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    Kawasaki Voyager ZG1200

    Hi all,

    I was perusing the interwebs the other day and came across this bike. Does anyone have any experience with it? I like the fact that it has hydraulic valves...gah I hate valve maintenance. From what I've read, it's powerful, handles well and is reliable. The single pot brakes concern me though...

    #2
    I have never ridden the 1200, but I had a 1300 Voyager for several years.
    As a member of the Voyager club, I met and talked with several 1200 riders. They all loved their bikes, but the most common complaint was that it was rather top-heavy. Besides the fact that it is a water-cooled inline Four, it has a large gas tank over the engine, I think it's about 6.5 gallons, maybe a bit more.

    The bike ran basically unchanged from '86 to '03, with minor updates along the way. If you can, avoid the '86 model, unless you can see proof that it has had the starter chain replaced and the ignitor updated. They had a problem with the ignitor that year that would cause the crank to kick back and break the starter chain. You have to split the cases to replace that chain.

    The last few years included a few more farkles, other than that, the only difference from one year to the next was the color scheme, and they usually kept a scheme for two years. Yep, in any particular year, you had a "choice" of ONE color scheme, and it was there for two years.

    If you are into long-distance riding, it's a wonderful bike. For general use around town or strafing corners on the weekend, look elsewhere.

    .
    sigpic
    mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
    hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
    #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
    #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
    Family Portrait
    Siblings and Spouses
    Mom's first ride
    Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
    (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Steve View Post
      I have never ridden the 1200, but I had a 1300 Voyager for several years.
      As a member of the Voyager club, I met and talked with several 1200 riders. They all loved their bikes, but the most common complaint was that it was rather top-heavy. Besides the fact that it is a water-cooled inline Four, it has a large gas tank over the engine, I think it's about 6.5 gallons, maybe a bit more.

      The bike ran basically unchanged from '86 to '03, with minor updates along the way. If you can, avoid the '86 model, unless you can see proof that it has had the starter chain replaced and the ignitor updated. They had a problem with the ignitor that year that would cause the crank to kick back and break the starter chain. You have to split the cases to replace that chain.

      The last few years included a few more farkles, other than that, the only difference from one year to the next was the color scheme, and they usually kept a scheme for two years. Yep, in any particular year, you had a "choice" of ONE color scheme, and it was there for two years.

      If you are into long-distance riding, it's a wonderful bike. For general use around town or strafing corners on the weekend, look elsewhere.

      .
      Thanks for the info! I think I read somewhere the visible tank over the engine is actually faux and the real one is beneath the seat... I have an 1100GL with vetter touring gear, at the moment, but I am sick of the minimal range. I'm planning on converting it into an around towner/short distance bike and using the Voyager for long hauls.

      One thing I really liked was the fact that it had a true alternator and it was connected directly to the engine. No belts like a goldwing... Do you know of a decent forum for that bike? I can't seem to find one.

      Comment


        #4
        I picked one up a couple years ago and was going to use it as my touring bike. I had to change the fuel tank on it and you basically have to remove the entire back of the bike to get it out. But doable . The bike ran good and had plenty of power. What it lacked was room if you are a larger person. I am 6'4 and felt very cramped on this bike and when I was riding 2up it was much worse. It is also the easiest bike I have ever put up on a center stand, 2 stage lift system. A 100lb women could do it. If it was not for being cramped I probably would have kept the bike.
        1984 GS1100GK newest addition to the heard
        80 GS 1000gt- most favorite ride love this bike
        1978 GS1000E- Known as "RoadKill" , Finished :D
        83 gs750ed- first new purchase
        85 EX500- vintage track weapon
        1958Ducati 98 Tourismo
        “Remember When in doubt use full throttle, It may not improve the situation ,but it will end the suspense ,
        If it isn't going to make it faster or safer it isn't worth doing

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by lordcannon88 View Post
          One thing I really liked was the fact that it had a true alternator and it was connected directly to the engine. No belts like a goldwing... Do you know of a decent forum for that bike? I can't seem to find one.
          Yes, it had a true alternator, but was still a bit limited, depending on how many farkles you wanted to add. It was adequate for all the basics, but you had to be careful when using heated clothing, as it was easy to overload the system.

