2005 ZZR1200

[DaleFranks]

I popped into a dealership today, for reasons entirely unrelated to motorcycle buying, and I saw this 2005 Kawasaki ZZR1200, just sitting there.

It is practically spotless. It has 378 miles on the odometer. They’re asking for $6k.

I can’t get her out of my mind.

Quite apart from anything else, I’ll never see another deal like this for years, if ever. How often do you run across one of the most powerful streetbikes ever made, that’s 6 years old, in perfect condition, with less than four hundred miles on the clock?

It’s like the guy has been saving it just for me. I mean, seriously, who buys a bike like this, keeps it for six years, and only rides it for 378 miles? I can’t even comprehend that mental process.

Now, I don’t need a second bike. And it’s got all the things I’ve been staying away from, i.e., chain drive, no ABS, no accessory slots for electric stuff. But there were so few of them ever sent to the US, and they’re so distinctive, it’s just calling to me.  Cripes, you can’t even put bags on the thing, except for an aftermarket set of soft bags maybe.

But it’s such a sweet deal. I’ve got the money to buy it outright.

On the other hand, there’s a tiny, almost unnoticeable little dent on the gas tank. Maybe if I just keep concentrating that, and magnifying it in my mind, this insane desire will go away…

[Sport-Touring]

[Ack535]

Great bikes those ZZR1200's, I owned one. Throw em a cash offer of $5,000. I bet they will take it...

Still miss my ZZR!

Pete

[endo]

  Cripes, you can’t even put bags on the thing, except for an aftermarket set of soft bags maybe.

Actually, the Givi's fit pretty good.  They may not be all that pretty, but they hold a ton of stuff.

[DaleFranks]

Throw em a cash offer of $5,000. I bet they will take it...

No. They won't.

I went in this morning and offered 5, and they told me they paid $4900 for plus $500 reconditioning.

All told, they paid more than Kelly Blue Book retail. They need $6k minimum.

So, I went home.

I can never have nice things.

[ANZAC]

Leave them your number and they will call you.  The bike is too new to the dealer so they want full price for now.

That is a real sweet bike and not even broken in yet.  

[Ack535]

Hmnn, paid $4900 and have $500 into "re-conditioning". What really needs to be done to an almost new bike? Changing the oil, and checking the air pressure in the tires is certainly not worth $500.

If it were me, I would throw 'em another offer at $5200 with your phone #.

I bet they call...

Pete

[Justin]

If it were me, I would throw 'em another offer at $5200 with your phone #.

I bet they call...

Pete

+ 1, and not like there is a huge market for 2005 zzr's - the squids all want the latest gsxr's, zx-6/10's or R6/1's, and the yuppies all want cruisers or "Adventure" bikes

[staedtler]

maan,... bad timing, bad timing    
cause i'wudda shelled the 6k....

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/photos/97289486/

thats a good deal for a new st'er

[DNA]

Your license thanks you - don't do it - you will end up in driving school...

I'd go for it though...

[DaleFranks]

Yeah, well, they want $6k.  Add on TTL, and you're at about $6700 here in CA. 5 grand cash I can swing. $6700? Nope.

If I didn't have a school loan from Sallie Mae for my MBA, I'd just finance the thing and take on the payment.  But those Sallie Mae bastards are vicious. They're like Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas"

Oh, you lost your job? F*ck you, pay me.
Wife got sick? F*ck you, pay me.

So I ain't getting ANYTHING on credit while I have that $400 a month albatross hanging around my neck.  

[PhilBiker]

Six year old carbs that have, from the low mileage, probably have either run a lot of sticky old gas or had old gas sitting in the float bowls for years.  They need to be rebuilt.  If that's what the $500 was for, then it's probably a decent ride.  I can imagine that bike being trailered in with a rusty tank full of varnish, dead battery, and shot carbs.  Sitting is real bad.  It would probably be in better shape with 15K miles on it.  I wouldn't trust the tires, either, and I'd replace the petcock or at least all the rubber in the petcock.

