The temptation to get a classic superbike can be hard to ignore but if you don’t know what you’re getting into then reality of it will come crashing down.
Using our own experience of owning classic superbikes, we look at the positives, negatives, the pit falls and the rewards.
It doesn’t matter if its a Kawasaki ZXR, Suzuki Srad, Yamaha FZR, Honda RVF or a Ducati 916, the issues that plague older bikes are are common across all the manufacturers and caused not though build quality but the global push for lower emissions.
Regardless of the problems you might face, they are cheap to buy and rewarding to ride in a way that no new bike will be able to replicate.
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00:00 Intro
00:55 Temptation
01:18 Price
02:24 Fuel problems
02:50 Positive points
04:00 What to expect
04:56 Round up
05:21 Memories
#classicsuperbike #kawasakizx7r #mymoto
Welcome to the my Moto Channel welcome to the ZX7 are anyone who knows me knows I love these bikes uh if you haven’t been to this channel before please like subscribe definitely leave us a comment comments count for a lot for us it’s the interaction we like the interaction and
The community we’re building so what forgot to say about owning a classic super Bik so what are the factors of owning a classic super bag like the Z x7r or things like the srad or even older Joe going right back to Old feds and things like that it’s hugely tempting you especially in my generation you look at the price of these I mean
These were my pinup bike from when I was at school so of course I’m going to be tempted by it the price of this one I got this bike cheaper than what some people get in shance quotes for or things like BMW gs’s and the
Like in fact at the time of making this video you could pick up a zx7r for as little as 1,995 or you could get this Immaculate standard CBR900 RR with just £ 6,757 M on the clock for just 6574 sure that sounds like a lot of
Money but when you compare it to a new bike of the same price all you would get is something like a new CBR 500R the big difference between them is where the CBR 900RR will hold its value or potentially even go up in value the
CBR 500R as soon as you ride that away from the fort is going to depreciate M Val some of the problems you get with a classic super bike or any of the older bikes things like the fuel modern fuels that we have these days just aren’t compatible with them or not very compatible the ethanol in the fuel rust the inside of the tank it rots any
Rubber seals any hoses cuz they’re all made for pure petroleum not anything with ethanol in and ethanol and rubber do not go so what would tempt you to get something like one of these I’ll tell you what it is there’s a certain Nostalgia about having an old super bike especially if
You’re again of my generation another factor is like you can rock up at a bike event and you’ll get people coming over who own 20,000 pound super bikes and come over to your bike and show such kind of love and respect for it um and you’re
Getting all of that for from £3,000 up to £66,000 for a really clean one that’s the Temptation then you get on to like the feel of it it doesn’t have traction control some days when you go to start it it will run really rough and awful
And other days it’s silky smooth and you just don’t know what you’re going to get really when you hit that start button but that’s character that’s what makes it what it is it sounds a bit lumpy you’ve got to be you there’s no traction control there’s no ABS there’s
A lot of Maintenance in involved and that’s the payoff you get in an incredibly desirable bike a great looking bike you’re getting it at a bargain price but you need to maintain it you’ve got to balance them carbs every few years you’ve got to maybe change seals and
Expect things like brakes calipers to need rebuilding but if you’re willing to go to those lengths what a about you get the money y it’s not just this bike the SRS Joo the slabside Jers the old wif 750s o1 if you can get one if you can
Afford one I mean they’re not cheap they’re not they’re not in the same ballpark as this but I bet it’s just as much fun to ride so that’s my Roundup on own name a classic super right would I recommend it yes if you’re doing a lot of commuting I
Wouldn’t if you’re doing long tours again probably better as a second bike but what a bike how much fun you can have on these and for me it just takes me back to Chris Walker backing it into and it’s just Stu my memory it’s probably a b that’s what got me
With and I’d love to get my hands on his zxr don’t get me wrong I’d go even older I’d get the old original zxr because I know what I’m getting into with them I know the maintenance I know the upkeep I know the cost but I also
Know what it feels like to ride so hope you enjoyed this video hope you enjoyed seeing the uh some of the onite footage and the sound of this thing until next time i’ safe w
49 Comments
Those 90's superbikes had so much character.
However old I get, my teenage posters get further and further away😢
very true, great vid. I owned a 2000 929 RR and used exclusively for track. I absolutely adored it but his points are great. Ethanol in the gas eventually killed the engine after 4 years of usage. Also, they made those bikes for people who are absolute masters (direct fuel injection). I had to be butter smooth on the throttle at all times and it certainly was challenging on the corners both at exit and at maintenance throttle. High side was always right around the corner. I just got a new bike and whoa technology evolved. You can roll on the throttle at leisure and between traction control and electronic wire etc there is ton of forgiveness. I do miss the 929 though, it is weird but I do…
What the bloody hell are you talking about, these bikes don't need half the maintenance that the new ones do,, because the new bikes have got that much tech on them, that if anything starts playing up your screwed without a lap top, at least with the old bikes if anything does go wrong you can fix it without having to take out a second mortgage.
