Kawasaki overall quality?

[Mogambo]

This is just a ******** conversational thread..

I had been reading some of the lively discussions going on regaarding the Kawi ZX-1400, and then today I just recieved the new issue of Rider magazine which did a review on it. I've never owned a Kawasaki product. Can't say I've heard much about their overall quality and engineering except from a fellow who was a motorcycle dealer (not for Kawasaki) and he said that he really wasn't even crazy about getting them in on trades. He thought they had some quality control issues. So what's the deal with Kawasaki? How do they stack up in terms of their quality vs Yamaha and Honda?

O.K., I'll shut up and listen.

 

[Rogue]

I've had mostly Suzukis, a couple Kawasakis, a Honda and now the FJR.

I think Honda tends to be considered the best but they are all very close.

I haven't had any problems with quality on any of them... I take that back... Suzuki GS's had crap voltage regulators (I had 3 GS's).

 

[twowheelnut]

Thinking back... I've only seen BMW's, Harley's and the occassional Wing on the hook (DISCLAIMER: That is not a bash, just my observation over the years). So I'd say Roguey is pretty much dead spot on. I'd feel comfy buying any UJM if it fit my needs and wants.

 

[Scab]

I'm not a big fan of the Kawasaki quality. I have several friends with em. 750 Vulcans, Nomads, 800 Vulcans, Voyager (which they no longer make), etc. They have all been back in the shop. Some things minor, some major, one fire. One of the things I really dislike is that they don't age well. Paint fades rather quickly, cosmetic bolts rust in next to no time, pipes discolor, engine appearance goes quickly. They tend to have a "cheap" look and feel compared to Honda and Yamaha. I don't know many with Suzuki's, so I won't say anything. Keeping in mind, most of the Kawi's I've been around are cruisers.

 

[bmwhd]

I've owned two. My 2001 KLR650 had no issues except that it was a 1987 design ;-)

My 2006 KLX250S is very well put to gether. No issues at all either cosmetic or mechanical.

 

[nusman68]

Haven't caught anything recently concerning that...I recall reading about a problem with their inline 4s from the 80s & 90s in which there was an oil starvation situation in the 'middle' cylinders at the crank. The fix (after having bearings replaced) was to have a shop retrofit/install some type of pipe/extra oil gallery to get extra oil to the area; afterwards, it was supposed to be bulletproof. (As I recall there was some type of available kit) Outside of that, I also read in a mag *a few years ago* about Ninjas 750s?1000s? running hot....(i.e. actually overheating).

Disclaimer: I have no other info, and no first-hand knowledge; maybe another member can fill in the details.

 

[scubatech]

I used to sell bikes at a multi-line dealer. We had both european& Japenese lines. We pretty much considered Kawis to be fourth in quality.Honda was always#1,Yamaha&Suzuki.next. European bikes were alwas high quality as well. It always seemed no matter what Honda product you sold the customer was happy! Just my experience of course!

 

[Bike Effects]

Thinking back... I've only seen BMW's, Harley's and the occassional Wing on the hook (DISCLAIMER: That is not a bash, just my observation over the years). So I'd say Roguey is pretty much dead spot on. I'd feel comfy buying any UJM if it fit my needs and wants.

UJM? You are showing your age TWN. It used to be interesting to see how many people could understand my FJ1200's plate.

How many here know the meaning?

Please excuse the thread highjack!

 

[madmike2]

Jeff, did'ja ever wonder how many people tried to phonically sound that our and their opinions of what it meant? :lol:

All the manufactureres are pretty good, nowadays. They all have their foibles, but I chuckle at the magazine writers who say, "the fit and finish on this brand/bike is great!"...meaning the others are lacking what? I've tried looking at the various new models on showroom floors to see the "problems" with fit and finish. I guess I just don't SEE it, though I continue to hear that Honda is the best, though I've never worked on one so I don't know.

Caution: Beware the ZX-14. Just kidding, fer criminy sakes. :lol:

 

[Scab]

Perhaps some of this is time-built intuition that cannot be discounted from the personal psyche when making any type of evaluation. What I mean to say is, from experience, you look at some things, and even though it appears the same, your experience says that this will deteriorate fast, or that is not going to withstand use, etc. If I were to judge fit and finish on motorcycles, I would have to rank Honda as first. And a huge part of this determination is not only what I see at the showroom, but the experiences and sights of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, & Suzuki's that I have been around that are 5, 10, 15, & 20+ years old. It is not scientific by any means, but is something that strongly influences my thoughts. I can only assume that the writers of rags and mags are going to have just as hard a time removing personal experiences and remaining completely objective. For example, the painted finish and chrome and cosmetic bolts, etc. look better today on my 1985 Goldwing than the same items do on my friends 2001 Kawasaki Voyager. It has no scientific basis on the performance and useful life of the machines, but lends one to think so. I can't help but think that his Voyager will not last as long as the Goldwing. Again, nothing scientific, but something that may be influencing.