Basically I wouldn't want to even ride that bike without putting at least another $1000 into it.  Depending on what the dealer did for their claimed $500 that is.  Sounds about right if they cleaned the carbs, gave the tank a quick acid bath, pumped up the tires, checked/topped off the old brake fluid, and charged the battery.  That's what they'd need to do just to get it to run, and it will probably be OK like that for a year or so depending on how the tires are, though 6 year old tires are going to be a lowside waiting to happen IMO if you ride aggressively.

I'll never own another bike with carbs.

[Oilhed]

So, a 5-6 year old bike, even brand new, needs the carbs done, new tires and brake fluid changed.  But, if the dealer is selling it he needs to do that.  It might be part of the price but not a charge on the sales slip!

[GS1100GK]

Actually, the Givi's fit pretty good.  They may not be all that pretty, but they hold a ton of stuff.

I agree, the Givi's do fit pretty good!!!

[PhilBiker]

So, a 5-6 year old bike, even brand new, needs the carbs done, new tires and brake fluid changed.  But, if the dealer is selling it he needs to do that.  It might be part of the price but not a charge on the sales slip!

No.  If it's -brand new-,  never been gassed up, the carbs are most likely still good as new.  Brakes probably good, too, but easy enough to check.  But less than 400 miles in 5-6 years is -real- bad news unless the owner was meticulous.

[Oilhed]

No.  If it's -brand new-,  never been gassed up, the carbs are most likely still good as new.  Brakes probably good, too, but easy enough to check.  But less than 400 miles in 5-6 years is -real- bad news unless the owner was meticulous.

I bought a left-over in the 80's.  The motor was run at the factory before crating.

[PhilBiker]

I bought a left-over in the 80's.  The motor was run at the factory before crating.

Were the float bowls and tank full of the old gas they ran at the factory?  I suspect not.

[Oilhed]

Were the float bowls and tank full of the old gas they ran at the factory?  I suspect not.

That I do not know, all I know is it ran like shit after I picked it up.  It was a crated leftover, not on the floor.  When I took it back they pulled the carbs and cleaned them and it ran perfect after that.

[staedtler]

old thread brought up...


so, i found a 05 zzr1200 with 10.5K on it and they are asking rigth about 6k..
does that sounds a lttle high? the bike looks pretty good, kbb list it at 5k, they are
asking a grand more, its a dealer, can that be negotiated? (of course, but i suck at that)...

[caslaw]

old thread brought up...


so, i found a 05 zzr1200 with 10.5K on it and they are asking rigth about 6k..
does that sounds a lttle high? the bike looks pretty good, kbb list it at 5k, they are
asking a grand more, its a dealer, can that be negotiated? (of course, but i suck at that)...

I would say that's high.  if you look around you could pick up an '05 with similar mileage for about a grand less.  For that matter, there is very little difference between the model years (front suspension was upgraded in '04 to include rebound dampening).  I got my '02 a couple of years ago with Madaz high mounts (the best exhaust for this bike) with 19k for $4k.  I you say the bike was in very good condition (but not excellent).  If well taken care of these run over 100k.  I would rather buy from a person so I have a sense of who the owner was.  Also, I am leery of low mileage older bikes.

Having said all of the above, if you ridge sport/touring at a 70/30 split or 90/10 like me this is a great bike.  145 RWHP is no joke.  It will out perform a FJR or GTR as a sport bike and with the right mods will compete as a tourer.  However if you are more 50/50 or 30/70 then you might want to go FJR, GTR, or the like (shaft drive).

Shameless pics:

Sport mode:



Sport touring mode:



Full touring mode:

[Akumu]

I like my Muzzy exhaust system, what's this Madaz is best?   (Though, it being high mount is nice. Don't think they'd work with my Beetle Bags, though.)
Pretty much agree with everything else, considering I fall into 80S/20T mode.

OP: Yes, that's too much for that year. For 6k you could probably find a 2006 ZX-14...