Thinking of chopping in my zzr1400
Discussion
So due to work commitments etc I have ridden the grand total of 1,200 miles in 10 months on my zzr1400. When I do ride it, the temptation is to ride it at licence losing speeds...it must be the novelty factor.
I'm currently thinking I should get something more sensible which may also encourage me to ride it more often. Current favourites are the Triumph Explorer or the Honda Crosstourer (has mixed reviews, but the engine is supposed to be a peach). Neither will be taken offroad
Can anyone shed any light on either of these options? I will probably go secondhand unless a dealer will give me a good deal on my almost demo mileage 1400.
cheers
Mark
I'm currently thinking I should get something more sensible which may also encourage me to ride it more often. Current favourites are the Triumph Explorer or the Honda Crosstourer (has mixed reviews, but the engine is supposed to be a peach). Neither will be taken offroad
Can anyone shed any light on either of these options? I will probably go secondhand unless a dealer will give me a good deal on my almost demo mileage 1400.
cheers
Mark
I've got a crosstourer on demo from Honda dealer today. My VFR800 is in for MOT.
First impressions are mixed. It feels solid. Engine does pull well, but doesn't have much character. Overall it's a bit dull.
I'm also not sure i understand what it's supposed to be. Spoked wheels and chunky tyres, yet shaft drive and it's massively heavy. Really tall too. Yet it's also not really a tourer as it doesn't have the fairing or 'screen.
Odd bike.
First impressions are mixed. It feels solid. Engine does pull well, but doesn't have much character. Overall it's a bit dull.
I'm also not sure i understand what it's supposed to be. Spoked wheels and chunky tyres, yet shaft drive and it's massively heavy. Really tall too. Yet it's also not really a tourer as it doesn't have the fairing or 'screen.
Odd bike.
LordFlathead said:
Sorry to hear you're thinking of selling it Mark, didn't you join the ZZR forum about a week about me? (same Mark?).
I went through exactly the same thought process but then I met Ian with the ZZR turbo.
Now I want a turbo
Thinking of selling is a phase and it will pass
Haha yep thats me, it's just not getting used at all...and when I do, I ride like a I went through exactly the same thought process but then I met Ian with the ZZR turbo.
Now I want a turbo
Thinking of selling is a phase and it will pass
dapearson said:
I've got a crosstourer on demo from Honda dealer today. My VFR800 is in for MOT.
First impressions are mixed. It feels solid. Engine does pull well, but doesn't have much character. Overall it's a bit dull.
I'm also not sure i understand what it's supposed to be. Spoked wheels and chunky tyres, yet shaft drive and it's massively heavy. Really tall too. Yet it's also not really a tourer as it doesn't have the fairing or 'screen.
Odd bike.
Thanks, have seen it described as an odd bike..its saving grace being the engine. The Explorer seems to get good reviews, but not many around in Devon at the moment.First impressions are mixed. It feels solid. Engine does pull well, but doesn't have much character. Overall it's a bit dull.
I'm also not sure i understand what it's supposed to be. Spoked wheels and chunky tyres, yet shaft drive and it's massively heavy. Really tall too. Yet it's also not really a tourer as it doesn't have the fairing or 'screen.
Odd bike.
I had a ZZR1400 for 6 years. I used to tour on it but the chain drive for long tours isn't really suitable with several maintenance jobs necessary when making a 4000km tour. I test road the Triumph explorer, water cooled GS and Crosstourer. Triumph was a nice ride but reliability prolems with the engine (many new cylinder head replacements taking weeks) put me off. The BMW was just boring. The Crosstoourer was a surprise, especially with DCT. Fantastic engine and fantastic gearbox with shaft drive. Did a tour from London via Frankfurt, Lugano, Livorno, Sardinia, Corsica, Munich, London. Bike was flawless and perfect for that. It also pulled away quite effortlessly from quite a few "sports" bikes due to the DCT box. Using it in "manual" moded it's simply a case of feathering the up/down buttons while hanging on the throttle, fantastic fun and highly recommended in DCT guise 
Silver993tt said:
I had a ZZR1400 for 6 years. I used to tour on it but the chain drive for long tours isn't really suitable with several maintenance jobs necessary when making a 4000km tour. I test road the Triumph explorer, water cooled GS and Crosstourer. Triumph was a nice ride but reliability prolems with the engine (many new cylinder head replacements taking weeks) put me off. The BMW was just boring. The Crosstoourer was a surprise, especially with DCT. Fantastic engine and fantastic gearbox with shaft drive. Did a tour from London via Frankfurt, Lugano, Livorno, Sardinia, Corsica, Munich, London. Bike was flawless and perfect for that. It also pulled away quite effortlessly from quite a few "sports" bikes due to the DCT box. Using it in "manual" moded it's simply a case of feathering the up/down buttons while hanging on the throttle, fantastic fun and highly recommended in DCT guise
Excellent insight, cheers mhocking said:
Excellent insight, cheers
However, my bike (if existed) would be a ZZR1400 with shaft drive and DCT - perfect I think that within 5 years quite a few bikes will have the DCT option. I don't see myself going back to old technology manual boxes if I can avoid them in the future.
