swft
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Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
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posted May 29, 2002 07:34 AM
Remember the MCN report?
Pulled it off the website. Good detailed evaluation!
As fast as you dare
The ZX-12R is here. We've ridden it. And it has just one limiting factor: You
8 Mar 2000By Chris Moss
IS the ZX-12R faster than a Hayabusa? The question can be tackled in two ways. Firstly, is the bike faster in the real world, on the roads we ride every day where 190mph is just a dream? And secondly, is the Kawasaki the world's fastest production motorcycle?
After two days conducting the world's first independent road test of a ZX-12R, we can reveal the answers are yes and...maybe. Yes, because the Kawasaki handles better than the Suzuki and is just as quick on the road, even if it's not as torquey. If you wanted to get from A to B and sample some bends along the way, the Kawasaki would get you there first. Even during a track session at the Kyalami World Superbike circuit, the ZX-12R proved it could just about stay with an R1 through the bends and annihilate it on the straights. Impressive stuff.
So, on to the second part of the question - the one everyone wants an answer to. My gut feeling is that the new bike will be faster. But that's only my feeling, subsequent head to head tests will prove it one way or another.
The only ZX-12R we could find was in South Africa - Johannesburg to be precise - which is 5000ft above sea level and hardly the ideal place for speed testing motorcycles.
Local experts tell us the thinner air at this altitude can rob up to 20 per cent of a bike's power. Worse than that, the effect of the oxygen-starved air can be seen more on one bike than another. And on top of all that, our two-day test only allowed us to ride on public roads and briefly around a track, so we didn't have the opportunity to get a conclusive speed test.
Maximum velocity
THERE was once a belief that humans couldn't breathe at speeds over 30mph. Happily, this theory was disproved when the first motor vehicles overtook the man with the red flag and started their steady climb to the performance levels of today.
Happily, too, for riders of Kawasaki's ZX-12R, since this motorcycle is fast enough to suck their lungs inside-out and Doppler-shift their molecules into a different time zone. Kawasaki have always been known for big, brutal bikes (perhaps because of their bridge and shipbuilding background) and the ZX-12R is one of the biggest and most brutal.
With around 160bhp at the rear wheel it'll rip to an indicated 200mph-plus in the blink of a Gatso camera, and with a 210kg weight it'll do it in sports-touring plushness.
But its sporting side will also wheelie into infinity or lay darkies on corner exits. Intimidating figures and performance for sure, but everything's kept under control by impressive cycle parts.
The frame is a massive monocoque affair arching over the engine and incorporating the airbox. A purposeful ram air snout gulps in the atmosphere from the high-pressure area just in front of the fairing and stuffs it straight at the fuel injectors.
To make way for the induction system the fuel cell moves backwards and down, under the seat, so weight's kept low and nearer the centre of gravity. Like a Chinese proverb the swingarm's strength comes from within, via internal bracing, and grips a 6-in rim shod with a 200-section tyre - a first on a production bike.
Everywhere you look there are details designed to help the Kawasaki go very fast, very quickly. Most obvious are the bullet-like mirrors for punching through the air and the stabilising fins on the fairing, an idea first seen on GP bikes.
But look closely and you'll notice cast winglets on the lower fork legs; they're designed to smooth the airflow around the fairing and ensure there's no turbulence as the 200mph wind flows along the sides and off the back of the smooth tail unit.
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.
Alternatives: Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa; Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, Yamaha Thunderace
Anything approaching 200mph on the road, where you need your head buried behind the screen for two miles, is simply not on. That's before you take into account that these are South African roads, where herds of cattle and wild animals are likely to cross in front of you at any time, and often do...
Ever since we'd known about the bike I'd made countless phone calls in a bid to secure the first test. For months I'd been met with " sorry, Chris, no can do " . But then last Wednesday morning I received a message from the office. It said: " Mossy, pack your leathers and bring your passport. Oh yes, and get a speed gun on your way in. " It could only mean one thing. Months of chasing had finally paid off, and the long-awaited ZX-12R was finally ours. And I had to go to South Africa to ride it. It was all very exciting stuff... until reality kicked in.
Eight hours of trying to sort out insurance, money and meeting places followed by a 10-hour non-smoking flight isn't my ideal way to spend a day. It wasn't photographer Howard Boylan's either, so he took enough drugs to knock out an elephant and was sparko until we landed. Charming company.
