advice needed regarding competent mechanic

[moose7117]

i am tossing the idea around about buying a kawasaki zx12, i have had one before and am quite familiar with these bikes , however i need to find a real bike mechanic that is capable of working on these things.

any suggestions ?

location is not so much of a problem however somewhere in issan or bangkok would be preferred.

rob

[yankee99]

Does the bike have issues already. I am sure the are several in bkk. Red baron, racing spec, ap shop to name a few. I have no personal experience as i decided to do everything my self. .... I think a bigger issue will be parts at least that the problem i have with a grey import.

[RubberSideDown]

Red Baron recently did some work on my ZX-14R- they had some issues getting my aftermarket exhaust properly installed (though they managed to do it after three tries)- this is a bike that's sold by Kawi Thailand and there are a few of them around- sourcing parts and knowledge for a 12R could be a bit problematic.

Like Y99 said, if it's grey-market, it won't be easy to find a good mechanic unless it's something more common like an R1 or CBR-1000RR.

[moose7117]

i have not purchased one as yet, however i have had one previously in oz and maintained it so i never had any problems.

i am just thinking that a zx12r for @ 200 k against a zx14 for nearly 1mill - it does not justify the price difference.

parts are not really a problem as i simply source them off the net , get them posted to my work address in oz & bring them with me when i come over.

i just need somebody with a little more ability than my local somchai with his collection of cold chisels!

[RubberSideDown]

I'm not trying to justify the price of anything, and I don't care what bike you buy- I shared my experience getting a similar (and more widely available) bike worked on here in Thailand.

[yankee99]

As i know the zx12 did not survive long,,,,It certainly didnt have the longevity of the r1, cbr1000rr or even the z1000....Of course everyone should buy what they like but i doubt thailand will make a good home for the zx12.....All engines are about the same so if the mechanic can read the service manual you provide i cant see why it would be different as long as you keep supplying parts....

[moose7117]

thanks for the advice guys , it seems that zx12r's are reasonably common here , found a few for sale, just not popular with the white guys.

most are grey imports and about half have books,