Silver993tt said:
I had a ZZR1400 for 6 years. I used to tour on it but the chain drive for long tours isn't really suitable with several maintenance jobs necessary when making a 4000km tour.
Ill admit to having to lube the chain at the end of a day but 'several maintenance jobs' is a bit over dramatic isnt it?Id rather buy a new chain every couple of years vs riding something(much) less exciting...
Silver993tt said:
owever, my bike (if existed) would be a ZZR1400 with shaft drive
I agree with Silver993tt on this. A ZZR1400 with shaft drive would be my perfect bike too. Can't be doing with chain drive for touring.Though count me out of an auto box. I like manual gear changes too much: it's part of my enjoyment and involvement with riding.
SVS said:
I agree with Silver993tt on this. A ZZR1400 with shaft drive would be my perfect bike too. Can't be doing with chain drive for touring.
Though count me out of an auto box. I like manual gear changes too much: it's part of my enjoyment and involvement with riding.
DCT isn't an "auto" box, it's a dual clutch box capable of manual changes. The difference is that the manual changes are lightning fast (both up and down) compared to a traditional single clutch gearbox and much more fun in the twisty roads.Though count me out of an auto box. I like manual gear changes too much: it's part of my enjoyment and involvement with riding.
podman said:
Silver993tt said:
I had a ZZR1400 for 6 years. I used to tour on it but the chain drive for long tours isn't really suitable with several maintenance jobs necessary when making a 4000km tour.
Ill admit to having to lube the chain at the end of a day but 'several maintenance jobs' is a bit over dramatic isnt it?Id rather buy a new chain every couple of years vs riding something(much) less exciting...
Unless your riding in sand or the sea I can't see issues with a chain on a 4k tour. I've done that loads of times & so has Mrs Hooli, the sum of maintaining the chain is a daily glance to check it's getting wet enough off the scotoiler.
Hooli said:
+1
Unless your riding in sand or the sea I can't see issues with a chain on a 4k tour. I've done that loads of times & so has Mrs Hooli, the sum of maintaining the chain is a daily glance to check it's getting wet enough off the scotoiler.
A chain will need adjusting during 4k if a decent amount of those miles are in teh wet which in Europe is quite common.Unless your riding in sand or the sea I can't see issues with a chain on a 4k tour. I've done that loads of times & so has Mrs Hooli, the sum of maintaining the chain is a daily glance to check it's getting wet enough off the scotoiler.
Having now owned and lived with a chain driven and now a decent shaft drive bike, it will be shaft drive all the way in the future and DCT wherever possible.
SVS said:
Silver993tt said:
owever, my bike (if existed) would be a ZZR1400 with shaft drive
I agree with Silver993tt on this. A ZZR1400 with shaft drive would be my perfect bike too. Can't be doing with chain drive for touring.Though count me out of an auto box. I like manual gear changes too much: it's part of my enjoyment and involvement with riding.
Quick shifter for ... er ... quick gear changes and you get ESA as well!
black-k1 said:
It's called a K1300S!
Quick shifter for ... er ... quick gear changes and you get ESA as well!
er, no it isn't. I've ridden a German colleagues K1300S that had a quick shifter. Bike had noticeably less torque than the ZZR1400 and overall performance wise a step down. The quick shifter was useless for downshifts let alone lighting downshifts as with the DCT box. As with top of the range cars, DCT will become a standard or optional feature on most bikes within 5-10 years.Quick shifter for ... er ... quick gear changes and you get ESA as well!
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