zrx12 vs gs1150

[toolman]

my buddy just picked up a kawi zrx12 and when we went for our dinner trip to lytton on fri he was telling me how strong the thing ran .
well that got me going,so i asked him "wana race" and he accepted the challange.on our way back to merritt we stoped on the only long straight piece of road and discused the start .
we agreed on a rolling start from a sighn post on the side of the road.we rolled to the sighn and then we were off .in first he took off and gained about a length on me but second came soon and the gap was getting smaller.when the 1150 hit 3rd it took off like a shot and now we were even .with the onset of 4th i was gaining and then i shot out ahead and at 200 kmh i went past the kawi and the race was over.
even at 25 yrs old she still kicks a-- love my gs.
happy riding ......toolman

[bonanzadave]

I love a good old school drag race ! I understand that Canada law does not pull any punches for speeders and I gotta believe racing would be pain$$$ful !

Be careful and keep kicking arse !

[toolman]

bonanzadave: if you know the unwritten law that the cops are not allowed to give chase on the back roads its not too bad .i have never had a ticket on a bike in bc yet [knock on wood].
now if you speed on a main hwy you are in trouble the fine for 20 miles over is about $400 and a bunch of demarit points witch you will pay for when you get you insurance next year.here in bc you cant insure a vehicle if you have any outstanding fines .gotcha.

[steve murdoch]

Well done, toolman!
I guess this means your dinner was free?

[posplayr]

http://www.review*****onth.com/2006/...asaki-zrx1200r

Hi was only recently looking at that ZRX1200 write up. Pretty cool bike.

I think the 1150 is rated 124hp at the crank; dry weights are 490 and 522 respectively for Kaw and Suk. So it kinda makes sense that you would give up a little in weight at the lower end, and perhaps gain it back once you are both fighting the wind and weight is less of a factor.

I think your 1150 is basically stock, is his Kawi stock as well?

Given that either bike is capable of much more with street modifications, it is a bit mute, but what is really cool is that the ZRX1200 is trying to fill a market segment for a upright standard muscle bike.

I had mentioned that this was basically what I was going to do to my ED to update the tech somewhat with a 1st Gen gixxer upgrade.

Have fun, keep the rubber side down

Kawasaki claim 122PS and 112Nm of torque for the ZRX. In English that’s 120BHP and 82½ ft/lb, almost certainly measured at the crank. Dry weight is 223kg (plus 4kg for the half-faired S version). Compare that with a Suzuki GSX-R1000 (161BHP at the rear wheel and 166kg) and it’s clear that the ZRX is no pocket rocket.

The ZRX1200R comes with two catalytic converters, one welded into the header pipe collectors and one in the silencer (which gets exceptionally hot - beware!). This, coupled with the Old Skool carbs and emissions gubbins, means that replacing the end can with a quality one or, better still, a full system will give you more than a few extra horses: with a Dynojet kit - no namby-pamby fuel injection here - freer-flowing air filter, the removal of the “snorkel” on the side of the air box and fitting a decent full system (Akrapovic is preferred), power rises from 112bhp to the low 130s at the rear wheel.

[toolman]

posplayr: both bikes are stock,the thing i like is that even with being liquid cooled and all that new technolagy a twenty five year old couch rocket can kick its a##
i will say the ride and handling on the kawi are wonderfull very nimble and it has grunt right from the bottom of the rpm range.the throttle responce was very quick and power comes on strong no flat spots.
but i still beat him..... toolman

[Griffin]

That's a cool story. I agree with pos, Kawasaki tried to fill a niche for an old skool musclebike, and did a pretty good job with the ZRX. It's sales, although not spectacular, were steady, and I have to believe that Kawasaki at least got their R&D money back in worldwide sales.

That being said, the final generation of the "classic" UJMs (GS1100/1150, CB1100F, KZ1000J, GPZ1100, FJ1100) would not by even modern standards be considered "slow" bikes. They were all capable of low 11/high 10 second quarter mile times, which modern bikes can better by only a second or so. A decent rider with a good launch will give a mediocre R1 or ZX-10R rider a lesson he won't soon forget from one stoplight to the next.

Modern bikes will handle circles around our old tanks, but physics being what it is, they ain't a whole lot quicker over a short distance.

[duaneage]

It takes a lot more power just to shave a few tenths off a quarter mile time, along with tire and suspension tuning. Unless you can consistently launch every time it can be difficult to assess any improvement.

The one variable here is price. The 1150 is probably a cheaper bike to buy, insure and fix than the ZRX and with the money saved improvements could be made to the 1150 to make it handle and accelerate better.

Of course I'm a GS nut so of course I'm going to take that position.

[Jethro]

In a true drag race from a tree, the stock ZRX12 should beat a stock 1150 in the quarter- equal riders. The rolling start was a blessing for you! But make no mistake- the 1150 is an animal for sure.

[not a biker]

Zrx

i owned a 02 ZRX with a slip it pulled 117 RWHP on the dyno at a 1/8 mile drag strip it turned 7.28 at 99 mph on a very hot 105 deg day. my 84 GS 1150 that i own now [ showroom stock] might have 105 HP at the rear wheel. so on paper the ZRX should be faster .
seat of the pants the ZRX felt faster, but the 1150 might be just as fast
i just love the looks of the ZRX. for a old bike the GS is awsume.

[toolman]

not a biker :its the torque the zrx has 82.5 ft lbs were as the 1150 has 100.the bikes are very close, on a drag strip things might have been differant but in the end i won that race. ......toolman

[TheCafeKid]

This is much as the might GS1100 were found to be superior by most of the cycle mags at the time over the GPZ1100. Yes, the GPZ turned more FINAL RWHP, but it wasnt, in the different mags minds, USEABLE HP. The GS put the power to the ground WHERE IT MATTERED, and had the torque to boot. I think THIS is likely why you won that race...

[toolman]

buddy did saythat he spun the tire in 2nd gear that probably helped a bit to.....toolman

[Mysuzyq]

not a biker :its the torque the zrx has 82.5 ft lbs were as the 1150 has 100.the bikes are very close, on a drag strip things might have been differant but in the end i won that race. ......toolman

And that's all that matters.
I think the 1150's torque output was rated at around 80 lb-ft too, not 100 AFAIK

Tony.

[toolman]

i stand corrected mysuzyq you are absolutly rite it is actualy 78ft lbs 124hp at crank 119 at the weel top speed 145 and a quarter mile time of10.2 at 124.1
the info was from a report done when the bike came out in 84 ill bet the rider weighed less than 130lbs and he was a pro.
i thank you for the correction. .....toolman