The reality is that classic superbikes can still run with modern ones… for a fraction of the price. The SRAD GSX-R750 was designed after Kevin Schwantz's GP bike at the time and is still relevant today, 28 years later! It's really only the changes in aesthetic tastes over the years that date Japanese superbikes.
Out on my K6GSXR 1000 today,,it is now a classic still group 17 it had8000 miles,,£5000 two years ago,, keeping it☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
I’m only 18 and started riding about a year ago but all my bikes I have right now are classics. FZR600, ZXR250 and Honda bros 400. Cant beat the classics
What do you do about the ethanol problem? Mine is losing little gas, I dont know if sell or not
When bikes were bikes………….
except for finding a few spare parts owning older bikes i find not only easier but makes me love riding more and more
i own the following classics
Aprilia AF1 + RS125 smokers
Kwak ZXR400 and Gen 1 ZX9R
Honda CBR 900 Gen 1 and 2
2 x Honda VTR Firestorm
2 x Honda RC51 SP1
Honda ST1100 Pan European
sold a 2017 blade 6 months into owning it, was light easy to ride but the electronics drove me nuts and it lacked soul
ride ALL my bikes, i now live in Switzerland doing bike tours and people turn up ont here new bikes and i still ride the old stuff, both storms are on 150k+ miles and both SP1's are near 90k.
I owned this bike in 1996 and it turned heads then and I’m sure still does now ! Big heavy gorgeous looking beast ! .. I remember I got pulled on the M6 doing maybe 110 ! And they only told me off for having coloured headlight covers and a black visor ! Those were the days 😂👍🏼
Old bikes suck.
I have a 93 ZX 11, 93 CBR 900rr, 90 GSX-R 1100 and a 71 Mini Cooper S.
Also have a 98 Super hawk, GS 700 with a GS1150 transplant. Last but not least. A 93 NSR MC21 RG 500 powered.
Yeah. Old bikes suck😏
My 2021 KTM SMCR has all that fancy crap on it but it's still fun.
Nobody in their right mind should have old bikes.😈
I own my second zx7r , and drive it on the nice italian mountains. I go as fast as many other bikes, with no rush at all . The Power is just enough for doing everything, and all the eyes at the coffee points are for my old green lady. I replaced forks / brakes with zx6r stuff, big improvement, plus lightweight rims
Shame I can’t add a photo, but I love my Barry Sheene liveried SRAD 600
I have a '98 Triumph T595 in Strontium Yellow. Parts are becoming hard to come by. Thermostats are unavailable and I'm on my second ECU. It's a looker but comes with downsides.
I agree with everything you said in this video. I ride a 2000 zx7r and love every minute of it.
Got a 93 fireblade and I love it. The sound of the carbs, the ease of working on it and the overall looks are great. Also got a 92 cbr250rr it is a stunning bike to ride around the twistys.
Had a ZX7r, GPX750r, GPz750 as well as FZ750 – the GPX was by far the best
80‘s superbikes are the last honest, indestructible, no-nonsense demonstrators of a rider’s true character.
Total absence of any sort of fancy gadgetry to fill in for stupid mistakes and overbearing ego, combined with simple yet perfectionist mechanics that can be serviced and repaired virtually in every garden shed (or roadside, if you’re determined enough).
So: If you push just hard enough, the joy becomes endless… but if you push too hard, there’s an end to all joy — and maybe your life.
And that’s exactly what I love about mine, a 1988 Kawasaki ZX-10 Tomcat. If I treat it and the road with respect, it will take me to Mars… but if I don’t, it will punish me very very hard for my sins.
I've owned my 1990 ZXR750H2 for the past 28 years restored it 8/9 years ago full nut and bolt rebuild, kept the original paintwork for me the old age related imperfections , scratches makes it look better imo. Check it out ,uploaded a few vids on my YouTube channel. Like you said you have to maintain it myself the top end needs looking at get that sorted when the warmer weather gets here sod working on that in the cold lol (old fart here likes being warm lol ). Love my old beast and very proud to be featured in the magazine Practical Sports Bikes the writer Gez Kane doing a piece on owner resto projects found me from the old web site Kawasaki Owners which I had uploaded and photo graphed everything to do with the restoration one very proud moment in my life. New sub and thumb clicked ride safe me old mucker 😊👍
Very cool
I've got a '97 Honda Blackbird and a '15 Kawa ZZR1400, so I've got the best of both worlds 😉 Bought both of them nearly new btw. What I do regret though is that my '91 Suzuki GSXR1100 got wrecked with me on it by someone who overlooked me and run
Wonderful video. I love these machines but I was always wondering how much the geometry, the brakes, the frame, so how the bike handles is different from the more modern bikes.