Despite feeling knackered, I was really relieved when a car finally showed up and we set off for Kawasaki's South African HQ. Like I said, I'd been desperately trying to arrange this test, but delays on Kawasaki's production line had meant postponement after postponement, and constant disappointment. It seemed it would never happen... until I walked into the rear car park.
A production-spec ZX-12R was staring me right in the face. This was no show-stand view. It was no sneaky spy shot in MCN. This was the real deal, and I had the key. Suddenly I forgot about the flight, the dodgy food and Boylan's incessant snoring and I couldn't wait to get my leathers on.
Ten minutes later I was swopping my Shoei's clear visor for an iridium one to block out the intense sun and starting out on a journey into the unknown.
I was keener to ride this bike than any other. I was seriously impressed with the Hayabusa when I first rode that, and I was hoping this would be just as good - if not better. But before I slung a leg over the saddle I thought I'd show a bit of courtesy and at least have a look around the bike. After all, this was the first time I'd seen the finished version - apart from the kph clocks, this was exactly the same as the one coming to Britain.
It looks fairly big and tall, lacking the sleek and swoopy appearance of some of the more dedicated sports bikes. But it's still a looker and the styling gives it a meaner attitude than the altogether more bovine Suzuki.
Its bodywork is attractively curved and the black alloy monocoque frame keeps the machine slim, essential if it's to slice through the air on the way to Hayabusa-chasing speeds.
Look closer and you can see further evidence of the design team's quest for outright performance. The aerodynamic mirrors, the submarine-style fins on the fairing and lower fork legs and the huge ram-air snout. All these suggest they had one thing on their mind when they created a new document called " ZX-12R drafts " on the computer.
As I turned the key, snicked it into first and gingerly eased out of Kawasaki's car park, in front of an anxious-looking group of men in suits, I was preparing to have my arms wrenched out of their sockets as soon as I opened the throttle.
But as I turned on to the road it didn't suggest it was the powerhouse I'd been waiting for. At low revs the motor feels as if it lacks the bottom-end grunt of the 1300cc Suzuki and to be honest it felt a bit flat at first.
But initial impressions aren't always correct, and little did I know how much I'd change my mind later on.
Through the back streets of Johannesburg the ZX-12R is a little imposing at first because of its tall seat. It's only 81cm (31.6in) according to the specs, but my 32in inside leg still means it's tip-toes only at a standstill. And despite the efforts to lower the centre of gravity, including fitting an underseat-mounted fuel tank, at first the Kawasaki gives the impression it's a bit top-heavy.
This subsides after a few faster corners, but this slightly ungainly feel makes the bike feel a touch ponderous around town. The clutch action is also a little grabby as it takes up the drive and the fuel injection system has the more usual switch-like delivery at low revs, so the first slow-speed impressions are not favourable.
However, this bike isn't supposed to take over from a scooter as the perfect commuter. Quite the opposite, and as I leave the busy urban sprawl the bike comes into its own.
South Africa is a biker's paradise. It's the third time I've been here and it impresses me more each time I ride round. The weather is fantastic, the roads are in good condition and the scenery breathtaking. The police take a very relaxed view on speeding and few riders actually get nicked. And with hardly any cars to stop the high-speed frolicking, the place is ideally suited to a bike with this kind of performance.
It comes as no surprise to discover the acceleration is incredible. There might be enough useful torque and flexibility to leave it in the higher gears and still move fast, but use the slick gearbox a little, and send the tacho needle a bit higher around its dial, and things start happening very, very quickly. Something like the latest FireBlade, which isn't renowned for being slow, would be dust in your mirrors down a straight.
There is a creamy-smooth build-up of power as the revs rise, but at 8000rpm, especially in the taller gears, there's a great surge that's massively impressive. At these speeds there's a huge amount of horsepower going to the back tyre, and it's often the case that you're looking at things in the mirrors before your mind has registered they even exist.
Cars that were dots on the horizon just seconds before are suddenly on top of you and it's essential to adjust to a pace which even Scotty would be proud of, especially as the bike's composure and civility can be good at masking its actual performance.
The fairing does a great job of keeping the enormous wind blast at bay, but it's just as effective at disguising how fast you're going. The more-than-capable engine also occasionally gives the impression you're not travelling at the ridiculous speed you really are. But if you take your eye off the road for a nanosecond to glance at the speedo you're left in no doubt about the true performance.
