My ZX1100 was acquired about two years ago after writing off my ZX-10, which I owned for a whole two weeks - thanks to a T-junction and a blind old fart pulling out in front of me. If I hadn't broken both arms I swear I'd have whacked him, bloody coffin dodgers... anyway, I’m sure there are many others out there with similar tales of woe, so without further ado I'll move on.
I bought my Kawasaki in February of ’94 for £1600 from a breaker in Ormskirk. The bike was in stock trim, complete but very untidy and in need of a paint job. There was a small amount of damage but nothing major and the cosmetics were fine. The engine fired up after some words of encouragement, and prayers from the salesman I reckon. Engulfed in the cloud of smoke and toxic fumes, I guessed that the machine had been standing for some time. However, the engine sounded OK and cash swapped hands. Being unroadworthy, the bike was eventually hauled into the rear of a van and taken home.
The first thing that struck me was how heavy it was. I recall arriving home, hauling the bike out again and sticking it on its centrestand on the concrete incline to my garage. I opened the garage, returned to the bike and couldn't get it off the stand. Having no-one to help me, I sat astride the bike and several forceful jerks later I managed to put it back on its wheels.
In doing so, the bike had leant over to the right, past the retrievable point of gravity, resulting in a pile on the floor, self included. Picking it up was an event in itself. In short, I was red-faced, knackered and was suffering from zero street cred. Luckily, there were no witnesses to the debacle.
I'd always wanted a GPz1100 since I was 17. Back then it was the flagship, as the ZZR1100 is today. Incidentally, I’m 32 now. The bike’s D reg (1987), the last incarnation of the fuel injected air-cooled range. There had been three previous owners, the latter keeping it for four years. I guess that although neglecting it, the last guy was quite pleased with it. Recorded mileage was 23000, whether genuine or not, I don't know.
The bike was bought as a restoration project and so it was stripped completely except the engine which looked in good nick following removal of the top end. The motor was given a couple of coats of black matt, heat resistant paint. The casings, calipers and other small parts were enamelled at home and cured in the oven (but wait until the wife's gone out...). The frame was hand painted, most fittings replaced with stainless steel and Goodridge hose replaced the rotting original brake lines. Being unable to buy original transfers, without buying the complete tank, etc (clever Japs...), I opted for a custom paint job by Dream Machine.
Finally, twelve months of de-rusting, blisters, polishing, more blisters and sorting out the electrical gremlins and the other joys of rebuilds, it was back together. Pushing the starter button fired the motor the first time, resulting in an instant cheesy grin (although it was to be short-lived). Donned my helmet, took to the road nice and easy to start, which lasted about one mile until I gave into temptation.
Wound the throttle open. Everything was great until I hit 6000 revs when the engine coughed, spluttered and refused to go beyond these revs. I had the same problem in every gear. Raging inside my lid, thoughts of sell the bloody thing came to mind, but having spent a small fortune I decided against it. Besides it had now turned into a bigger challenge of my mechanical skills versus machine... now where did I put that manual?
So back inside the garage, wiring contacts were cleaned and checked, nothing seemed amiss. In depth study of the manual indicated that the throttle sensor was probably the culprit, and so a second hand one was bought from a breaker, simply because a new one cost over £140. It’s only two inches square but I still had to fork out £40 for it. Take note, electrical components are not cheap to replace should something go bang. The throttle sensor had nothing to do with the cutting out, which pissed me off even more. I fumbled around with a circuit tester but basically I hadn't a clue what was wrong or what I was really doing, so it was time for some expert help from a local motorcycle engineer.
The one thing I find with bikes bought for restoration or needing some work to put them back on the road, ideas of I'll do it up over the coming months when cash allows simply fly out of the window and you become obsessed with wanting it on the road, spending every spare hour and available penny on it...
Anyway, a week later, the verdict - one faulty injector and one that was blocked. Regarding the latter, the previous owner had used lead free petrol which, with the bike left standing, had solidified into a hard white substance that was Clearly visible around all the injector nozzles. So GPz owners take note and stick to four star if you want to keep your engine lubricated and remove flat spots.
All work completed and another costly bill of £180, thoughts of the overdraft limit disappeared as I took it on a 200 mile detour from the 10 mile journey home. It had taken twelve months to get on the road, and I have currently been using it on a regular basis for the past eleven months, notching up 7000 miles.
During this time I’ve noticed that the engine’s rather noisy at low speeds and tickover, probably due to the injectors clicking away. Once 70mph plus is reached it’s incredibly smooth. Comfort’s top notch, whether on short or long journeys, solo or with a pillion. Handling, however, does have some peculiar aspects none of which seem to occur when two up, so I can only assume that the extra mass on the rear seems to improve stability.
On your own is a different matter. Although it handles fine on open roads and long sweeping bends, cornering through low speed curves and the tight stuff produces a top heavy front end, as though the wheel will slide from beneath you if you crank it over too far. I've also noticed what can only be described as chain snatching when the rear wheel goes over bumps and potholes in the road.
Probably the sheer weight of the thing. I've certainly had better handling bikes and you're a braver man than me to go scratching tarmac with it.
Touch wood, no further problems have arisen and the engine feels solid. I tend to change the oil every 4000 miles or so with a premium synthetic lube, not essential but it can only do more good than harm. Braking’s fine but I'd like to improve it by fitting twin pots from the ZX-10.
Despite a few niggles the ZX1100's a great budget superbike, which is very fast, especially beyond 4000rpm. I'd advise anyone thinking of buying one to take it for a test ride, even as a pillion if the owner’s having none of that. Problems with the injectors aren't noticeable at tickover and low revs.
The 1983 model on has a clever self diagnostic system that allows it to run if one of the injectors goes down (with a misfire at 5000rpm). Also check for illumination of the LCD warning lights which may indicated sensor problems - they ain’t cheap, and a headache to check for faults.
Although most modern 600’s will give the GPz a run for its money, the bike offers a lot of metal for your dosh. It’s very big, very long and a very brutal machine.
Karl Fenney