purpose

So, why the ZX7R ?


I have been riding motorcycles on the street for the past 20 years or so (and longer than that if you count the dirt bikes I had as a child). The list included a converted Honda Silverwing(CX500), a VF1100 Honda Magna and two Harley-Davidson FXRs.(a 1987 and 1994-which I still have) I never had much experience with sportbikes until about 6 years ago when my longtime friend moved to Houston with a 2001 ZX9R Ninja. A few spins on that baby and I knew I had been missing out. I've always
been proud to ride Harleys and considered myself loyal to them, but after a taste of the Ninja it was clear that nothing American could compete with the super-sport overall performance. So the search was on to find one of my own. Now throughout my motorcycle years, my buddy and I have always had this need to kind of "out do" each other. My first bike was a 500, so naturally he bought a 750. I returned the next semester with the 1100 and so it seemed it would go. When he moved back with the ZX9R, even he will tell you that it was assumed I would end up with at least a liter-bike. In all honesty, it was my intention to find a ZX12R and end any debate on who had the fastest bike. As I was scanning Craigslist ads from all over the state, I happened upon the beauty you see above. I was instantly taken by the retro appeal of the curves. The intakes reminded me of something from a WW-II fighter. The ZX7R. Yes, only 748cc's. Around 125-130hp depending on which specs you trust. It was already 5 years old and hadn't been built in that many years as 2003 was the last production year for the 7. But I couldn't get away from it. Maybe it was the dazzling pearl orange "Dreamsicle" paint that wouldn’t let me look away. So with $4,400 cash in hand I set out for San Antonio to try and make a deal on the $5000 asking price. It worked and the picture above was taken that very night in my driveway back home in Houston. She had around 4000 original miles on the clock that day. Now the odometer reads a little over 42,000. Needless to say I adore riding this machine. Those who have worked on the bike and who have ridden with me know that those 38,000 miles and change haven't been the easiest. She's seen time at the track and has always been willing to pull a wheel up off the pavement when some idiot in a loud Camaro needs to be put in his place. She's chased liter bikes up in the forest and shredded the Three-Sisters in 107 degree heat. She's been around. Still almost completely stock down to the original clutch, she's been a dream to ride. But those miles have taken a toll and things are in need of some refurbishment.


So... the question that would continue to beg itself might be "Why? Why try to improve on an outdated and overweight design that can be dominated by more modern super-sports for relatively little money?" Quite simply... Love. I love this bike, and in my opinion there is plenty of potential to be unlocked for relatively little money. She and I might just continue to surprise a few "faster" bikes for a few years to come. So that is the goal. To return her to her “new” handling state and upgrade where possible without putting 3 times the money into her than she will ever be worth. There will be no carbon fiber wheels or $3,000 race suspension. No Brembo brakes and probably no carbon fiber panels (although I find carbon-fiber to have a very high “cool” value associated with it). But with some research and some downright harsh deal-making on eBay, we’ll drop as many pounds as possible and upgrade to some new technology and keep this old girl terrorizing the streets indefinitely. There may even be more CC’s in the future (big bore ZX9 motor anyone?)… but that’s down the road. So let me show you what I have in mind.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Thinning out a Fat @$$...

So, we will begin with the end... so to speak. The rear end.  I have chosen the Generation 1 ZX10R as the donor of most of the upgrade parts I have in mind, including the front, wheels and swingarm. The ZX10R swingarm is superior in almost every way to the 7R. It is very light and designed for more horsepower. It rolls the same size wheel and tire as the 7.

The 10R uses a 530 chain, but since I'm not upgrading the horsepower at this point, we'll keep the 525. The sprocket pattern is the same for the 10 and the 7. Here is the bare swingarm unit I found on Ebay for $55 including shipping.


I found the complete rear brake system including the master cylinder, mounting brackets and reservoir for $33 shipped






The ZX10R shock is a fairly common upgrade by itself on the 7R, so it goes without saying, it will be good for this project. This one was in perfect shape and was a bargain at $70 including shipping.







Last, but certainly not least, one of the main reasons for the upgrade - the "light as a feather" ZX10R wheel. These things can be as much as $300 in perfect condition. I made what I thought was a great deal on this one because it was supposed to have a 190/55/17 Pilot Power mounted with 80% tread left. Unfortunately it also came with two nails already installed. The seller refunded $50 to help ease my pain and I ended up with a good wheel and brake rotor for $145 shipped. Still a pretty good deal.


So here is everything thrown together, except for the shock. It really is surprisingly light. I have a little cosmetic work to do on the swingarm and the wheel, but otherwise I'm just waiting on the custom spacers to come back from the machine shop.


Next post SHOULD be the actual build... unless I decide to do the valve adjustment first... and I do need a new tire on the front... and there's that fairing work I've been putting off... Well, you get the idea.
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