Getting from a standstill to well over 130mph is simplicity itself. It only takes around 10 seconds and one gearchange if you feel like giving the engine some serious stick. Some superbikes are fast, but this thing is stupid fast.
Hang on to the throttle a bit longer - if you dare - and you'll start seeing numbers on the clock which are pure fantasy and you've got to be very careful not to get carried away. I did on one particularly inviting stretch of dual-carriageway until I realised the 90 on the clock actually had a one in front of it.
Running up to the red line through the gears is an education in itself and within a very short space of time the clock shows an impressive 200mph. Hold it flat-out for long enough and it will show another 20mph. That's the same figure we got before properly speed testing the Suzuki, and to give you an idea, that should work out at a genuine 190mph.
At one point I did prepare myself for a one-off top-speed run to at least give you an idea of the top whack. Our local guides insisted there was little need to worry about the law, so we found a quiet straight, set up a speed gun and I went for it. But two-thirds of the way down, as the speedo was flicking past 200mph, a small herd of cattle edged out of the bushes by the side of the road, forcing me to roll off. They then proceeded to cross the road a split second after I'd passed. With that I decided to leave it until I got back to the empty expanses of Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground's two-mile runway.
Of course, the throttle works both ways, and the engine is as user-friendly and civilised when you keep a check on your right wrist as it is at providing ballistic speeds when you don't. And really, on the road, you need to exercise caution.
Though it was possible for us to clock 150mph-plus over there, we don't need to tell you the police over here are nowhere near as liberal, and if you get caught at those speeds, being banned will be the least of your worries. This bike has the potential to land you in serious trouble, and the thought of getting the bus to work could actually prove to be a fantasy when you're dreaming about how life used to be from your prison cell.
And it will be even faster back in Blightly, because we will be 5000ft closer to seal level. The performance-sapping thin air in South Africa was compensated by the fuel injection system to some degree, but not enough to give it full welly. The injection system uses sensors to dictate how much fuel should be squirted into the cylinders based on the information it receives on air and engine temperatures. If the density of air reaching the motor is low then so will the amount of fuel it delivers to the engine, and it will lose power. We were quoted 20 per cent, and it's easy to believe because a 2000-spec ZX-9R we rode the same day certainly felt as though it had lost its edge. And in the evening, when the sun went down, the temperature dropped and the air density improved, both bikes felt quicker.
Fortunately, the chassis is more than good enough to keep you out of trouble, and though a court appearance could be on the cards, hospital visits are less likely.
The legislative-laxity of South Africa gave us a great chance to really put the ZX-12R through its paces around the corners, and its scratching ability proved almost as good as the motor.
The monocoque frame is as stiff as it should be to contain 175bhp. It gives masses of feedback and, coupled with the excellent tyres and suspension, high-speed cornering doesn't feel so risky.
After just a few hours I felt much more at home on the bike, and because it's so well-balanced and easier to ride when you're used to it, it gives you plenty of confidence to attack bends like you would on a lighter, sportier machine.
The steering is light and quite fast for a bike of this class, and the relatively steep and short chassis geometry means short work can be made of twisty sections. For a 1200cc sports tourer it is surprisingly agile and flickable, not as much as an R1, but more than a Hayabusa.
Ground clearance is very generous and only the hero blobs will touch down, even when you're really going for it. But even then, the massive 200-section rear Dunlop D207 gives plenty of grip and feedback.
Of course, any tyre is only as good as the suspension it's allied to, and the Kawasaki's set-up is excellent. The forks and shock have a great balance of comfort and control which give the bike a much more sporty feel than you expect.
Initially I thought the front end felt a bit soft and dived too much under braking, and I was tempted to reach for the toolkit and stiffen them up. But as the day went on their composure over rougher bits of road was a blessing and they would have been a nightmare if I'd played around.
The damping is controlled well enough to keep the front tyre firmly on the Tarmac, pass on the relevant feedback on the road conditions and still protect your arms from the pot-holes.
It's the same story at the back and as well as coping admirably with the a huge amount of power, the shock is impressive at keeping the back-battering potential of the bumps at bay. I never felt the need to back off because of any wallows or weaves, simply because I never experienced any. For a mass-produced bike of this type, the ride quality is remarkable.
I was getting used to the fork dive when I realised the reason for it wasn't so much because of soft springing and damping, but the power of the front brakes. One finger is all you need, whether you want to slow for a wayward taxi at 30mph or a herd of cows at 190.
