Motorbike and scooter owners.

[Hornchurch]

Would absolutely love a Z1000J, -

Thanks for the kind comments - it's much appreciated

I haven't shown any photographs of my 'dearly beloved' Kawasaki Z.1000-J - But here it is - Normandy, France, 1984

Behold the 'newness' in that shot - Mint as F'k & to be honest, WAS a real 'head-turner' in it's day.

I had endless amounts of folk(s), all types, wanting to & asking to be photographed both 'on it' & beside it

I think that rather took me by suprise, honestly, but I had the same reactions to my equally lovely 1978 vintage GS.1000-E

Dunno as to how well this FLICKR image of her (from June 1984) will come out, but.....

Note the 'Reactolite Rapide' sunglasses resting upon the actual original saddle !

Mice chewed thru THAT particular original fitment some 10+ years later & I had to get it re-foamed & re-covered

The gloves were a strange 'Blue/Grey' leather combination that, by the time of THIS trip & photo', were getting knackered

They were replaced by a (back then), hideously expensive pair of German Leather 'Reusch' gloves, which I still have.

The Crash Helmet in question, is/was my 'then new' Bell Star III - Looked like Darth Vader from the front, c/with "muzzle".

Tank-Bag was a cheap & cheerful affair , but it done the trick & allowed me to 'navigate' via the suave Michelin maps.


As for the Kawasaki Z.1000-J itself, it is seen here ABSOLUTELY BOG STANDARD - (standard trim & original equip')

It's an 'A'-Reg "J.3" model & I bought it new from Daytona in Hornchurch by Roneo Corner, in Jan' 1984

Only additions are/were 'Rickman crashbars' (fitted from brand-new), plus a mud-flap w/ P&O Cruises & the ubiq' "G.B sticker"

Oh & of course 'the pretty wife' and the 'twin' throwover saddlebags which we left at the Chateaux, in Normandy.

I took this photo' of it, right besides the main beach wall, at the well-known "Invasion Beach", known as "UTAH"

P.S ; Yeah Cavalol - You're right - Kawasaki Z.1000-J's fetch around & above £10,000 thesedays - (prices for that era, are going silly)

P.P.S ; Almost forgot

Rear shocks seen here ARE the original Showas - weak spot(s), in an otherwise strong-link & great package.

Would cause the bike to "wallow" at around 115mph to 120+mph, so, after extensive testing - (Laughs !)

I went to go see Alf Hagon's Son & insisted on a brand-new set of Hagons, with the uprated srpings.

He tried to talk me out of it & go with standard-springs, but I stood my ground & surprisingly, was proven right !

"No more wallowing" at 120+mph....... and a VERY happy 'Hawny' into the process/bargain



Hornchurch's Kawasaki Z.1000-J at Utah-Beach, Normandy, June 1984 by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr
.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The last time I rode as a pillion was on a Z1000 back in the eighties. A workmate took me on the back on a blast to Southend, rode like a looney and clipped a cars wing mirror at well over a ton on the A127. I made my thoughts well known to him after I'd cleaned up in a toilet on the seafront.

 

[keithmac]

That’s rare to see a completely standard early R1 @keithmac most have been either crashed, butchered or enhanced with aftermarket tat.

I’ve never ridden one, I was always a Fireblade man and never ventured over to the dark side.

I've worked on a fair few over the years and seen some real states!, this is immaculate and totally original.

Not a lot between the Fireblade and the R1, both great bikes.

 

[Gunk]

The last time I rode as a pillion was on a Z1000 back in the eighties. A workmate took me on the back on a blast to Southend, rode like a looney and clipped a cars wing mirror at well over a ton on the A127. I made my thoughts well known to him after I'd cleaned up in a toilet on the seafront.

I remember hitting about 130 mph on the M1 as a 16 year old pillion on back of my neighbours brand new Z1000J back in 1981, what a bike, it was probably the experience that really got me in to motorcycles.

 

[MrGrumpy]

145 mph as pillion passenger on GSX R750. When I look back now , I must have been out of my mind . Absolutely bonkers . Total trust in my mate at the time . Unfortunately time ran out for him and he was dead a year later after wrapping a GSX R1100 round a tree.

However it didn’t put me off trying motorcycling and used Pizza chariot aka Honda CG125 for about two years to commute. Some bad experiences went on, that put me right off. Wife and kids was too much of a risk so started cycling instead .

 

[FrothNinja]

Thanks for the kind comments - it's much appreciated

I haven't shown any photographs of my 'dearly beloved' Kawasaki Z.1000-J - But here it is - Normandy, France, 1984

Behold the 'newness' in that shot - Mint as F'k & to be honest, WAS a real 'head-turner' in it's day.