I had one 97, green & purple, from new until a few years ago. Lovely, amazingly stable but heavy & hard on the wrists. Oh & HEAVY. But in my eyes one of the most beautiful bikes ever. Original solid colours were the best. Oh tokiko 6 pot callipers were crap
I own a mint first gen Blackbird which I bought a couple of years ago for the equivalent of just over 2000quid. I would 100% recommend buying an older bike, particularly one that can keep up with virtually anything available today.
Love those bikes
My first bike after passing my test was a 2nd hand ZXR 750 H1. £3000 back in 1997
I had 96 blade it was one of my most favourite bikes I had owned
Great video! I have a ‘97 Ducati 748 that I bought 6 years ago. I’ve spent a lot of time working on it and improving it. It is so much fun on track and street. What a wonderful era for bikes.
Yes the original ZXR ))
I used to walk in to the bike shop on the way home from school everyday and perv))
Thanks for the video. I'm looking for a sport bike from the 90s to restore and enjoy, but many of them have very high milage. What mileage would you say is too much?
I'm in Portugal and I'm riding out on my 1989 Suzuki GSX750F today… we will be riding to Coimbra in central Portugal… can't wait! It was the same for me… I was 17 when this bike came out and my imagination was captured by the 'slingshot' carbs… finally got to own one two years ago at age 49!
From Denmark,
Hi there, cool MC,
I myself have a ZX9R from 1994, the first model. It has driven 39,000 miles and runs fine.
I regret that I didn't know the difference between the first ones and those that came in 1998 From 1998 it will be completely rebuilt and lose 32kg+ many other improvements are being made.
Had I known, I wouldn't have bought a 1994 model. I have tried a 1999 model and it is a completely different MC to ride than my old tank
Have now had it for 7 years and never want to get rid of it.
Mine is green and black, and with a black frame, so it's very nice.
Looked around, not many for sale
In my opinion the ZX-7R is one of the most beautiful bikes ever made. I ride one on the race track and I love it. Every time I out brake a Panigale or a S1000R I have a smile on my face. It is a heavy brick but it moves around unter me and it tells my exactly what is happening… I love it.
Yes they are awesome! More raw and real analogue feeling. Bought 1996 Honda Fireblade for 1400€ last year, good condition and had only broken stator.
Nothing better in the market for smile to money ratio 😊
Don't cheap out on fuel.
Keep it shiny side up.
You want a ZX9R son!
Classic big superbike mistake?
This was my dream bike when it came out but all I could afford at the time was a CX500!
Had a '98 SRAD
New bikes are a fools game. My comments are my humble opinion at the tender age of 70 having ridden most types. If you want the best bike go Honda V.F.R. 750/850 cheap to buy and very very very very reliable parts are also cheap servicing is simple unless you have to do carbs and valve clearance I have now had 6 of these and not once have I had to touch either So cheaper to run than any new bike B.M.W. are over priced but well marketed piles of shit
never ever will I buy another and trust me when your B.M.W. gets to a certain age and still has faults that B.M.W. have known about they don't give a flying toss !!! All new retros look to be quite good if you have 6K plus to hand
but you are still stuck with the main dealer until a certain age ?? And they do depreciate so be warned .. Last but not least most these early so called super bikes will out perform most riders so do not be put off by the H.P. It means nothing unless you can handle it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SERMON NOW OVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In short these bikes are the best to buy no question!!!!!! and agree 100% with the up load !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't forget the Yamaha Y.Z.F.R. 750 "Fox eye"If you want out and out performance this bike can not be beaten trust me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely bikes
I've got a 1995 zx9r absolutely love it
Great video and lovely to see older bikes being covered. I agree that time takes its toll and maintenance costs have to be considered but, compared to modern bikes (out of warranty) they are cheap. There are massive amounts of used parts and techs who can fix them. I’ve had 4 vfr’s, fireblade 96, R1 2000, sp1, firestorm 98 etc…Aprilia from a few carb balance issues and usual brake and suspension maintenance, all where spot on.
I run a 1996 thundercat ⚡ love it
Το καλύτερο είναι rvf 400 1996.. The best super sport ever…. The king rvf750
i got a zx6r 1999 last year for £650 runs well a real hooligan bike for a 63 year old😁
Hi, I am a brit living in the middle of Canada since 2006, I am a chunk older than you, so my era is the mid 70s. I have been lucky enough to grab a 1977 KZ1000. It is stunning with only 23k Kilometers. It's nearly stock bar the paint, yeah I know, so I will be taking it back to original red one day. I love this era of bike, just so solid. Great content mate, keep it up, would like to see a bit more riding, chat while going along a classic brit road to the coast for fish n chips lol. All the best.