There's nothing like the unexpected to test the brakes and in this unfamiliar part of the world you quickly learn to expect the unexpected. But with the sort of power, feel and progressive nature of the Tokico calipers, there's no worry they won't get you out of trouble.
That was no surprise on a bike designed for speed and seemingly nothing else, but what did surprise me was the general civility and user-friendliness of the whole package.
After a day of thrashing, wheelieing and general flat-out lunacy, jet-lag was kicking in and the novelty starting to wear off. All I wanted was a smooth run back to the hotel for a bit of well-earned rest. By this time I'd come to love the incredible performance and handling, but now I was asking the big brute to pamper me on the way home. And I'm pleased to say it was as pleasurable to ride at more sane speeds as any other sports tourer.
I'd already been impressed by the roomy riding position and excellent protection offered by the fairing, and at normal speeds I discovered its torquey and flexible power delivery was more than enough to get me back to the hotel fast without the need for frantic gearchanges and intense concentration.
I might have been grouchy after 10 hours on the road, but the Kawasaki proved the perfect host.
Ironically, by the time I needed to drop the sidestand and turn on the steering lock, I was quite sad to part company with the ZX-12R. It had been a very long day, but a very rewarding one, to.
Admittedly, riding one of the world's fastest bikes on some of the best biking roads on the planet had helped, but if it wasn't for the bike's real all-round ability to impress on all sorts of roads at all sorts of speeds, I wouldn't have felt as fresh as I did.
As the sun set and I handed the keys back to the men in suits, I was sort of glad I hadn't been able to test it to the limit, because it will give me another chance to ride a ZX-12R in the very near future. I can't wait. Now, where's my room...
IT'S JUST AS OUTRAGEOUS ON THE TRACK
IT might be a good road bike, but for the absolute test of the ZX-12R's capabilities we needed a track, and boy did we get one - the World Superbike circuit at Kyalami to be precise.
The track is very demanding, with a variety of corners from flat-out sixth-gear sweepers to a very tight second-gear chicane.
The undulating nature of the circuit is an excellent test of how well the front end of the bike performs under braking when heeled over, and it also lets you find out how easy it is to use all of the 175 horses the Kawasaki has to offer.
The verdict on the handling is good, but, unsurprisingly, the bike needs some adjustment before it feels really at home on the track.
It steers well enough, but it feels quite big and bulky until you're used to it, just like it does on the road. Kyalami emphasises this more because it's so tight and twisty. Even an R1 would feel a little intimidating around here. But after about 15 laps of learning how best to deal with the tricky track I started to feel more comfortable. By then the ZX-12R felt quite composed and the Dunlops gripped as well as they did on the road, with no sliding or loss of feel.
Ground clearance is very good, allowing you to carry some fast mid-corner speeds and achieve serious angles of lean. Only the hero blobs brush the Tarmac when you're hard over.
But on standard suspension settings the front feels too soft and vague when you're pushing it hard around some of the steep downhill sweepers. Adjusting the forks' damping to maximum on both compression and rebound, and winding up the pre-load by about 8mm to reduce the amount of sag (how much the bike sits down) improves the feeling and calms the front end's tendency to wallow a bit.
But any time you lose around the corners is more than made up for down the straights, thanks to the amazing acceleration.
I proved this by following an R1 around one of the tighter corners. It wasn't easy, and I lost a few yards, but down the next straight the ZX flew by as though the Yamaha had missed a gear. And though it might be fun overtaking in bends, it's a damn sight easier passing on the straights! On a fast, open track like Snetterton, there's no reason why the Kawasaki couldn't lap as fast as some more sports-focused machines, and you'll have just as much fun.
Blink if you dare Fastest isn't always best, but most powerful seems to be...
22 Mar 2000
By Marc Potter
ONE thing's for certain.
The Kawasaki ZX-12R is the most powerful production bike we've ever had on the dyno. It's also one of the greatest road bikes of all time. But it isn't THE fastest.
Congratulations Suzuki. Get out your polishing cloth and dust down the top-speed trophy. It looks like it's set to stay in your cabinet for a very long time.
Even though the ZX-12R produces an outrageous 180bhp at the crank - a figure that would have seemed impossible for a production machine a couple of years ago the Hayabusa remains the ultimate bike for the highest figures on your speedo - by a clear 7mph.
