is often commented that even though they are pushing it they just can't seem to shake the 'ol girl off their tails. On longer runs I am convinced that this is a bike that covers ground really well and better than virtually every other bike in its class - the reason is the combination of comfort and endurance (you can easily exceed 200 miles on a tank). You don't need to stop every hour to flex the wrists and walk around for 10 minutes to get the feeling back in the butt! Slip a Yoshi can on to make the noise just right, add a bikini fairing and you've got a bike for all round fun and entertainment. I have had mine for two years now and I can say that even though she has to be parked on the street in all weathers she is still in very good condition - with only a little corrosion showing. Not bad when you consider that I ride all year round in all weathers. This bike makes a great deal of sense for riders that arn't impressed by top speed but want a bike that can hustle along when needed and be comfortable on longer trips. Reliablility is excellent and there has been no sign of the starting problems other have seen. I do use premium unleaded all the time though. If you returning or a new rider this bike has a lot to offer at a great price (in the UK you can pick then up easily for around $3500 for a minter). Show less

I traded my 1990 GPz900R A7 Ninja for a second hand bike with low klms on it. I've read the reviews - www.motorcycledaily.com, www.motorbyte.com, www.mcreports.com, www.activebike.com and www.powersportsnetwork.com. Love the bike, plenty of torque over the complete rev range. There's a huge storage area under the seat. The bike is real easy to service, has a centre stand and the rear suspension linkageas all have grease nipples. I find the seat and the riding position quite comfortable. The bike feels well balanced and lighter than you'd expect. It's really economical. I did 300klm and only used 15.5 litres! There are some down sides - I feel like there should be a 6th gear ( my GPz900R had 6 gears, so that may also account for that some what). There is some vibration. The mirrors are quite narrow - hard to see what's behind you. The pilion seat has a steep forward angle on it and the pillion is constantly trying to stop themselves from sliding into your back. All these nits can be easily fixed, see www.zr-7.com I'm keeping mine! Show less

This motorcycle is a decent value The handeling is ok.It always started very well. It took a long time & a lot of choke to get warmed up enough to run well. The seat is awful.Throw it away & get a Corbin seat first thing. Not a rave review. It just wasn't as good as i expected it to be.I had it a year & just traded it for a Yamaha FZ1. A 1000% improvement. Show less

Purchased it used in July 2001 with low mileage. This is my first street bike and so far I am satisfied with what I paid for. Enough power to get away from those #@! idiot drivers. Easy bike to maneuver between traffic. Had a few close calls and bike handled perfectly. So far added Hotgrips, Carbon Buell Flyscreen, Progressive Springs and awaiting LeoVinci oval muffler. At 110 kph (about 60mph) engine sounds like it is straining and vibrates. When ridden above 60 mph vibration disappears. Taken it up to 170 kph (mph?) for short periods and it handled fine. Like they say this is a great all-arounder. Safe riding to all! Show less

I have about 4000 mi on this bike and am not disappointed. I agree with the other reviews and a taller gear would be great. The gas gauge is not even close to correct, rode it for a week on empty and never did run out (gave up and filled). Rode it to Sturgis 2001 and found the seat good for about 200 miles after that the foam compresses and the pain starts. Small problems for such a great price. Show less

I did a lot of research before buying my ZR-7S, and I haven't been disappointed. For the money, you can't beat the performance, reliability, comfort, features, safety, and just plain fun. I've got 2000 miles on the bike, and it's been a pleasure to ride. It always starts quickly, and handles and brakes well. Sure it would be nice to have a sixth gear and an accurate gas guage. But I'd recommend this bike to anyone who wants a good looking machine which performs better than many for two, three, or four times its price. Show less