1985 Kawasaki ZL900 Eliminator review from United Kingdom

Battery needed replacing when I bought it, wrong type (too small) fitted.

One out of the four carburetters needed a replacement butterfly valve.

Electrical connectors had corroded and needed replacing as well as some electrical cables.

Overheating due to blocked cooling system, needed good flushing.

Fuel pipe from bottom of tank to carburettors needed replacing.

Kawasaki designed this bike (ZL900 Eliminator) to be a dragster, and BOY CAN IT DRAG!

Most people will recognise it as a chopper of sorts in style. It is quite long with a low seat, wide stance and straight bars. The engine is slung low in the frame and sits upright.

Under full acceleration the low centre of gravity stops the front wheel from lifting so you can give it full throttle with confidence.

With 120HP and nearly 90LB/ft of torque (the engine is from a GPX900R) and no fear of wheelies it can out-drag nearly 95% of bikes on the road (personal experience).

Having praised it so much, I would also like to mention the other side.

It is not a lightweight at 260k, and because it is long, it is hard to corner fast and to keep up with more modern bikes. You have to use a lot of counter-steering and be brave.

The low silencers have a tendency of bottoming out when you least expect it. The seat numbs your bum after about 100 miles and the pillion seat is useless.

The brakes are brilliant, but when you brake hard, it is very easy to lock the back brake because of the weight transfer.

The fuel tank only holds 11 litres of fuel, enough for about 80 miles or 50 miles if you are riding hard.

Because of its age, 22 years old, it requires a lot of regular maintenance, which can be expensive, and the parts are getting hard to find and tend to be expensive as well.