At last! back to back rides VFR vs ZRX

Well, after having ridden the new to me VFR 150 miles or so over 4 rides, last Sunday I took out the VFR, and then returned home and hopped on the 01 ZRX for a change, and for a comparison. I've owned my ZRX for 6 years and have racked up 30,000 miles. Over the years it has recieved a full Akrapovic exhaust, with an Ivan's jet kit and the airbox mods, + scrapped all the smog control items, changed final gearing from 17/42 to 17/46. It also has a front fork brace, and a corbin seat. 1st thing..... ZRX bars are way high. I have the stock bend, but need about 2" less height and a few degrees less pull back. After the VFR, felt like apehangers! Only took a couple of miles to get my groove back. So ergo's: VFR. Nothing in this world outside of a Busa leaps down the road like the ZRX. Torque is massive, gear selection doesn't matter, REX pulls stoutly from 30mph in top gear, with no real need to exceed 7500rpm. This bike has dusted many 600's who must of thought its just some old Kawasaki. Motor: ZRX. The ZRX simply feels like power steering compared to the VFR, but when ridden with deliberate input handles as well. Handling: tie.
Comfort: at speed VFR, around town ZRX. Sound (both bikes have Akrapovic's): VFR, sounds like a bike ought to, ZRX sounds like a turbine, though I still like it, :VFR. I think I'm going to like both of these bikes, and it will be fun to go back & forth. Brakes, both good, but the ZRX is lower effort and not linked, but the jury's still out on this one. Can't wait till spring when I can plug my 22 year old son onto the REX, and see what they do in a rolling start drag race to 120 or so, but the results won't matter, I'm keeping both!!!:biggrin:

 

Nice comparo between two very different bikes. :thumbsup:

If you don't already surf it, there's a good Kawi site with a ZRX section at RiderForums.com Community - Powered by vBulletin.

 

as powerful as the rex is, and easily controllable as the veefer is, you sure you dont want to put your son on the veefer and you pilot the rex?

anyways have you seen what the rexs do with high comp pistons and cams? pretty much turns them into naked zx12's!

 

My son started riding at age 8, raced hare scrambles until age 16. At 19 years old I started to teach him to ride on the street............on the ZRX. The ZRX feels just like a dirtbike the moment it starts rolling. On level ground there is no need to give it any gas when releasing the clutch......it is one of the easiest streetbikes to ride I've ever owned, and I've owned pretty close to 60. He's learned very well, and he use's all the roadcraft I have taught him. I'm a very proud father, and miss the boy now that he's moved away. He's home for Christmas, but the weather is closing down, so we'll have to wait a bit for the VFR vs ZRX drag race, but he really likes the VFR, and can't wait to try it. Earlier this year, he got a test ride on an '09 R1, and when he returned he tells me and the dealer "If I owned this, I'd lose my license or my life", so he really has some sense. He is saving money to buy a ZRX of his own, a ton of bike for very little money. :thumbsup:

 

thanks for your thread, interesting stuff.

as a previous owner of both a ZRX 1100 & 1200 im curious to know about the gearing changes you made.

im thinking this will give more bottom end pull? is that correct?

altho a torquey engine, i always thought that it could use more bottom end power.

ive kept an eye open for one locally but there a bit scarce at the moment.

post up a pic of yours when your able to. heres one of my old 1100 ELR



if i can get her i will buy her back! just waiting for the current owner to make his mind up.

my first big road bike was a 1980 Z1000 J so these big kwaks are a sentimental favourite for me.

 

I would not compare the two, as they are totally different bikes. Anyone that takes a VFR and runs it up against another bike, claiming the vfr is slower, is missing the point of the VFR(IMO). What elevates the VFR above others, is not one thing, but many. The sound, the feel, the look, the comfort, the V4 design, and the history.

I for one get a giddy feeling in my gut and a over all excitement every time I ride my VFR. I also feel a lot of pride knowing I'm riding something special. I never got this feeling on my cbr900rr, gsxr750, zx11 or any others.

They were all good bikes, but lacked character.

 

I'm only comparing them for my own sake really, and just trying to take others along for the ride, so to speak. I'm aware of the VRF's roots & history. I do have a copy of V4 victory. I was going to AMA superbike races in the 80's and remember how those early Honda V4's dominated the competition. I lusted after the original. I had a VF500R ('86) and loved it. I've always admired the 800 VFR's and wanted one, but in 2003 I had been exclusively dirt riding (and racing) for 8 or 9 years, and had sold all of my streetbikes to support it (and to do a kitchen remodel). Anyway I talked the wife into letting me get another streetbike and she gave me a $5000.00 limit. Most bike I could find for that money was a 2800 mile 2001 ZRX1200R. I already like several things about the VFR better, mostly sound and ergo's. I'm 59 years old, both of them are plenty fast for me, I don't have anything to prove on the street, but inquiring minds need to know.
As to ZRX gearing: ZRX1100's are stock at 17/44, 1200's are 17/42. They are geared just like the ZX11's & ZX12's, which means geared for approx. 175mph top gear @ redline. No naked bike can come close to redline in top gear. So I changed gearing to increase acceleration and redline @ a more realistic top speed (now 160 in 5th @ 10,500 rpm). It dyno's with 90lbs of torque, with 80lbs @ 2500rpm. It will pull 5th gear strongly from 30 mph to redline, in other words bucket's 'O bottom end. I love torque, so no desire for cam's & pistons.......got the VFR for reving!
I've always loved bikes for the performance aspect, never been much of a cruiser guy. I love the twisty's, going quickly on a curvy road my biggest thrill. Took the California superbike school back in the 90's, which increased my safety margins going quickly on the street, not to mention dirt racing which really helps you figure out handling dynamics at low traction situations, and it DOES translate to the street albeit at far higher speeds. But, 2 years ago I happened upon an original condition (a real survivor 1970 Moto Guzzi Ambassator V750. I can now understand the "cruiser" side of motorcycling. The Guzzi makes me feel like the "King of the road" @ 60mph. It's also like a time machine that takes me back to my youth in that it handles, sounds and feels like the bikes I grew up with. This year my buddy and I took our Guzzi's (he has a '74 V7 sport, one of the original superbikes) to the Indy MotoGP. Those 2 Guzzi's got more attention on Meridian Street than you can believe, really cool old rare bikes. So the ZRX went to Indy with me in '08, the Guzzi in '09, might have to be the VFR in '10! I will say riding a lap of Indy on the old Guzzi was sublime to the extreme!! Sorry to be so long winded, but it's early Christmas morning and there is a blizzard outside, with snow expected to reach 8" to 14"s. Might be awhile before I get another ride in. My winter tinkering schedule is to dissasemble the VFR (bodywork off) to detail it and check everything, put loud dual Fiamm horns on the Kawi, and to pull the motor of the Guzzi and replace the rear seal (leaks like the Exon Valdeiz), and while I'm at it regasket the entire motor.
Merry Cristmas all!!!

 

Ahh, Eddie Lawson replica, very nice bike! I know of a guy who has one that's turbocharged and man that thing is wicked fast!