A crisp morning in Leicestershire gave us all the answers...
We are at Bruntingthorpe, one of the few places in the country where you can get a genuine top speed out of the world's fastest production bikes. It's cool, but bright. Except for a sidewind, the conditions are almost perfect.
The big question on the lips of the assembled MCN crew is whether or not the ZX-12R will beat the Busa over the two-mile straight.
For the first time we have them together on the same day with the same rider in the same conditions.
There's a buzz of excitement as the first bike comes into view. It's the benchmark all others will be measured against... Suzuki's Hayabusa. This is the machine most people feel has the most to lose. It is the current speed king - the one the Kawasaki's gaping mouth and outrageous power was always thought to be chasing after.
Each bike is given four chances to rush through the timing lights as fast as possible with the same rider on board. Test rider Kev Smith, a 10 stone racer who's been tucking in behind fairings at Bruntingthorpe for the past eight years, is the man to bring you those all-important numbers.
We can't see it yet, but we can certainly hear the Suzuki taking one gear after another just a few seconds apart as the revs climb ever skyward. Sixth gear is engaged and the wail of the bike's engine being sung to the red line is broken with a roar of wind noise followed by a brief moment of silence and then it's there, leant over slightly to counteract the sidewind. Just a few feet from where we're standing the Busa trips the lights leaving a V-shaped trail of stones and dust in its wake. And the result? At 12.36pm the GSX1300R clocks in at 189mph.
Next up is the Super Blackbird, the bike which originally took the mantle of the world's fastest production bike from Kawasaki's ZZ-R1100. It's not likely to win the battle of top-speed supremacy today, but you simply can't ignore it. Especially when it's approaching at a blindingly fast speed. The gleaming blue paintwork blurs past the lights with a slightly deeper howl than the Hayabusa. It looks like a good run... and it is. The result? At 12.40pm the CBR1100XX records a very respectable 180mph.
And now it's the big one. Ladies and gentlemen, the one we've all been waiting for on her maiden voyage. A slightly higher-pitched roar shatters the eerie silence of the airfield. We run over to official timekeeper Robin Hutton and his array of high-tech gear as the bike's engine noise shifting up at 11,000rpm is drowned out by the roar of the aircraft engineer-developed aerodynamic bodywork slicing its way through the air. For a split second the shape of Smith with his head flat on the tank is visible as the Kawasaki weaves its way through the lights. The wind is upsetting the bike, something Kawasaki's fastest bikes have all suffered from since the ZZ-R1100.
My experience running the bike through the lights on a sighting run earlier tells me it's not a nice feeling. It's forcing Smith to lean over to the right to stay on line and putting the Kawasaki into a weave which makes it feel as though the front tyre is going to wash-out. Putting your weight back in the seat to get as flat as possible behind the screen and getting your chin in the purpose-made indent in the tank only makes the rear suspension squat more and the weave gets worse. At 180mph-plus you don't need that. Smith has done his best to keep the thing in a straight line, but it's a struggle.
You can't tell which is the fastest production bike in the world with the naked eye. We hover anxiously around Hutton to await his verdict. And the result? At 12.46pm the ZX-12R trips the lights at 182mph. That's it then, the Busa is 7mph faster. Period.
But it's not all bad news for the Kawasaki. It's faster than either bike to cover the quarter-mile dash - going from 0-144mph in just 10.04 seconds, compared to the Busa's best of 0-143mph in 10.40s and the Blackbird's 0-136mph in 10.31s. It's obvious why the Kawasaki is quicker in the quarter mile as soon as you attempt the perfect launch. Try getting the Suzuki off the line and it wants to rip its rear tyre off the rim as soon as you dial in some revs. As the needle nudges the red line the rear BT56J spins up momentarily as second gear is engaged. And that's when it's well on its way to doing 100mph. After just four runs the Busa's rear tyre has gone from a nearly new and expensive Bridgestone to one that's almost illegal. You need shares in tyre firms if you're going to keep this one in rubber.
Launching the ZX-12R and the Blackbird is less daunting. The Honda's rear BT57 digs in hard and with a hint of a wheelie it's a pretty relaxed affair. Well, as relaxed as sprinting a quarter-mile on an 1100cc motorcycle can be.
