[live4liftin]

Im looking to buy an all black 1995 Kawi ZX6R with 19,000. or poss another 96 ZX9 11,500 miles. About the same price 200 diff. But I was wondering is 19K high for mid 90's Bike. Have these had any recalls or gear problems, Also does anyone have a ball park range how long it should last til the big repairs. Any old time owners. I know none of these can be pin pointed but any feed back would be much appreciated, could be an owner this weekend!!!

 

[NCDave]

Personally, I'd go with the lower mileage ZX9, but either way depending on price, they might be good bikes. From a mechanical perspective, you just have to look out for the usual abuse and make sure there are no strange noises or leaks with the motor. I've owned a couple of old bikes, and generally I find the carbs to be the biggest weakness. It really depends on how well it was kept and maintained. That's not specific to either of these bikes though, just for motorcycles in general.

With this age, you'll also want to consider brake line condition, cable operation for both throttle and clutch, and bushings/bearings.

Oh, electrical too. Rectifiers tend to go bad with age. Use a volt meter to check the charging system while the bike is running. should be in the ballpark of 13.9 at all RPMs.

 

[trikebubble]

You may also want to factor in a new battery, oil and filter change, and quite possibly a set of new tires. All other things being equal between the two bikes, I'd also choose the ZX9.

Have fun.

 

[rangerscott]

Haha. They're barely broken in.

 

[gpzrocker]

IF they have maintenance records, that is a plus. If they have ever had their fork seals changed,they may have been wheelied alot. IF you can get the rear wheel up, see if the swing arm has any play. Notchiness going into second gear or problems with can indicate abuse.

Baring that, I take the bike for a ride and --understand, I do this, I don't recommend anyone else to-- I hover my hands over the bars to see if there is any bad left or right tendencies.

For 200, I would go with the one that has better tires, if there is a big difference, better brakes, and the more original one: pipes get changed out for sound, but also for dragging all over the ground. Same with fairings, stator covers, handlebar ends, and levers.

These bikes maintained well and treated decent, will go very far.

 

[Reemdog]

For sure check that electircal sys. I have bad experiences with that when i got my used bike, the Regulator Rectifier is and good starting piont, check the voltage with the high beams on you should get he high 13v at least, at around 4.5k rpm. these old bike tend to only start charging at speed.

 

[Reemdog]

Oh yeah and that is barley any miles at all, but i would still do a full service on all fluids