I had endless amounts of folk(s), all types, wanting to & asking to be photographed both 'on it' & beside it

I think that rather took me by suprise, honestly, but I had the same reactions to my equally lovely 1978 vintage GS.1000-E

Dunno as to how well this FLICKR image of her (from June 1984) will come out, but.....

Note the 'Reactolite Rapide' sunglasses resting upon the actual original saddle !

Mice chewed thru THAT particular original fitment some 10+ years later & I had to get it re-foamed & re-covered

The gloves were a strange 'Blue/Grey' leather combination that, by the time of THIS trip & photo', were getting knackered

They were replaced by a (back then), hideously expensive pair of German Leather 'Reusch' gloves, which I still have.

The Crash Helmet in question, is/was my 'then new' Bell Star III - Looked like Darth Vader from the front, c/with "muzzle".

Tank-Bag was a cheap & cheerful affair , but it done the trick & allowed me to 'navigate' via the suave Michelin maps.


As for the Kawasaki Z.1000-J itself, it is seen here ABSOLUTELY BOG STANDARD - (standard trim & original equip')

It's an 'A'-Reg "J.3" model & I bought it new from Daytona in Hornchurch by Roneo Corner, in Jan' 1984

Only additions are/were 'Rickman crashbars' (fitted from brand-new), plus a mud-flap w/ P&O Cruises & the ubiq' "G.B sticker"

Oh & of course 'the pretty wife' and the 'twin' throwover saddlebags which we left at the Chateaux, in Normandy.

I took this photo' of it, right besides the main beach wall, at the well-known "Invasion Beach", known as "UTAH"

P.S ; Yeah Cavalol - You're right - Kawasaki Z.1000-J's fetch around & above £10,000 thesedays - (prices for that era, are going silly)

P.P.S ; Almost forgot

Rear shocks seen here ARE the original Showas - weak spot(s), in an otherwise strong-link & great package.

Would cause the bike to "wallow" at around 115mph to 120+mph, so, after extensive testing - (Laughs !)

I went to go see Alf Hagon's Son & insisted on a brand-new set of Hagons, with the uprated srpings.

He tried to talk me out of it & go with standard-springs, but I stood my ground & surprisingly, was proven right !

"No more wallowing" at 120+mph....... and a VERY happy 'Hawny' into the process/bargain



View attachment 646730 Hornchurch's Kawasaki Z.1000-J at Utah-Beach, Normandy, June 1984 by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr
.

First time I went ton up was on a brown Z1000 on the Welsh side of the road twixt Shrewsbury and Welshpool

 

[Cavalol]

As a pillion (hitching a lift to work with my motorbike helmet) I think my first ton was on the back of a GS750, as a rider, probably flat out flat out down the Tarporley by-pass outside Chester doing 117mph on the clock of my GT380. That, of course, would have been highly subjective knowing 1970's Suzukis and was probably about 40 or something!

 

[buzz22]

My 1996 Honda CBR 600F3 got a run today- previously I've owned larger capacity bikes (1100's and a 1400 Suzuki's) but this is a bike that does everything.

 

[FrothNinja]

View attachment 647248

View attachment 647250
My 1996 Honda CBR 600F3 got a run today- previously I've owned larger capacity bikes (1100's and a 1400 Suzuki's) but this is a bike that does everything.

Feel the same about the GPZ500

 

[Gunk]

Feel the same about the GPZ500

I’ve owned both, great bikes!

 

[buzz22]

I had this 1985 GPZ750 a few years ago, the only Kawasaki I've owned. Absolutely loved it, such a smooth bike to ride. If it hadn't spat a spark plug out I'd probably still have it. I can see why you would like the GPZ's.

 

[figbat]

I took my F900XR in for a service today - they gave me this to play with for the afternoon:

R1250 GS

Nice enough bike, but not the extraordinary experience I was expecting after all the hype.

 

[FrothNinja]

I took my F900XR in for a service today - they gave me this to play with for the afternoon:

R1250 GS
View attachment 649009

Nice enough bike, but not the extraordinary experience I was expecting after all the hype.

They look top heavy to me

 

[figbat]

They look top heavy to me

Its funny how they shrink when you ride them - it didn’t feel big from the saddle.

 

[FrothNinja]

Its funny how they shrink when you ride them - it didn’t feel big from the saddle.

Know what you mean - I just find having the tank so high above the saddle a little off-putting. That said the ZZR1100 tank was quite high too