Idk what it is about this bike. But i can keep up with bikes twice the power. Until the guys with modded bikes who can exceed 200mph show up. Then i get left behind.
These bikes were winning on the TT circuit against your 1000cc bikes until electronic rider aides started to take over.... not very long ago... the 750 is a much better balanced bike on the road than 1000cc four cylinder.....
This was my dream bike! I was 13 at the time though, so I had to wait. First bike was a used 98 Suzuki Bandit 1200. I couldn't finance the Kawi. I'll never forget that feeling of blasting down the highway the first time. I was hooked. Been riding 16 yrs now, it's like therapy for me. Thank you for the retro review, great memories!!
I've ridden many different sportbikes and I have to say the first time I rode a ZX-7R I was shocked at how great it was as a sportbikes on the street and the track. It's so stable at high speed that you feel like you can do no wrong. It's by far the easiest bike to go fast on I have ridden bar none. I'm 65 now and have been riding all sorts of bikes as the general sales manager of a 3 store motorcycle, ATV and personal watercraft dealership and if I had to choose a proper bike to race it would be the ZX-7R. Same if I just wanted a bike to ride on the twisty roads in my area it would still be the 7. It just does everything right and makes the rider feel more skilled. The bike really truly is that good!
I was sitting on a patio at this place, the only one in riding gear and only bike out front was mine. This guys says " what's a guy your age doing on a Ninja?" and I quipped "I wasn't my age when I bought it 17 years ago." I've had my 1997 ZX7R for 19 years now and it still runs like a dream with 31,000 miles on it. It's been a great bike for the twisty mountain roads around here. That "generous cargo area" holds an amplifier and the cross-bar/ fairing brace holds a set of polk audio speakers in a custom box that came off a stereo from an aftermarket "Tracy" brand fairing/ stereo I had on my KZ650. It's never left me wanting more power, even when I wasn't "my age".
Very True. Years ago I worked for a contractor. I had a Honda cbr 600 f2 think it was a 1993 or 1994. Boss had a 2005 Honda cbr 600rr. We did a few runs and stayed with him. He took my bike and said it had the same power as his. I rode his and wow it felt like I was sitting on a fuckin rock and felt cheap and rode hard! My bike had 80,000 miles, never leaked fluids and it was my first bike. I redline every gear and bike never let me down. Owned many Kawasaki's they had more power but weren't as reliable as Honda.
I didn't own the '96, but my '92 ZX-7R is probably still the sportbike I most regret selling. Mike Norman tuned the motor which put out 118rwhp on his dyno, in a nice usable spread.
have had many sportibkes...this one was by far my favorite. although it was heavy and really spread your legs. i felt the most planted around corners one this one
I had a p2 from 97 and was an amazing fun bike with a great top end. Kitted it out with a Yoshimura rs2 system and shedded 15kilos of weight. I remember the Yamaha R1 super lightweight 180kgs was coming onto the market, never swayed me one bit, my weighted bike was great in high winds compared to the R1 which was unstable . Zx7r was and still is an amazing bike.
100hp at the wheel is the sweet spot for sportbikes. Fast enough to be scary, but still controllable enough for mortals to ride without an onboard supercomputer. Superbikes have had a long fall from grace.
Agreed....and anybody who rode an early to mid-nineties CBR 600 knows exactly what you mean. It was a nearly perfectly balanced sport bike - and the ZX-7 and GSX-R 750 were right on it's heels. Great decade for motorbikes and riders alike....
This was my first bike. My friend had the Honda 900rr. Ninja always had the balls, they still do. Keep your pie graph data, Ninja was sent here by Japan to kill people by riding missiles with seats advertised as motorcycles. Just violent power at all ranges. I'd never ride today with even grandparents texting but man what a fucking blast that was!
I owned the the zx7rr and a 98 zx7r back in the day it to me was the modern day seabiscuit heavy and quick on its feet by far the most amazing motorcycle of its generation and timeless good looks !
Man, John Davis had a full head of hair. Takes me back to the wonderful late 80’s/Early 90’s watching Motorweek on MPT And a Hechinger in the background!
