Kawasaki ZX12R Picking up the new bike.

After many years I have got a ZX12R. As there are only 3 or 4 in the whole country finding one has taken many years. It needs a little TLC which has started already. Thanks to Phillip for selling me his machine and all the extras he provided. These include a hardback service manual, a "Silver Book" and many spare parts.

[@christianhopeborling8697]

Oh man you got the bike I was eyeing for quite sometime. Nice bike.🎉
Congrats.

[@MichaelZZRrider]

The actual bike or the model in general?

[@gdfggggg]

That’s a beautiful looking Kwacker. You’re gonna need a bigger garage 👀🤘🏻

[@MichaelZZRrider]

Hi mate, I will find space Ha! Ha!

[@tenbear5]

Gosh. In for a pound, in for a penny!
There is another known issue with them: oil will wick up the wires leading to the rotor & coils causing a failure. It passes up between the copper wires and insulator. The Kawasaki HQ fix for this is a squirt of superglue!
I thought i'd escaped this particular gremlin but it struck on a ride to Switzerland. A costly fault as i had to replace the rotor, coils and HD leads.
This was the bike, as a long time fan of over 40 yrs, i wanted kawasaki to make, but throughout lifelong ownership it pains me to say of all the kawasakis i've owned [zeds, gpzs, zzrs] this model has been the least reliable. On a trip to Spain one year it just stopped & no one could figure out what it was. Barcelona kawasaki were worse than useless. The bike was AA'd back to the UK where it sat at the local dealership in Leicester for a few months. It was eventually sorted and came down to a cam position sensor: an easy fix as you can reach it through the fairing without removing anything [10 minute fix for a problem that lasted months].
It feels a lot more top heavy, with a higher centre of gravity than the zzrs. I found i had to ride for some time before 'getting into the groove'. Gorgeous looking machine [arguably the best of the bunch] with blistering performance to match -- i had my C3, unrestricted, off the clock at Monza, so 200 mph is a real possibility [PCR3, full titanium Akro, BMC filters].
Would love to share some shots as it too is in the best colour!

[@MichaelZZRrider]

Thanks for the comments mate. I am aware of the electrical issue. It aopears to have been more of an issue with the A's than with the later B's. Overall, according to all the owner forums I have read to be reliable although there are a few owners who seem to have been unlucky. I hope I am a lucky one.

[@tenbear5]

@@MichaelZZRrider Yeah, i guess we all hoped that, but the reality is the electrics really aren't up to it. Perhaps it's because we've been forced to have DrLs [daylight running lights] with no effective lightswitch, i dunno... anyway, it's a proverbial pain and the Kawasaki fix is just daft. I was even considering getting the whole thing completely rewired [with a functioning light switch] but finding a competent electrical moto specialist is a problem, and the guy i did find was extortionate.

[@wayno23]

​@MichaelZZRrider I have a A1 bought it brand new 24yrs ago never had a problem with it 👌. Traded in a zzr 1100 they're world's apart ...enjoy 😊 💨🚀

[@MichaelZZRrider]

@@wayno23 Hi mate, I dont believe it will cause me major problems . Of course, when ever you get a bike that has been sat without running for several years there will be issues but I have just finished bringing a 1989 ZXR 750 HI back to life as well as the ZZR 11 and they were in a worse condition. She is well on the way to being ready, indeed I am posting some more videos of her progress.