This review was copied from url ftp://ftp.cecm.sfu.ca/pub/RMR/Kawasaki/ZEPHYR550-90 for local access. Thanks to author Elaine Leffler, elef@smarmy.corp.sun.com
Standard styling with stock 'custom' touches like chrome 4-into-1 exhaust. Colors: metallic blue and red. 550 Zephyr was only produced in 90 and 91. (oh yeah - the blue paint scheme has GREAT purple-and-grey decals on the tank. a real BONUS for me)
Bike originally listed for $3999. There aren't many for sale used , as not many sold in the first place! Dealers still have some now, and the 93-year models are about to come out. I have never seen a Zephyr listed for sale in this area with the exception of mine, which was a once-in-a-lifetime STEAL at $2300 (i bought it from a gentleman who'd won it in a contest, put 11 miles on it, decided he didn't like riding, stored it for a year and sold it). Motorcyclist recently reported that Kawasaki lost a legal battle with Mercury over the name 'Zephyr', so all in-stock Zephyrs are having their decals removed. Guess this makes the original Zephyrs low-demand collectors bikes...
The only modification I've made to the bike thus far was to have the seat cut down. The magazine articles will tell you that at 30.3 inches, ANY rider can flat foot this bike - then they'll refer to their 5'7 test rider (_Cycle_) . At 5'0, I had to cut most of the foam out of the seat.It's still quite comfy (to me - the beau complains about it when he rides my bike), and Mountain View Auto Upholstery did a good job of re-shaping the seat - most people don't notice that it's been cut at all.
I've been VERY happy with the Zephyr. The engine is smooth and responsive (it's the old GPz engine), and is VERY quick above about 7000 rpm. The dual-front brakes are GREAT, and the rear disk brake rounds out the stopping power nicely. The forks are a bit mushy, and I'm considering putting stiffer springs in. I've been comfortable on longer rides, and the seating position is very neutral. I don't know why this bike didn't sell, except that it's under 600 cc, and us Big Burly 'Merkun Bikers don't think it's a Real Bike cause it's smallish. There are a lot of nice touches like no-tool adjustments for the clutch and front brake levers (they even adjust 'in' far enough to be comfortable for smaller-handed folks like me), nitrogen piggyback shocks (3-way adjustable) and a chain adjuster that's EVER so simple to use (there's some fancy name for it but I don't remember what it is right now). The dual trip odometers are nice to have on long trips, as is the 4-gallon tank. At 55-75 mph, the bike is EXTREMELY smooth, very well suited for freeway cruising, if you have to do that sort of thing. The bike gets a LOT of admiring looks, which may be partially due to curiosity - there are so few Zephyrs around here - but I prefer to think people are admiring the styling of the bike.
I had to have the gas tank replaced right after I bought the bike (thankfully, it was still under factory warranty!). Apparently, the fuel vent hoses have a tendency to get kinked, due to their cramped positioning under the seat. Mine did, and the bike was stored for a year with a full tank of gas. As the gas warmed, it wanted to expand, and since the vent hose was non-op, the tank proceeded to expand so far that it didn't fit the bike anymore! A new tank, by the way, is $350. ouch. Other potential problems: mushy forks, as mentioned before. No centre stand, due to the 4-into-1 exhaust. The side stand is a bit awkward to use, due to the peg positioning (taller riders may feel really cramped because of the peg position). The stock tires (Bridgestone Excedras) are pretty darned hard - I doubt I'll ever wear mine out (which doesn't matter, as I'm switching to Metzelers as soon as I have the $$).
Elaine Leffler
elef@smarmy.corp.sun.com