Bringing back a pair of '91 Kawasaki ZX-7s

[DetroitStyle]

Well... because I already had one, I figured 3 was better.

I picked this up in March out of Cleveland. It was an engine and a frame and not much else (shitty plastics that I couldn't even sell and a leaky gas tank) but it ran. Cost? $350 with a title.



Drove out to Cleveland and threw it in the back of the trusty FJZ80



Got it home and out of the truck by myself (that was a challenge) and got it torn apart and cleaned...

Before:



After:

[DetroitStyle]

If you aren't aware, the 91-92 ZX-7s have a strong cult following... collectors tend to hoard all of the nice stuff, making factory plastics very difficult to find and expensive when you do. Because of this, and because I already have the same bike in street trim... I decided to make this my track bike. And, as anybody who followed racing in the 80s and 90s knows... Kawasaki goes with Muzzy goes with Scott Russell. So, I'm turning this into a Scott Russell replica. This is what I'm shooting for:

[DetroitStyle]

Of course, I don't have Muzzy's resources or budget, so SOME things will have to be done on the cheap. The main thing being that the engine will remain sealed and I can't afford the classic blue PM Chicane wheels seen here:



So, that having been said... I started buying parts.

- Forks and Swingarm were scored for smoking deal of $50 from a local ZX forum friend
- triple clamps and clip-ons were $55 on eBay
- purple wheels from a '96 (closest I can afford to blue PMs) were $110



Assembled:



Then, I splurged and found a good price on a Fox Shox remote reservoir shock for $280. Hurt the wallet, but it's probably worth $500.

[DetroitStyle]

Got it out to the garage. Now... how to lift a 300lb frame and engine up high enough to slide forks in and mount a swingarm? Clever me, I straddled the bike with an aluminum ladder and used ratchet straps to hoist it, one click at a time. Got the forks and swingarm mounted, wheels and tires mounted and it now is a roller:

[DetroitStyle]

So, the next obvious thing to address is... what's behind the track bike?

Well, that's project #2. A real deal 1991 Kawasaki ZX-7R. For those not terribly familiar with them... from 1991-1994, Kawasaki's 750 was the ZX-7. However, they also produced a limited number of ZX-7Rs. The R was built for homologation purposes, to allow Team Green to enter it in WSBK competition... it came with a stronger engine (compression, different cams, etc) that made 122hp vs the standard 100hp. It also included fully adjustable front and rear suspension, flatslide carbs, and was almost 25lbs lighter due to things like an aluminum gas tank, minimal subframe, solo seat, etc.

So.... while I was sitting on the pile of parts mentioned above in project #1... I just happened to stumbled across an ad on CL in Connecticut for a "ZX-7" but immediately recognized that it was actually an "R". I called that day, wired the money and had it shipped.

Arriving home:





It doesn't run and has a cracked upper fairing..but the price was right for what it is. I paid $2000. Nice 7Rs have pushed north of $10,000 on eBay recently. Mine will NEVER be that nice, but I'm hoping to return it to 8/10 condition and actually ride it.

So, that's what I'll be doing this summer!

[DetroitStyle]

And... behind them both... is my first ZX-7 (that's for sale right now.... because honestly, does anybody need THREE of the same bike?), my 1993 R/W/B CBR900RR and my 2001 GSXR-600

[riche]

All your bikes are awesome but I have a thing for the 900RR.

[DetroitStyle]

All your bikes are awesome but I have a thing for the 900RR.

LOL, everybody does, it would seem. I get a lot of "oh man, I always wanted one of those"... I've had more offers to buy this thing than I can count (without taking off my shoes)

It's super clean, 12k miles, 39mm flatslides, SS brake lines and slip on. It's a handful.

[CamaroKid91Z]

You have an addiction... and its and awesome one. My favorite has to be the CBR. Nice score on the R.

[CMYZ28]

Nice project thread!