You can almost hear the ZX-12R trying to tear up its 200-section Dunlop rear, but it hangs on in there with only a hint of wheelspin as the mid-range kicks in. Like the Hayabusa's BT56Js, the ZX-12R's D207s are specially made for the bike. It's impressive stuff.
So what we have, in the ZX-12R, is a bike that accelerates quicker than its rivals, has more power, must be as aerodynamic, yet loses out in the race to be the fastest production bike on the planet.
What's all that about, then?
Even Kawasaki UK is unable to tell us if the ZX-12R they supplied to us had been restricted on top speed to come into line with a voluntary speed limit of 186mph. The fact that Kawasaki recorded an independently verified 190.8mph in a behind-closed-doors test at a former RAF base certainly suggests ours may be artificially held back.
But the only way to get an accurate picture of which bike is fastest is by riding them back-to-back in identical conditions, exactly what happened in our test. There was no evidence to suggest the Busa was restricted. And it did tear through at a speed which stuck two fingers up to Brussels.
Back in the real world, where ultimate top speeds like these are only a dream, it's a different story. One that's not based around a two-mile runway, but the places you ride: Roads full of of speed cameras, bumps and corners. Here the Kawasaki's 7mph top speed deficit is irrelevant.Its 165bhp at the rear wheel means overtaking anything on the road is simply a case of locking on to your target and twisting the throttle.
An R1 or GSX-R will corner faster and stop better, but nothing beats the rush of a big engine trying to tear a rear tyre to pieces. The ZX-12R will simply obliterate the sportier side of biking in a straight line and won't be too far behind on back roads.
Quite simply, there's no other bike that's so easy to overtake on or leave in top gear and munch roads at a scary rate. A twist of the throttle and a keen eye for what's coming up on the horizon are all it requires.
The ZX-12R is set to become a legendary bike like the ZZ-R1100 before it - even though it's basically copied Suzuki's cook book.
Kawasaki has taken what the Hayabusa started and built a stupidly powerful machine that handles almost like a sports bike rather than a slimmed-down tourer like the Blackbird.
But it's not only the way the bike rides that makes it so appealing. You can almost forgive the Hayabusa for being so ugly because of what it is. The smart new colourscheme helps, but you can't deny it's still a bit Mr Blobby.
The Blackbird's shape is now so familiar that it's hard to believe people turned up their noses at its pointy snout when it first hit the streets in 1996. In fact, the Blackbird has grown over time into a decent-looking bike, especially in the bright blue we've got for the test.
But the Kawasaki holds the trump card on styling. It looks far sleeker - helped by the single pipe, instead of the heavier looking twin cans on the Busa and Bird. And things like the bizarre monocoque chassis - which runs over the top of the engine and includes the airbox as part of the frame to make the bike slimmer - are almost forgotten with the bodywork on. The huge black mirrors taken straight out of Star Trek are harder to forgive. They work brilliantly on the road, but they are pig-ugly.
Like the aerodynamic fins on the fairing and deflectors on the sides of the fork legs, the mirrors are designed to cut through the air with minimum turbulence. I'm sure most owners would be prepared to lose a couple of mph to have mirrors that don't look as though they're fresh from an LSD-confused art student's head.
Mirrors and fins aside, the Kawasaki looks fresher and sharper and feels it the moment you sit on board.
It sits between a full-on sports bike and something like the old ZZ-R, now clearly part of the sports touring world.
The riding position was designed with aerodynamics in mind - sitting you well behind the screen and out of the wind.
The Kawasaki feels a lot narrower than the others, but it's also a lot taller. The Busa sits you down low, but has high pegs which make it a little cramped in comparison. The Blackbird is also low, but it's far more comfortable.
Despite the Kawasaki's extra height, average-sized riders will feel at home right away. The riding position is less radical than the Suzuki's and it's very comfy - even if the anti-slip seat feels a bit wooden to start with.
Turn the key and you get the clocks reminding you they work and spinning round the dial to 240mph and past the red line on the rev-counter. It's an idea nicked from the Hayabusa and one that seems to have become the must-have gimmick new bikes. If chrome is the new carbon then dancing clocks are the new digital. But Kawasaki doesn't neglect the LCD side of things. There's a digital temperature gauge, fuel gauge, clock and two trip-meters. All you need for a trans-continental blast.
There's also a fast-idle lever which gets the fuel injection going from cold and the bike fires up with an almost car-like noise from the fat silencer as it warms up.
