Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Wattie wrote:didnt all TL's have a serious habbit of cracking frames???

Not all, just the -S's. The rotary dampers on them are prone to hydraulic lock given a big-enough hit... that turns the bike into a hardtail, and, because all the stress is being channeled through there, cracks the damper mounts on the top rear cross-member.

A bloke I knew who used to be an aircraft mech at RAAF Richmond went through three frames under warranty.

and flows......

TLS cracked frames. Also wobbled.

TLR was sturdy as a rock, but had a standard steering dampner put on at manufacture (due to the tls rep)

TLR is not a freeway bike, it's not a schoolzone bike and it's not a any speed limit bike.

It's go hard or go home. Not worth even thinking about for freeway riding, unless you ride down the freeway at 140+

Bike doesnt even feel comfortable to ride around 60-to-80. it wants to go harder.

If you want a freeway bike get a SV650

-- xoxo Duane

Duane wrote: If you want a freeway bike get a SV650

-- xoxo Duane

nah don't do that,
the farkers don't bump start.
in fact they don't farken start at all.

diesel wrote:

Duane wrote: If you want a freeway bike get a SV650

-- xoxo Duane

nah don't do that,
the farkers don't bump start.
in fact they don't farken start at all.

Atleast they're small enough to push down the freeway. Aslong as you've got two unfit aussys doing it.......

Duane wrote:

diesel wrote:

Duane wrote: If you want a freeway bike get a SV650

-- xoxo Duane

nah don't do that,
the farkers don't bump start.
in fact they don't farken start at all.

Atleast they're small enough to push down the freeway. Aslong as you've got two unfit aussys doing it.......

hehehe.

I don't think it would be more than 280-290, my 96-97 zx9 can do the full range of the speedo and thats pegging it but maybe with a fair bit of work it could reach the 300 mark.

SocialSecurity wrote:http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_str ... es/#suzuki

kermitzx9r wrote:I don't think it would be more than 280-290, my 96-97 zx9 can do the full range of the speedo and thats pegging it but maybe with a fair bit of work it could reach the 300 mark.

The TL wont do 300. and unless you put serious money into it, it probably wouldnt ever, although, downhill and the wind behind you, ... you never know

however, the way it rides, is not suited to commuting. I've got a 7 - perfect for me. the nine would be even better, however, if u want a commuter get a sv or something

well i've had the tlr in its earliest version, a brand spanking 98...Never had any probs except the bloody seat cowl trying to make a new home in trees on the parkway.....replaced and bracket realigned under warranty. She hit 290 on the clock on the straight allong the fernvale esk section in stock trim with an unnamed rider aboard of course. A longer section I think she would have had even more legs, but as previously said a true speed??. She was a beast to ride, comparing the 9 to her I would say would be like comparing a big block to a supercharged v8. Straight line It felt like it would rip ya arms from their sockets but round corners took a lot of playing and fiddling with the suspension. With the ammount of plod on the road today, and for the all round ability not to mention decieving ammount of power the 9's got the TL's number . For all out weekend grunt bike (show pony) and scaring the shit out of ppl in cages when you drop down a gear or two and plant it, the TLR is a one off for me, nothing compared to the thrill factor. Overall the 9's quicker all round, except top speed (not by much either), but as stated, not quite as much of a thrill to ride. Id like to have both in my shed!

Ps for all the unbelievers of the spewzuki's engine performance, dont forget 99/2000 the bimota's were using the engine in the World SBK's

Gold9 wrote:Overall the 9's quicker all round, except top speed (not by much either)

maybe the 9 just has a more accurate speedo. read the link i keep posting to sport rider where they put up the top speeds of every bike they tested over the years, measured with a radar/lidar gun.

read up reviews from the late 90's, they will all tell you that the C model onwards ZX9R's were a genuine 170mph bike, while the 98 R1 wasnt, cbr900rr wasnt, and the TLR most certainly wasnt either

The 9 and the TLR were in a comparo in AMCN in 98.
There info says.

Wet Weight
zx9- 212
TLR- 228

Measured power
ZX9 - 136 ps 9.83 torque
TLR - 121 ps 10.24 torque

400M time
zx9 - 10.5
TLR - 10.86

Top speed turn 1 P.I.
zx9 - 246.2
TLR - 236.5

Lap Time-
zx9 - 1.51.82
TLR- 1.48.94

But the TLR had MEZ3 Racing Radials and the zx9r had BT56's...

plus the ZX9R is more of a sports tourer still must have been quite a rider to pull 1.51 ! i was happy with 1.57, and would be wrapped to get it down to1.55 one day... tho my bike aint stock

The guy I bought my 9 off did 1:44 at P.I.

I figure P.I. is about 3 to 4 seconds longer than E.C. so my 1:40 at E.C. would be about on par....

Although the guy I bought it if had about 30 odd kg's on me..

well bugger me! i guess it all comes down to skill hell they probably dont go much quicker than that in the aussie supers, and on technically superior steeds!


he sure does make the 9 look small its weird seeing an akra with no battle damage