Used Test: Kawasaki ZRX1100

The ZRX1100's retro styling absolutely rocks...And it's got a flexible and powerful motor, boasts sporty handling and is a bit of a bargain to boot

Click to read: Kawasaki ZRX1100 owners reviewsKawasaki ZRX1100 specs and to see the Kawasaki ZRX1100 image gallery.

Kit like twin shocks, a steel tubed frame and carburettors make it sound like a right old eighties relic. But Kawasaki's ZRX1100 is nothing of the sort. All those 'dated' bits are deliberate design features to give the impression it's a bit of a classic. But the ZRX is in fact just a few years old - with enough modern day features and performance to back up its recent vintage.

Launched in 1997, the ZRX was aimed at giving 40-somethings a bike that was none too fast, easy to ride, comfy, and above all, familiar - reminding them of the bikes they rode as youngsters, before they were burdened with the wife and 2.2 kids lifestyle. 

The streetbike wasn't the first of its type. Suzuki and Yamaha had already been wooing the oldies with their Bandit 1200 and XJR1200. But the Kawasaki featured slightly more up to date engineering like water-cooling (even if it does have cast fins on the cylinder head to give the impression it's not). And the bike drew upon a bit more heritage. It was styled like the Z1000R of the eighties, on which a certain Mr. Lawson won the American superbike title.

You can't buy new ZRX11s any longer, as the model has been replaced by a bigger 1200cc version. But if the Y-reg 3,500-mile example we rode is anything to go by, then that's not a problem at all. Pretty well-looked after, this tidy-looking ZRX sounds sweet and goes as well as it looks. The ZRX on test was listed for for £4495 - decent value in anyone's book.

Despite being a pretty big and tall bike, the 1100 is actually easy to manage, and once underway sheds much of its weight. It's quite well balanced, and the dominant riding position provided by its big wide bars allows you to chuck it about without much effort. Filtering through heavy traffic is easy enough, and practical touches like lots of underseat storage, bungee hooks and a fuel gauge make the ZRX more than OK for real-world riding and commuting.

It would have been nice to have a clock though. And though the fuel range is decent, that bloody fuel tap is awkward to turn on the move when you go onto reserve. Beyond that, you won't have cause to complain too much.

Fundamentals like engine and chassis performance deserve nods of approval. The detuned ZZ-R1100 motor is strong and flexible. And though it's got a slightly peakier power delivery than the afore-mentioned bigger-engined rivals, you'd have to ride the ZRX alongside them to notice.

Its bottom end and mid-range punch are still more than beefy enough not to have to rely on the slick five-speed box too much. Pulling strongly from less than 3000rpm, even in top gear, is something that can always be expected from the ZRX's four-pot motor. Its peak power isn't massive, with around just 100bhp reaching the rear wheel, but that figure is quite academic when you discover what its stomp actually feels like. And at the end of the day, the only thing that will realistically limit your speed isn't the motor, but the strain from the wind. The bikini fairing does reduce the atmospheric battering to some extent. But it's still quite hard work to maintain high cruising speeds for more than a few miles unless you tuck in a bit. Keep things to around 90mph, and you'll be all right.

You're better off diverting from motorways and dual carriageways altogether, and heading for some twistier backroads if you can. Not only is it less strenuous, but it's more fun too. Handling on the Kawasaki is more than competent. And you can ride fast and still feel safe.

Chassis geometry is relaxed enough to keep the bike stable. And though it's no lightweight, and won't steer like a 600, the leverage from those bars makes chucking the Kwak around lighter and easier than you'd think. Only when you start trying to hurry the ZRX like a full-on sportsbike will you need to look out - and only then for a screwdriver to firm up the suspension. Once that's done, the bike will always stay composed and on line.

Braking from the six-pot calipers is strong and progressive, though the brakes will lose some of their strength if they're not kept clean and serviced. With good comfort for rider and pillion (if you keep the speeds sane), the ZRX1100 makes for a decent tourer. And given its reputation for good reliability, there's little you can fault the Kwacker for overall.

It's a great retro-styled streetbike, a very entertaining all-rounder, and a pretty decent scratcher too. It might look dated, but it'll take a long time before it feels that way to ride.