I just bought a 2000. Wonderful bike. Fast and drop dead gorgeous. I’m short, so bars are a bit or a stretch, but not so bad. Might order a bar riser kit soon. Sounds great too. Did I mention fast? And sexy?
Vincente Bianchini I owned a blue J2 and I have a P2. The mods to your J2 are excessive.... they really only needed a link on the rear to fix the suspension..
Love this thing but are they accurate about its horsepower output on the backwheel? It should have more HP then my '95 ZX6R! I ride a '95 Ninja ZX6R and it is registered to have 105HP on the back wheel. This bike should be in the 115/to 120HP range.
Anyone else notice the main guitar riff was "Humans being" by Van Halen? haha. It's a shame Suzuki is the only manufacturer still making 750cc super sports.
I used to ride both the zx7r and the 97 gsxr 750 srad. As bikes they sure were polar opposites. The 7r was like a good wife, perhaps a bit weighty but always predictable and there for you whereas the srad was like a hooker on speed, mad as hell and all over the place. Loved both bikes to bits and wish I had one of each today..
Brandon Covington, these bikes are a bitch to reverse.... because the bars are so low, and the tank is wide, so your feet tend to spread a bit. But you get used to it....
yup thats the fun of it , i love ripping mine appart and rebuilding it iv had it for 20 years and done 88000 miles on it , kept it well maintained street fightered it and all on the same engine LOVE IT
Vero Tabares they have flatslides. ALL flatslides are a bitch... the J2 had normal carbs and was just as temperamental... it's more to do with the short stroke motor than the carbs.
Ace bike awful tv show. I don’t think that guy had been as close to a bike as that before never mind ridden one. Generous leg room? On a zx7? Really? Haha awesome 😀😀😀👍
That's pretty good 100rwhp. My advice after owning many bikes don't fuckin buy the years that Kawa had the hydraulic clutch go with the cable. I almost died from one failing and squirting fluid out and had to power shift it back home. It was a 94zx9R the 99zx9r has cable, way lighter, more power then any 900cc. It was an animal.
@@cliftonmanley3882 I remember the Go Show! I was at Lakeside when he took to the grass on the straight at over 200kph! Pity he had so many personal problems. He was one of the most naturally talented riders I've ever seen.
Yup...too many folk,think a bike is all about performance.Well,that's fine if you're a professional racer,but the type who say,"my bike will do 170,it's better coming out of a corner torque wise blah blah blah",can rarely ride a bike properly to begin with.This bike,has it's faults,but it's legendary,and boy is it a looker!
I'm 51 and have a 2001Kawasaki zx7 and love it old school is the way to go
Back when 100 horsepower meant something and there was a 750 class. Good days!
Now it just means numb hands and tortured wrists... :-P I should've bought one back then. It's still one of my favorite motorcycles!
back when it was all about pure fun without electronics
Bryan Hallman you couldn't handle one then, or now. You're lucky you never bought a motorcycle. You'd fly off , and get hurt.
Idk what it is about this bike. But i can keep up with bikes twice the power. Until the guys with modded bikes who can exceed 200mph show up. Then i get left behind.
These bikes were winning on the TT circuit against your 1000cc bikes until electronic rider aides started to take over.... not very long ago... the 750 is a much better balanced bike on the road than 1000cc four cylinder.....
I never knew that Motor Week did motorcycle tests. Would like to see more of them.
I own a 97 rr I bought new and still runs awesome. This spring will be 27th year of riding it.
This was my dream bike! I was 13 at the time though, so I had to wait. First bike was a used 98 Suzuki Bandit 1200. I couldn't finance the Kawi. I'll never forget that feeling of blasting down the highway the first time. I was hooked. Been riding 16 yrs now, it's like therapy for me. Thank you for the retro review, great memories!!
Love the old round sport bikes.
Big fat stable awesome handling bike. I loved this bike of ALL the bikes I owned.
still got one in the garage.... gotta balance the carbs
Agreed mate. I have one myself as well and I absolutely love it :)
I've ridden many different sportbikes and I have to say the first time I rode a ZX-7R I was shocked at how great it was as a sportbikes on the street and the track. It's so stable at high speed that you feel like you can do no wrong. It's by far the easiest bike to go fast on I have ridden bar none.