          Yes, a Goldwing has belts, but not to drive the alternator. The belts on a Wing are to drive the cams. The good part of that is that they only need to be changed every 10 years or 100,000 miles. The bad part is that it is an "interference" engine. If a belt breaks, valves and pistons WILL be intimately acquainted. It is cheaper to replace the engine than it is to rebuild it.
          (I replaced my belts at about 135,000 miles, they still looked relatively new. )

          While I had my Voyager, I was a member of the American Voyager Association.

          .
          sigpic
          mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
          hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
          #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
          #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
          Family Portrait
          Siblings and Spouses
          Mom's first ride
          Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
          (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Steve View Post
            Yes, it had a true alternator, but was still a bit limited, depending on how many farkles you wanted to add. It was adequate for all the basics, but you had to be careful when using heated clothing, as it was easy to overload the system.

            Yes, a Goldwing has belts, but not to drive the alternator. The belts on a Wing are to drive the cams. The good part of that is that they only need to be changed every 10 years or 100,000 miles. The bad part is that it is an "interference" engine. If a belt breaks, valves and pistons WILL be intimately acquainted. It is cheaper to replace the engine than it is to rebuild it.
            (I replaced my belts at about 135,000 miles, they still looked relatively new. )

            While I had my Voyager, I was a member of the American Voyager Association.

            .
            Would it support, say heated grips and fog lights? Ahh, ok. I knew there were belts involved in a Wing, but I didn't know they turned the cams...yikes! Sketchy sketchy...

            Good deal! Thanks for that link...I am perusing it as we speak.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by hjfisk View Post
              I picked one up a couple years ago and was going to use it as my touring bike. I had to change the fuel tank on it and you basically have to remove the entire back of the bike to get it out. But doable . The bike ran good and had plenty of power. What it lacked was room if you are a larger person. I am 6'4 and felt very cramped on this bike and when I was riding 2up it was much worse. It is also the easiest bike I have ever put up on a center stand, 2 stage lift system. A 100lb women could do it. If it was not for being cramped I probably would have kept the bike.
              Thanks for the info. WHy'd you have to change the fuel tank?

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by lordcannon88 View Post
                Would it support, say heated grips and fog lights? Ahh, ok. I knew there were belts involved in a Wing, but I didn't know they turned the cams...yikes! Sketchy sketchy...

                Good deal! Thanks for that link...I am perusing it as we speak.


                Next time you drive somewhere, look around you -- lots of cars and SUVs drive the camshafts with belts. Probably around a third of the four-cylinder engines you see, and several six cylinder models.

                It's not sketchy at all unless the required maintenance is neglected.
                1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                Eat more venison.

                Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                  Next time you drive somewhere, look around you -- lots of cars and SUVs drive the camshafts with belts. Probably around a third of the four-cylinder engines you see, and several six cylinder models.

                  It's not sketchy at all unless the required maintenance is neglected.

                  Aye aye. My car is one of them (96 Geo Tracker) I just don't like the idea of that, from an engineering point of view. Why not just have an internal, nonservicable chain, like a GS, for instance? What is the benefit of a replacable timing belt?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    The benefit of a belt is noise, or, rather, the lack of noise.

                    .
                    sigpic
                    mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
                    hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
                    #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
                    #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
                    Family Portrait
                    Siblings and Spouses
                    Mom's first ride
                    Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
                    (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Steve View Post
                      The benefit of a belt is noise, or, rather, the lack of noise.

                      .
                      Ahhh! That does indeed make sense...

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by lordcannon88 View Post
                        Aye aye. My car is one of them (96 Geo Tracker) I just don't like the idea of that, from an engineering point of view. Why not just have an internal, nonservicable chain, like a GS, for instance? What is the benefit of a replacable timing belt?
                        With cars, the timing chains could and would stretch, or wear out the gears, or both. Of course, the last one I actually changed was in the '70's, on a '66 Ford V8 with a gazillion miles on it.

                        But we digress.....

                        Comment

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