The Kawasaki ZX-7R, My Dream Bike
<img width="205" height="132" class="floatleft" src="motorcycle.in.th/images/articles/The-Kawasaki-ZX-7R-My-Dream-Bike_1.jpg" alt="" />If you'd asked me 11 years ago what my dream bike would be, I'd have said a Kawasaki ZX-7R. Back then, I loved the squat, wide, aggressive styling and the tales of the incredibly planted front end and awesome induction howl. And seeing this one on at a shop downtown, I realized I still wanted one! Its paint is pretty much the same as my all-time favorite of the blue Kawasaki ZXR750 J2, so it looked like my ideal bike.The paint-job was done as an alternative to buying a new bike, not because it had been dropped. The price negotiating ended at a slightly higher than I hoped, I was very pleased to find it in excellent condition for an 11 year-old bike. I intend to keep it that way with a strict regime of applications of scottoiler's FS365 corrosion inhibitor throughout the wet season.
The first few rides were actually pretty disappointing. The steering was heavy and slow, and it required plenty of pressure on the inside bar to keep your chosen line around a bend without running wide. But half an hour with a spanner, and the adjustable rear ride height was set to its highest setting (the previous owner was obvious a small person) and the handling was transformed, the Kawasaki 7R carving corners as I always imagined.
It sounds amazing with the full-system fitted, and the engine begs to be thrashed. Sure, it'd probably get left behind by any modern sports 600cc, but its physical size suits me well and there's loads of scope for improving it.
It's already been fitted with a double-bubble screen, hugger, and undertray, and so far I've only added a set of new grips and a pair of the excellent Metzeler Sportec M3's, expertly fitted by a shop on Rachadapisek Road, in Bangkok. But the plan is to transform it into my ultimate old school tool, with carbon and gold galore!
Story by William and contributed by email.