I'm 65 now and have been riding all sorts of bikes as the general sales manager of a 3 store motorcycle, ATV and personal watercraft dealership and if I had to choose a proper bike to race it would be the ZX-7R. Same if I just wanted a bike to ride on the twisty roads in my area it would still be the 7. It just does everything right and makes the rider feel more skilled. The bike really truly is that good!
That was my first bike and first bike i ever rode. best looking bike from the 90's hands down !!!
You began with that without any accident !!! You are a genius !!
This is my dream bike, even today.
I want a 636
RedRacer just bought one sitting in barn 20,000 miles on it. love it
There is one for sale in the isle of man for £2500 9k miles totally standard!! :)
I still have mine. Restoring it in Massachusetts. You can ride it if you want!
I love the big body, trunkspace, jungle gym fairing stay, and simple carbureted technology.
I was sitting on a patio at this place, the only one in riding gear and only bike out front was mine. This guys says " what's a guy your age doing on a Ninja?" and I quipped "I wasn't my age when I bought it 17 years ago." I've had my 1997 ZX7R for 19 years now and it still runs like a dream with 31,000 miles on it. It's been a great bike for the twisty mountain roads around here. That "generous cargo area" holds an amplifier and the cross-bar/ fairing brace holds a set of polk audio speakers in a custom box that came off a stereo from an aftermarket "Tracy" brand fairing/ stereo I had on my KZ650. It's never left me wanting more power, even when I wasn't "my age".
Just bought myself the original ZXR.. a 1990 H2 💚😎
@@dr.jillalicecooper2587 Thanks.. Of all my bikes, it’s absolutely my favourite 😎
90's sportbikes look so cool. Everything today looks like someone dropped the modelling clay.
Very True. Years ago I worked for a contractor. I had a Honda cbr 600 f2 think it was a 1993 or 1994. Boss had a 2005 Honda cbr 600rr. We did a few runs and stayed with him. He took my bike and said it had the same power as his. I rode his and wow it felt like I was sitting on a fuckin rock and felt cheap and rode hard! My bike had 80,000 miles, never leaked fluids and it was my first bike. I redline every gear and bike never let me down. Owned many Kawasaki's they had more power but weren't as reliable as Honda.
there's still plenty out there! and you can get one for 1/10th the price of a new sport bike.
Pretty sure there is a big difference in 90s bikes to modern ones power wise
Brandon Michaels most 90s 600s are around 90whp. Still not slow but yeah new bikes will beat them flat out.
sidefx996 if I could go back tim time I would opt for the 90’s
I didn't own the '96, but my '92 ZX-7R is probably still the sportbike I most regret selling. Mike Norman tuned the motor which put out 118rwhp on his dyno, in a nice usable spread.
have had many sportibkes...this one was by far my favorite. although it was heavy and really spread your legs. i felt the most planted around corners one this one
The J2 had a better front end, but the motor was not as good as these... I had a J2 and I have a P2 in the garage now....
I had a p2 from 97 and was an amazing fun bike with a great top end. Kitted it out with a Yoshimura rs2 system and shedded 15kilos of weight. I remember the Yamaha R1 super lightweight 180kgs was coming onto the market, never swayed me one bit, my weighted bike was great in high winds compared to the R1 which was unstable . Zx7r was and still is an amazing bike.
Used to have one of these. Had the matching green jacket to boot. Thought I was a god. Hit 175 mph on the free way more than once.
100hp at the wheel is the sweet spot for sportbikes. Fast enough to be scary, but still controllable enough for mortals to ride without an onboard supercomputer. Superbikes have had a long fall from grace.
Agreed....and anybody who rode an early to mid-nineties CBR 600 knows exactly what you mean. It was a nearly perfectly balanced sport bike - and the ZX-7 and GSX-R 750 were right on it's heels. Great decade for motorbikes and riders alike....
I wore that bike out. I used her for everything. I even used her for a makeshift pick up truck. Awesome bike.