The gearbox feels a bit sloppy, but the same can't be said for the engine. Stacks of grunt comes in low-down and go on for ever. It's not quite as strong as the Hayabusa at the very bottom, but by the mid-range it's goodbye Honda and Suzuki.
I'd already ridden the Hayabusa and Blackbird for the best part of a day each on the same test route. Both are very capable bikes and outrageously fast. But nothing prepared me for the sheer force of acceleration on the fearsome Kawasaki.
As I pulled out of a junction behind the Blackbird, I feathered the throttle and sat right on the Honda's tail light through a set of tight corners. The cornering advantage was massive, with loads of feel from the front tyre compared to the obvious struggle the Honda rider was having with the bike heeled over and the footrest scraping.
With the ZX-12R able to cope with the corner with no danger of touching down, at least at this pace, I waited for the Honda rider to get on the power before unleashing the Kawasaki's full horses.
As the road straightened out I nailed the throttle and the head start I'd given the Honda evaporated. As the Kawasaki reached 8000rpm the Honda was well in my sights, but by the time I hit higher revs it felt like I'd been fired past the Blackbird. The Suzuki was close behind, but I was easily pulling out a lead and the Honda rider was choking in rubber and exhaust fumes.
I'll make no excuses for the first words that came to my lips as the rear suspension squatted and the front wheel skimmed the Tarmac, inches off the ground. I'm sure you can imagine - the sort of thing you utter in moments of astonishment and joy - so I won't repeat them in print. Let's just say that by the time I'd got to the end of fourth gear my licence was at severe risk.
Few bikes make you shout out loud with excitement like this. It commands respect and it's all too easy to light up the rear tyre despite the phenomenal grip from the 200-section Dunlop. Having said that, it can also be a big pussy-cat if you're easy on the throttle.
At the end of the straight the Tokico brakes - as also fitted to the Hayabusa - meant I didn't have any worries about scrubbing off my immense speed. They're plenty powerful enough for this kind of behaviour and there's a nice fluid motion from the forks as they take up the slack on the entry to a corner.
Getting into the corner is less of an effort than on the Suzuki, even if the braking is about the same. It is much less scary than with Honda's linked brakes. Once off the brakes the Kawasaki turns in faster than either of its rivals. And that's saying something because, despite the Hayabusa's bulbous looks, it really handles.
Once in the corner the Kawasaki's suspension feels slightly softer than the Suzuki's and it's much easier to hold a line all the way around then get the power down on the way out. Although it puts down 5bhp more than the Hayabusa, the ZX-12R is less likely to spin its tyre up on the way out under very hard power.
What it is more likely to do is get a bit lively at the front. A few times its steeper geometry made the handlebars start dancing their way out of a bumpy corner, while the Suzuki was totally trustworthy. If you get even a slight wiggle from a Hayabusa's handlebars you need to race in the Isle of Man TT.
But that's one of the Kawasaki's few niggles and partly explains its high-speed instability problem at Bruntingthorpe, though it never weaves on the road - it just gets a bit slappy now and then.
In fact, although you could happily go R1-baiting on the Suzuki, the Kawasaki is a much more balanced and sportier feeling package. From A-to-B you'd get there faster on the Kawasaki unless you had a significant number of flat-out straights in between.
Don't dismiss the Blackbird. It might be harder to flick around, but the wind protection is great and it's very refined. It's a bit tame in this company, but the Honda still has enough grunt and top-end rush to put most bikes to shame.
The Suzuki is easy to ride, even if it requires a bit more footwork than the ZX-12R, but the Kawasaki does everything slightly better - barring that top speed thing.
Given the choice we'd take the Kawasaki. It's one of the bikes of the new millennium. You could ride to the South of France in total comfort, tackle a track day and blitz all-comers at a run what you brung. What more could you want?
  
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PaulVincent
Expert Class
Posts: 135
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posted May 29, 2002 08:02 AM
 Edited By: PaulVincent on 29 May 2002 09:03
To this day, I find Potter's top speed analysis irritating as hell as there are those who accept what he wrote as the final say on the 12's top end performance. I wonder if he'd bet his life on 182 being accurate as of now.
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Rocket J
Zone Head
Goes to water over a dummy!!!
Posts: 602
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posted May 29, 2002 11:03 AM
Maybe...
It was overfilled with oil. 
Rocket
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If I get any smarter, my head will explode!
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