Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127675
1994 Kawasaki ZX~9R By Kit Palmer Photos by Kinney Jones t all depends on how you look at things. Yes, the ZX-9R is, in fact, an all-new mod el in Kawasaki's 1994!ineup, but is it really an allnew moto rcycle? Ta ke the ZX-9R' s liquid-cooled , inline, fou r-eylinder motor, for exampl e. Compare it to its racer-replica brother, . the already-e xisting ZXR7 50 . Both engines share id en tica l compression ratios, valve timing, and internal gear ratios and transmission. And then there's the ZX-9R's chassis - very ZX-ll-ish. What we obviously ha ve here is a cross between the "full-race" ZXR750 and the s p o r t- to u r in g ZX-1 1. And depending on how you look at things, the ZX-9R is either a sportier vers ion of the ZX-ll, or a more user-friendly version of the ZXR750. Whatever. But no matter how you look at it, the ZX-9R is Kawasaki's latest pride and joy. Kawasaki was so excited about its new model, in fact, that they invited the motorcycling press from all over the world to Malaysia and the Shah Alam race circuit to debut its baby. .Most of I 20 the riding there was d one on the track and was follow ed up by a short st ree t rid e (see Issue #1, January 12, 1994, for the report on the Malaysia ZX-9R intro, as well as a more in-depth technical review of the bike). Dodging squas he d sna kes, dried goat doodle, baboons (literally) and th ousands o f Malaysians aboard step-thru scooters were of highes t importance on this particular ride. Perhaps not the most ideal conditions in which to road test a 139-horsepower spo rt bike, but then again , w here are they ideal? We're still searchin g for that perfect, hazardless road here in the U.S.. We did, however, revisit some of our well-used and favorit e back ro ad provinces on the ZX-9 and came away grinning from ear to ear. At the Shah Alam circuit, most of the testers complained of too-soft suspension and slippery, over-inflated tires, while pushing the envelope on the new Kawasaki, but at a more conservative and real-life pace, the ZX-9 performed just fine. We have no doubt that in stock condition, the ZX-9 could use some fine tuning for race track usage (what bike couldn't use a tweak here and there) , but in the real world - on the streets - where the major- ity of ZX-9s sold will spend much of thei r exis tence...well, le t's jus t say the ZX-9 is among the best. While it alm ost goes without saying that the ZX-9 performs downright awesome on back canyon and tw isty roads, a big qu estion mark hangs over the raceorientated s por tbike's h ead as to whether or not this is a bike you can live w ith on a day to d ay ba sis. After all , who can afford to own more tha n one bike these da ys? To ou r am azement, the ZX-9 is, in fac t, a very comfortable s p o rtb ike much more so than, sa y, the Suzuki GSXR750 or its Kawasaki ZXR750 sibling. As compared to the ZXR750,the 9's handlebars are slightly higher and the footpegs a little lower. The ZX-9's seat is s u rp risingl y comfortable - wide and firm - the best seat we've felt on a Kawasaki sports-tourer for many years. There's plenty of legroom and the rider's wrists don't take a beating and feel as though they're supporting the rider's entire weight. The fairing and windscreen offer very good upper-body protection. At speed there is little buffeting. If your riding plans usually include The ZX-9R mi ght break your bank account, but It won't break your back on those lon g days In the saddle. For a fullon spo rtb lke. the ZX-9 Is actually quite comfortable and surprisingly easy to ride. As a cross between the ZX-l l and the ZXR750, the ZX-9 successfu lly combines the best of both worlds. bringin g al on g a passenger, th en th e ZX-9 m ig ht no t be the hot ti cket there's little padding for the passenger; the footpegs a re mounted very high, and there are no gra b rails, just a simple seat strap. Okay, so the new Ninja's suspension might very well be set up a little too soft for the track, but it does perform exceptionally well on th e streets and highways. There's enough "cush" at both ends to keep one happy whi le commuting back and forth to work, and is firm enough to give the ZX-9 a stu rdy feel. In spite of the pillowy suspension, the ZX9 felt extremely stable at speed, and the handling and steering was confidenceinspiring. The front end incorporates a 41mm in vert ed -cartrid ge fully adjustable fork, and the back en~ is suspended