I had the 1995 zx7 r. It was the best looking one ever made purple green pink colors. Perfect for not crashing pulling out of turns
This bike is just as beautiful in person.
750cc is the Goldilocks Zone for Sports Bikes! Love the '90's Zx7rs & GSXr's - All Bike -No Computer 👍
when japanese sport bikes had soul
Exactly!!
Same with their cars.
had that bike back in 1996. Still love the shape and lines on it in 2023! maybe i will get one just for nostalgia sake😅
just bought myself 97', and i love it, still runs great
I had one of these back in 2000, although it had a ZX-9R engine swap. Thing was a handful and heavy as hell but I loved it!!
just picked up a red 96 with 24k for 1500 bucks I love it
no one Is it the factory candy persimmon red from 96? Not many of those left.
This was my first bike. My friend had the Honda 900rr. Ninja always had the balls, they still do. Keep your pie graph data, Ninja was sent here by Japan to kill people by riding missiles with seats advertised as motorcycles. Just violent power at all ranges. I'd never ride today with even grandparents texting but man what a fucking blast that was!
I owned the the zx7rr and a 98 zx7r back in the day it to me was the modern day seabiscuit heavy and quick on its feet by far the most amazing motorcycle of its generation and timeless good looks !
No hay mejor moto q esta la tuvimos en el 95 y te juro q hasta hoy no la dejo de soñar
Man, John Davis had a full head of hair. Takes me back to the wonderful late 80’s/Early 90’s watching Motorweek on MPT
And a Hechinger in the background!
Brilliant bike 👍.
Love the motorcycle reviews! Still looking for a 2000 Mercedes-Benz W220 retro review!
I love this bike
I still have my 3rd ZX7R
I ride a '95 ZX6R myself, absolutely love it! :)
Well produced as per usual.
cool! more motorcycles pls :) tis the season !!!!
Had 1. 1997 full ackrapovic. Still miss it. Have Fz1 n now days suits my old body 😁😁😁😁
always like those zx7's but back in the day and up until around 2020'ish i was a suzuki only guy . love my 2019 zx14r.
I bought this bike back in Feb. 96 I had it for 2 years and sold it. I wish i would have kept it!
I just bought a 2000. Wonderful bike. Fast and drop dead gorgeous. I’m short, so bars are a bit or a stretch, but not so bad. Might order a bar riser kit soon. Sounds great too. Did I mention fast? And sexy?
All reasons I still got mine 97' 👍
I owned one of these back in the day and it was awesome! I wish Kawasaki would bring it back...matter of fact, what ever happened to the 750 class?
I bought the 1995 zx6r brand new. Loved it.
I hear Van Halens' Humans Being in the background. Nice!
Nice bike!
Sounds so good.
very nice video - thanks!!!
Tomorrow I'm going to ride my P4. I'm also rebuilding a J2 (92 ZX7 ) with RR mono seat and 2004 ZX 10 swingarm/ rear rim
Vincente Bianchini I owned a blue J2 and I have a P2. The mods to your J2 are excessive.... they really only needed a link on the rear to fix the suspension..
Love this thing but are they accurate about its horsepower output on the backwheel? It should have more HP then my '95 ZX6R! I ride a '95 Ninja ZX6R and it is registered to have 105HP on the back wheel. This bike should be in the 115/to 120HP range.
I wish I could own that bike that's my favorite bike
Did you guys ever do one on the Hayabusa ?
Anyone else notice the main guitar riff was "Humans being" by Van Halen? haha. It's a shame Suzuki is the only manufacturer still making 750cc super sports.
I used to ride both the zx7r and the 97 gsxr 750 srad. As bikes they sure were polar opposites. The 7r was like a good wife, perhaps a bit weighty but always predictable and there for you whereas the srad was like a hooker on speed, mad as hell and all over the place. Loved both bikes to bits and wish I had one of each today..
Zx7 is a tank
I wouldn't have it any other way
How much would you guys pay for one now a days?
Man I want this bike so bad. Is it tough to back up the bike physically?
Brandon Covington, these bikes are a bitch to reverse.... because the bars are so low, and the tank is wide, so your feet tend to spread a bit. But you get used to it....
