Kawasaki ZX-10r or BMW S1000RR?

B

Blake

New member
I've owned an '06 Suzuki Katana, and an '06 Kawasaki ZX-14. I'm now in the market for a liter bike and have narrowed it down to either a 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10r (non-ABS) or a 2011 BMW S1000RR. I prefer doing all maintenance and fixes myself as I have never had a good experience with a mechanic... ever.

So does the BMW require any special tools or higher priced/rare replacement parts? The minor HP difference isn't a concern to me, and is "fixable" regardless. I just want which ever will be more reliable and last longer with proper maintenance, and see what others think.

(please note, I have owned and raced bikes with similar power and am not new to motorcycling. Please do not respond with statements such as "get a smaller bike" or "more beginner friendly" I have asked questions before where people fail to read the fact that I have owned high performance bikes and know what I'm doing, but proceed to waste our time posting similar statements. Thanks much for you input, and happy riding)
 
Bit of a tough choice. The bikes are very similar in specs so it would really come down to personal taste. If you like funky headlights, then go for the BM.
"I prefer doing all maintenance and fixes myself". Unless you are a factory trained mechanic, I wouldn't be touching either bike, They are so chock full of electronics and technology to be way over the head of even the best backyard mechanic (maybe change the oil). If you think you can work on them, good luck to you.
The hp difference (193 vs 200) is academic unless you are in a superbike racing team. Both bikes are still new and I haven't seen much in the way of go fast bits (there's a few bits available for the BM, some special exhaust from Europe) and there should be some WSBK bits floating about somewhere.

Personally I would go for the Kwaka. If something was to go bung with the BM, the parts alone would be the GDP of a small country.
 
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