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MCN: 2005 KAWASAKI ZX-12R kicks busa out of its class ...

List Price: £8995

Insurance group: 16



Kawasaki have always been known for big, brutal bikes
and the ZX-12R is one of the biggest and most brutal.

With around 178bhp at the rear wheel it'll rip to an indicated 220!!!mph-plus in the blink of a Gatso camera,
and with a 200kg weight it'll do it in sports-touring plushness.

But its sporting side will also wheelie into infinity or easily lay darkies on corner exits.
Intimidating figures and performance for sure,
but everything's kept under control by impressive cycle parts.
For such an intimidating bike
the ZX-12R handles exceptionally well,
with quality suspension and brilliant brakes,
but its real stamping ground is limit-free autobahns.

As a performance mile-eater it can justifiably lay claim to a resurrected Gran Tourisimo tag.
It really is the return of the gentleman's express.

For 2005 the ZX-12R handling came on leaps and bounds
and it's now agile enough to make it a serious prospect on a track.

Better still is the new look.
Restrained colourschemes and subtle colours have never been Kawasaki's strong suit,
but the new range looks mega,
and it's a relief to see the back of that odd wavey design that blighted the flanks of the 2001 model.

The updates have taken the ZX-12R well past the Hayabusa in almost every respect.
Fractions behind the 146bhp Suzuki from 0-60
it nips to 130mph almost half a second ahead of its old sparring partner,
nearly 20 bike lengths ahead thanks to a 7bhp advantage.

Irrelevant on the road, but crucial down the pub.

Now that the speed war is dead, it's no longer about who has the fastest, but who has the sharpest.

And the new ZX-12R is right on the cutting edge.

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