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This 2003 9R is the newest vehicle I’ve owned and, unusually for me, has low mileage and a full service history. I’m hoping for better reliability than my previous Kawasaki experiences!
The ZX-9R F-series was the last hurrah for the 900cc sportsbikes - Honda’s FireBlade was by now creeping towards the litre-class at 954cc and both had been outclassed by Yamaha’s YZF-R1 (1000cc), launched in ‘99. However, having looked at R1s and GSX-R1000s at similar prices, they were older, shabbier, higher mileage, and probably a bit too extreme for what I need - which is a reliable, comfortable daily commuter that can provide a bit of fun at the weekend.
The big Kwak is indeed fairly comfortable, with a decent seat and a reasonable distance between you and the pegs/bars. At low revs around town there’s loads of torque to pull you along but get it up above 8000rpm at it aims for its 170mph top speed like nothing I’ve ridden before. At 186kg it’s a good 30kg lighter than earlier 9Rs.
This silver colour scheme is relatively rare - most came in red or traditional Kawasaki green.
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