This video must be originally from 1996? I had one, best bike and best looker 🏆🏆🏆
A 98 a was as my first road bike.
Wow my 2011 ZX 14 kind folk.
I had a brand new 97 👍
As pretty today as it was 25 years ago!
Yea factory windscreen is trash luckily they make double bubble screens i have one on mine
I have a 2000 and my a beast
Hechinger! @3:00
👏
I should never had sold my 96 ZX7R
Me too 😓
Great looking shape even to this day, but too bad these had very temperamental carbs.
Vero Tabares From a distance, it looks like a modern bike, even though it's 20 years old. 😆
yup thats the fun of it , i love ripping mine appart and rebuilding it iv had it for 20 years and done 88000 miles on it , kept it well maintained street fightered it and all on the same engine LOVE IT
Clive Sedgman I down voted your comment when you said you street fightered it. Why in the hell would you do that
Nothing a stage one jet kit didnt fix
Vero Tabares they have flatslides. ALL flatslides are a bitch... the J2 had normal carbs and was just as temperamental... it's more to do with the short stroke motor than the carbs.
Damn here in Europe they had 119 hp on the backwheel , accordinly to moto73 magazine !
119 WHP is a little optimistic for these.
At least bone stock, that is.
@@landonmc98 Well it was tested on a dyno in the Netherlands , maybe an optimistic dyno :)
I have this exact bike in Massachusetts if anyone wants to come check it out and take it for a spin. I need a new back tire though!
$9400 sounds like a lot in 1996 dollars. That's roughly $14,500 in today's money... which would nearly buy a ZX-10R.
Well that's what they were back then. The top tier was 750cc. Anything bigger was a heavy, ill-handling tourer.
But it was the ZX10 of the day.
I would love to be born in the non electronic era
van hallen backsound music i guess
Not a car...wait, wrong channel
Ace bike awful tv show. I don’t think that guy had been as close to a bike as that before never mind ridden one. Generous leg room? On a zx7? Really? Haha awesome 😀😀😀👍
vainparasite it does have good leg room for a sport bike. I am 6'4" tall and did 56,000 kay on a J2 and 10,000 kay on my P2 thats in the garage
Clifton Manley I gotta disagree there buddy, for me they are the most uncomfortable bike I’ve ever owned or raced. I’m in agony after 20 miles 😂😂😂👍👍
i have one my is 2003
they show the RR from the track and they think it's the same bike as the R. not even close
@@dr.jillalicecooper2587 the rr was a way better track bike . yes for the street it was a pain in the ass
Guau. !
That's pretty good 100rwhp. My advice after owning many bikes don't fuckin buy the years that Kawa had the hydraulic clutch go with the cable. I almost died from one failing and squirting fluid out and had to power shift it back home. It was a 94zx9R the 99zx9r has cable, way lighter, more power then any 900cc. It was an animal.
I love my '12 ZX6R, great bike! I could never get used to the looks of this bike though, meh.
This bike was a pig
@@cliftonmanley3882 I remember the Go Show! I was at Lakeside when he took to the grass on the straight at over 200kph! Pity he had so many personal problems. He was one of the most naturally talented riders I've ever seen.
the next gen gixxer came out in 1996 and was way better
And despite this Chandler won the championship in '96 and '97, and the bike continued to be competitive for years after that with Eric Bostrom.
gixxer 750 srad was better in performance specs, but history said zx7r won more championships.
Yeah? Look at the difference now. 96 gixxers go unsold while ANY ZX7R flies off the shelf
Yup...too many folk,think a bike is all about performance.Well,that's fine if you're a professional
racer,but the type who say,"my bike will do 170,it's better coming out of a corner torque wise
blah blah blah",can rarely ride a bike properly to begin with.This bike,has it's faults,but it's
legendary,and boy is it a looker!
Race bikes with factory support. What you buy from your Kawi dealer? Not even close.
When bikes had beautiful bulk
I owned one of these back in the day and it was awesome! I wish Kawasaki would bring it back...matter of fact, what ever happened to the 750 class?
I love this bike