< AllMoto's Motorcycle Investor mag

Motorcycle Investor mag

Time Machine

Kawasaki ZRX1100R 1999 model

Pondering the ones that got away

(August 2022)

Anyone with green running through their veins will know this was Kawasaki's salute to the Eddie Lawson replica of a previous generation, the KZ1000R of 1982.

Eddie (shown above with his namesake motorcycle) was then in Superbike racing in the USA, won the national title in 1981, and was making a name that eventually lead to international 500cc Grands Prix and four world titles.

The replica was in fact a way of injecting some excitement in to the KZ1000J which, though an admirable bike, was getting a bit dated.

Move up to the late 1990s and Kawasaki launches the bike at top, the ZRX1100R, which bore a passing resemblance to its earlier stablemate.

These days, the 1100 in good shape is worth about the same money it was in year 2000, when this ad was printed in Motorcycle Trader magazine. The dealer had it priced at Au$11,490 (US$7900, GB£6700). New, it was priced at Au$12,990 (US$8900, GB£7600) plus on-road costs.

In 2001 we were presented with the ZRX1200R, priced at Au$13,990 (US$9600, GB£8200) plus on-road costs. These are now advertised in the low to mid-teens.

See our 1100/1200 profile.