And then again, I come from a collision repair/refinish background. This tends to make me look at a lot of things differently regarding fit/finish. So, it could just be me.

 

[RonC]

Just from experience: I've had a 2001 Kawasaki ZRX 1200 that looked terrible after 10,000 miles. Of course that was after I totaled it in a crash . Seriously, I did take care of it, washed and waxed it on occasion, and it looked great to the end. No corrosion, the paint was a deep, black-purple metal flake that held its luster and looked really classy (my opinion).

My 2002 Kwack ZRX that replaced the 2001 also showed no aging after 13,000 miles. The fake bronze color of some of the engine covers looked really good, I thought. Plastic parts fit perfectlyand the welds were very good.

I have a KLR 650 that I bought with only 5800 miles or so on it. Given that it spent much of its life in the dirt, the finish was all intact except for some rashed plastic. The plastic panels are cheap looking, but then again, the are incredibly cheap to replace when you crash this dual sport. Some whole tailpiece panels cost $30-40, versus the hundreds for most fairings on sport and touring bikes. The front brake is poor, it is under powered, and it vibrates like crazy, typical for any thumper. But, it does what it is intended for and does it moderately well.

I thought the fit and finish of the ZRX 1200 was every bit as good as what I see on my FJR.

I also had a Honda Nighthawk 750 (1999). The fit and finish was no better or worse that other bikes. The rear drum brake was poor, but the black paint was good.

I would have no qualms buying another Kawasaki based on fit or finish. Please keep in mind that I love the FJR and have no intent to part with it.

Ron

 

[Jeff Tate]

I had a 1998 1500 Vulcan Classic before getting my FJR. I had three warrenty issues with it. Two were leaking final drive seals and one was an electrical problem. All were fixed promptly with out costing me a cent (extended warrenty on everything from now on). But it ran great, never let me down to where I couldn't ride it home and was over all a great bike. I hated to trade it in but I loved the style of riding the FJR offered and traded it in. No regrets from either bike.

 

[Geezer]

I agree with Scab when he says Kawi's look 'cheap'. Just looked at the ZX14 next to a Busa at my local dealer. The brake and clutch reservior on the Kawi are plastic bottles sticking up next to the levers while the Busa has reserviors similar to the FJR's. If they are saving a dollar on something like that where it is obvious then I wonder if they used cheap stuff in more important places.

Still, that ZX14 is tempting.

 

[Mogambo]

I agree with Scab when he says Kawi's look 'cheap'. Just looked at the ZX14 next to a Busa at my local dealer. The brake and clutch reservior on the Kawi are plastic bottles sticking up next to the levers while the Busa has reserviors similar to the FJR's. If they are saving a dollar on something like that where it is obvious then I wonder if they used cheap stuff in more important places.
Still, that ZX14 is tempting.

Hasn't Kawasaki and Suzuki merged many aspects of their operations in recent years? To be candid, I always thought that despite their strong motors, that certains aspects of both bikes looked sort of cheap.

That said, one of my buddies just bought the Suzuki M109 and it looks pretty sweet. For a crusier that is. Not to get off the Kawasaki discussion, but I have to give Suzuki credit. They were the last coming into the power crusier market, but they sure kicked everybody elses' butts in terms of power.

 

[Bike Effects]

Hasn't Kawasaki and Suzuki merged many aspects of their operations in recent years? To be candid, I always thought that despite their strong motors, that certains aspects of both bikes looked sort of cheap.

Thye colaborated on some parts for awhile, but I think that agreement is over with now.

 

[Scab]

For whatever the reason, Suzuki has had a dificult time gaining any kind of market share in my little region of the world. Sportbikes do okay(gixxers and the like), but cruisers dominate the market around here. In the cruiser market, it looks like Honda, Yammy, Kawasaki, and a few Suzukis. (not scientific, just from looking at them go by) Suziki has historically had trouble even keeping dealers open in the local area.

 

[scubatech]

Bike Effect's,

I'm old too. It's Universal Japenese Motorcycle.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

I've owned and ridden lots of miles on both Kawasakis and Suzukis and they've all been excellent mounts. I think the perception of quality (or, lack of) is mainly subjective -- due in, many cases, to things like Scab alludes to. I once lived in an area where there never was a long-term Kawasaki or Suzuki dealer. The Honda/Yamaha dealers (and H-D) prevailed and therefore those other brands just didn't fare well in the market. That area was also highly cruiser oriented -- FWIW....?

 

[KYFJR]

Hasn't Kawasaki and Suzuki merged many aspects of their operations in recent years? To be candid, I always thought that despite their strong motors, that certains aspects of both bikes looked sort of cheap.

Thye colaborated on some parts for awhile, but I think that agreement is over with now.

They did. They parted ways as of last year on the dirt bikes and I assume it was part of the same deal with the road bikes.

BTW, not to steal the thread, but I need to thank Jeff again for the starcom's. My wifey and I went to EOM and they worked out GREAT !!!! Also, thanks for donating to EOM!!!