Kawasaki's ZX-7R, which replaced the more race-oriented ZXR-750, is the company's most recent 750cc class supersports bike. The ZX-7R was first made available to the public in 1995, and remained largely unchanged through its production, which ended in 2003.

Overview

Actually first made available in 1989
The ZX-7R was very successful in motorcycle racing, with a total of 9 AMA

American Motorcyclist Association

The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...

 superbike championship victories, and an impressive record in Kawasaki's Road Racing

Road racing

Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...

 team with Eric Bostrom

Eric Bostrom

Eric Bostrom is an American professional motorcycle racer and brother of Ben Bostrom, who also races motorcycles professionally....

, Doug Chandler

Doug Chandler

John Douglas Chandler is a professional motorcycle racer. He earned a reputation as one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and 1990s. Chandler is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and...

 and Scott Russell

Scott Russell (motorcyclist)

Raymond Scott Russell , aka Mr. Daytona, is an American sportscar racer and former championship motorcycle road racer, born in East Point, Georgia. He is a former World Superbike and AMA Superbike Champion, has won the Daytona 200 a record five times, and won the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1993...

 riding .

The ZX-7R is a 749 cc in-line 4-cylinder four-stroke, which in standard guise provided impressive power figures, enough to enable a top speed of 168 mph.

The frame used on the ZX-7R is a lightweight aluminum twin-spar item, designed using computer-aided design

Computer-aided design

Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...

 to optimize strength. The rear subframe was also constructed using aluminum in much the same manner, providing enough strength for a pillion

Pillion

A pillion is a mostly British English term for a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, bicycle or moped...

 passenger whilst keeping weight to a minimum.

The swingarm

Swingarm

A swingarm, or "swinging arm" is the main component of the rear suspension of most modern motorcycles and ATVs...

 used largely the same fabrication techniques to produce a hollow cast and pressed aluminum alloy hybrid swingarm, and the Uni-Trak rear suspension

Suspension (motorcycle)

A motorcycle's suspension serves a dual purpose: contributing to the vehicle's handling and braking, and providing safety and comfort by keeping the vehicle's passengers comfortably isolated from road noise, bumps and vibrations....

 system features a predominantly lightweight alloy and aluminum construction. The Uni-Trak system was designed to provide a progressively stiffer damping

Damping

In physics, damping is any effect that tends to reduce the amplitude of oscillations in an oscillatory system, particularly the harmonic oscillator.In mechanics, friction is one such damping effect...

 and spring rate under compression. The rear suspension unit is fully adjustable in terms of damping, preload and compression.

The front suspension found on the ZX-7R comprises a fully adjustable 43 mm inverted cartridge fork.

The Kawasaki ZX-7R is renowned by owners and enthusiasts for its rock stable front end and excellent braking which is delivered by use of 320 mm semi-floating front discs

Disc brake

The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...

 and Tokico 6 piston calipers. Rear brakes feature a 230 mm disc with a twin piston opposed caliper.

The motorcycle is largely influenced by technology which Kawasaki developed in its road and circuit racing, which helped them produce a bike that was received with largely positive reviews by the motorcycling press. It is perhaps for this reason that the bike remained largely unchanged mechanically throughout its production, an attribute which is rare in modern motorcycles where development and new production techniques sees new models released regularly.

The ZX-7RR differs from the road model with an adjustable head-stock angle, swing arm pivot, additional increased adjustability to the front and rear suspension, a solo cowl with a slightly different subframe, and 41mm flat-slide carburetors. It also has a close ratio gear-box fitted as standard and Nissin front calipers.

Racing History

"It seems a little hard to believe in this modern age of super-light, ultra-powerful motorcycles, but the comparatively heavier and somewhat tankish 7RR was the unquestioned king of the AMA for the better part of the '90s. The bike brought Kawasaki into an era of awe-inspiring dominance at the hands of riders such as Scott Russell and Doug Chandler, whose combined efforts resulted in an amazing four AMA championships over a period of seven years. Russell also took the Kawasaki 750 to the World Superbike Series, where he silenced all the critics with his historic 1993 WSB championship. The ZXR750/ZX7RR, for the greater part of the decade, was the quintessential high-performance motorcycle. Its impact on racing and even modern culture was so great that, even to this day, most sportbikes -- Kawasaki or not -- are referred to as 'Ninjas' by the general public." - Excerpt from the Article 'Appreciating Older Sportbikes' by Tim Kreitz