By Joe Gresh
This ZRX1100 resurrextion started out kind of leisurely. We don’t like stress at ExhaustNotes.us because we are at peace with our surroundings. ExhaustNotes staff have a firm grasp of our place in the universe and see all matter as insignificant much like we see ourselves. There was no big rush, you know? However, things change in life and the ZRX resurrextion timeline has sped up due to the Mud Chuckers wanting to attend the road races July 7-9 at Laguna Seca in California, now known as Polident Speedway. From my house to Laguna Seca is 1150 miles the fast way and we never take the fast way. We might end up doing 2500 or more miles round trip. Thus, the urgency to get the road burner running as none of my other motorcycles are exactly suited to the job.
The first thing I did to the ZRX was to remove as much bodywork as possible to prevent the odd dropped wrench or spilled brake fluid from damaging Rex’s somewhat pristine original paintwork.
Kawasaki ZRX1100 bits and pieces have been trickling into the shed at Tinfiny Ranch and we will soon see some progress on the abandoned, neglected motorcycle.
Starting with the coolant leak from under the engine, I have determined the water pump or the O-rings on the pipes connecting to the pump were the culprit. Seeing as the pump is 24 years old I sprung for a new pump on eBay. I imagine I could buy just the mechanical seal and rebuild the water pump but I’m getting lazy.
The coolant pipes are slightly rusty so I’ll have to clean them up and give them a shot of paint. The paint on the front down tubes is chipped from road debris so I’ll touch up those areas also.
I also bought some new silicone hoses for the pipes. These hoses live directly behind the exhaust headers and while they seemed flexible and in good condition, they are also 24 years old. A lot of stuff on the Rex is 24 years old, because the bike is 24 years old. Funny, it seems like a new model to me. I can remember buying it only a few years old not a long time ago. Is this how aging works? Does time compress making distant events seem close?
The ZRX1100 comes standard with a ground skimming, low-slung exhaust system. The header pipe collector joins under the engine making my motorcycle lift too tall to fit between the pipe and the ground. Even if the jack fit under the bike you’d have to make some spacer blocks to prevent the pipe from hitting the lift. I went with jack stands on both front frame rails and one stand on a cross pipe behind the engine. With this tripod set up the bike feels pretty stable.
Once jacked up I could remove both wheels for new tires. I also removed the clutch slave cylinder that is leaking and then could access the leaking water pump.
The calipers on the front brakes are stuck. My caliper rebuild kits came in the mail so I’ll have plenty of piston swapping to keep me busy. This is one of the chores I dread.
The chain is pretty much worn out. The rollers are loose on the pins and the thing has 25,000 miles on it. Kawasaki used an endless type chain so I cut it off with a 4-inch abrasive cutting wheel. The rear sprocket looks unworn, which I find amazing, and the front sprocket has just the slightest bit of hooking. Most aftermarket junk won’t last as long as an old, used Kawasaki sprocket. I’ll get a new front sprocket and chain for the bike.
My initial goal with the Kawasaki is to fix the brakes, fork seals and tires. That will upgrade the ZRX to roller status, then I’ll be able to push it outside the shed for a much-needed bath. There is a long way to go to undo the damage 9 years of storage has done to this motorcycle so don’t get ants in your pants. Part 3 to follow, unless I skip to Part 5.
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Here’s Part 1 of the ZRX Resurrection!
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Any work you put into the mighty ZRX is worth it, the thing will last forever. Are you replacing the 24 year old o-rings on the coolant logs? They leak too.
I’m thinking about those coolant log o-rings. They are not leaking now and I’ve had bad luck with newer o-ring quality. It seems like new rubber parts aren’t as good as they used to be.
Maybe I’ll pull the logs and clean/grease.
Yes, couldn’t help. There’s no telling the compound used in those rings but an o ring company may be able to tell you. The OEM rings are stupid money but if you pick the wrong type you’re ripping the thing apart again. They’re a pain to get out.
When these were new I loved this bike… One buddy had one and it ran very well in the group I was riding with. Infact it could run away for almost all of us. Me on my used Sporty (HD Sportster) with some modifications could stay up, but the baggers and Springer in my group were dog meat to the Kaw. Lucky for them we were in Illinois and Florida so no hills or turns so we all stayed together and no one was left behind. Please continue on your work and don’t let us slow you down too much!
Compressed time? As you age.
My theory –
When you are a kid , say 10yo, 1 year is 1/10 of your perception of time.
Remember how long it seemed between birthdays and Christmas or other holidays of note?
When you become old , like me at 70 , one year is 1/70 of your perception of time.
Good luck with the Zed revival .
And the trip. The years may seem shorter , but the miles seem to get longer. I haven’t figured a mileage theory yet.
Having had 3 ZRX1100 and one 1200 , I can say that I miss mine a lot but not enough to replace my 99 Suzuki 1200 Bandit right now. If one came my way I would think about it. My 1100 had Ohlins on the rear and racetech front stuff. It handled well but the swingarm flexed a lot under the dyno’d motor with a Akrapovic and pods and advancer when hitting the corners hard. I was a lot lighter on that bike due to divorce and weights… Now a beat up old curmudgeon I’m ok with blasting the bandit but still reading this makes me long for another ZRX… If you make up to Washington state I will take you out to some great roads and buy you a coffee sometime. Cheers
I have 65,000 miles on my ’75 Z-1B , but , only swapped bikes with Stevie to get a feel of the ZRX 1200 . I wasn’t on the Z-1 at the time , I was on my Monster 900 , but , if you’ve put that many miles on a Z-1 , the ZRX triggers a lot of the same memories.
It’s just bigger , faster , has better suspension and brakes and with modern tires , just better all around. An improved Z-1 , what’s not to like ?
Take care of it and it will take care of you.
I cannot say how much you made me laugh with the “no oil” flag n used cardboard. I keep a car in Ohio that I use to go between my son’s house in NC and his sister’s house in OH. Current one is a VW Jetta with a 5spd and 2.5 ltr (no turbo)5 cyl. Clutch is because only my daughter and I can drive it, so none of the granddaughters want to “borrow it for a year or so”. It came from one of those used car superstores and I managed to get two free oil changes in the deal provided by the parent dealer, big Toyota store. Last week, got appointment for first free oil change, went in, had free coffee and bagel and watched tv for about an hour and left with synthetic oil and no up-selling of any unneeded items. Very much ok with all of it. 22 miles later, huge puddle under car of fresh synthetic oil…….they were very good abut it all. Sent tow, ordered new parts for what was wrong (canister style filter cracked) and told me it would be ready next day. Still unclear what is going on, BUT I am now in NC for a week and I have a brand new Toyota Highlander for free and the VW saga is still ongoing. In my days of rebuilds, we used to put ignition keys on the dipstick and hang it on the wall of the garage, but I enjoyed your note on the bike. Side note; took me ten minutes to figure out what exactly”radar-adaptive cruise control” was.