Kawasaki ZX750E1 vs. Yamaha XJ650LJ
(Page 2 of 3)
July/August 2008
Story and photos by Doug Mitchel
A major contrast between the two bikes is their method of fuel delivery. The XJ uses a bank of four Mikuni 30mm carbs while the ZX features electronically-controlled fuel injection. This provides the ZX with enhanced go-juice delivery and seamless response when the throttle is yanked open.
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A power-robbing feature of the XJ may be the final shaft drive, whereas the ZX uses a chain, allowing more of the engine’s power to reach the rear tire. This choice of hardware may also tell us a bit more about the intentions of the XJ as a sport-touring mount versus a balls-out performance ride. The ZX has a pair of discs up front and one at the back, where the XJ relies on dual-disc front and a drum rear.
On the road
To get these great bikes out on the road, we called in two experienced riders for their seat of the pants input. In the yellow helmet is Sandy Callas. With more than 35 years of riding experience under his lid, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, and having owned a bevy of vintage and modern Japanese machines, he’s a good contrast to silver-helmeted Ken Rottmann, who takes the other side of the ring. Ken matches Sandy for riding time, but his interests lean toward the British end of the pool.
Getting familiar with the bikes, both riders found the Kawasaki to be a far more aggressive machine in every way, from seating position to throttle response. Sandy has owned numerous GPz models through the years, and he found the turbo Kawi similar to the bikes he’s owned, with the obvious difference of more power. Ken mentioned that the turn-signal cancelling on the Kawasaki is cumbersome and a bit distracting while in traffic. Maybe it’s the performance aspect of the ZX’s design that kept it from being as comfortable, too, but Ken felt cramped in the seat and thought a shorter rider might feel more at home. Sandy’s overall impression of the Kawi was about the same, labeling it a sharper-edged machine than the Yamaha. Ken also disliked the top-of-the-tank location for the Kawi’s gauges, saying they were hard to read, forcing the rider to take his eyes off the road. Both riders thought the Kawi’s windshield was too short, providing far less protection than the Yamaha.
Back in the day, the motorcycling press had lots of praise for the Kawasaki. "The Kawasaki T-bike is … the quickest and fastest turbo by a substantial margin. ... Granted, the other turbos are 650s and the Kawasaki is a 750; nevertheless, when you’re talking horsepower, the numbers win," said Cycle magazine in its November 1983 issue. "No normally-aspirated 750 — and few normally-aspirated anythings — can best the Kawasaki’s turbo-pressurized acceleration, its headlong rush, its willingness to leap from 60 to 120 mph in what seems like less time than it takes to read this line," said Cycle World in March of 1984.