Needs a life
Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
posted June 24, 2006 08:32 PM
24 Fast Bikes July '06 www.fastbikes.co.uk
Muhammad Ali once said "I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch
in my hotel room, and f was in bed before the room was dark". The great man may
be right, but these days as he pulled back the covers he'd find the ZZR1400 had beaten him to it,
nicked all the good pillows, and was already snoring like a pig. already Kawasaki, more than any other manufacturer, have always stood for speed They were there for our dads with Z1s, GPZs, and the ZZR1100, each one a legend and that is now being replaced by the far more advanced, new from the ground up, ZZR1400 that marks Kawasaki's return to record breaking form.
This is the first bike to ever claim an output of 200bhp, an effective soundbite if ever there was one. That figure is achieved at 9,500 rpm with the ram air in full flow. Top speed is limited to 186mph. Despite the banzai figures, Kawasaki realise that their likely customer is an experienced rider between 35-5o years old, looking for a high performance long-distance machine, and he wants to enjoy the pride of ownership that comes with the ultimate performance bike.
Engine development and extreme horsepower was critical to put Kawasaki back at the top. It isn't a new unit though. It's actually evolved from the ZX-12R, bored out by 1 mm and stroked by 6 mm to take capacity to 1352 cc.
Honda and Suzuki both stole the crown away temporarily in the'90s, but the ZX-12R reasserted Kawasaki's straight-line dominance in 2000, even if it achieved little else as a sportsbike. The Honda Blackbird was always the big seller though, buyers preferring comfort and practicality to outright speed and power. Kawasaki fought back with the ZZ-R1200, and it's that bike the largest sportsbike motor Kawasaki has ever produced. The longer stroke helps to deliver space shuttle rivalling torque of 154Nm at 7,5oorpm, so the speed limiter is only a few seconds away even if you roll-on in top at 5omph. No wonder Kawasaki launched the bike in Europe's go-for-it zone.
If I was to name the ten best things about Germany I'd probably run short of nine. Living there is like winning second
prize in the life lottery. Your wife will look like a Russian weightlifter with hairy armpits, you will converse in the worst-sounding language on earth, and you will know that you had your ass kicked in every major war you started in the last millennium. However, there is one thing
about Germany that's true genius: the speed-limit free autobahns. Rightly proud of their bike's speed, Kawasaki flew us out to Frankfurt for some legal motorway madness, Jagermeister, and schnitzel. The ZZR-1400 isn't a delicate looking bike, and although it looks powerful it seems very bulky. It's 215 kg dry, which means we're talking at least 250kg wet, and 330kg with me on board. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that at 186mph you'd have enough inertia to punch me through the remainder of the Berlin wall and all the way to my parents' driveway in Poland.
First impressions after takeoff were that the ZZR hides its weight better than Britney Spears on MTV It has a low centre of gravity that ensures light handling at slow speeds. The fuelling is flawless, and there's a spread of friendly power low down in the rev range. The bike makes a stunning 100Nm of torque at only 2000 rpm, but it'll never scare you as the power builds up more progressively than sand in an hour-glass. All I could think about was nailing it though, and at the very first chance on the outskirts of Frankfurt I let rip. The engine felt phenomenal, and the speed took me by surprise. Imagine you're approaching traffic lights that turn yellow. You crack the throttle to make it through, and before the light turns red the ZZR1400 will teleport you through this and two more sets of lights beyond.
It doesn't strain your arms, and there's no afterburner feeling. it's more like being on the freakin' Starship Enterprise at full inter-stellar geek drive. Winding open at the bottom of third and glancing at the speedo will shock you when you see you're doing 120 mph in a 30 zone. Genius, and lethal. As we got to the twisty back roads of the Rhine Valley I was blown
away by the bike's handling. It's nothing ~) like you'd expect from such a behemoth. The steering is quick and effortless. All you have to - do is look through the corner, and the ZZR sweetly follows.
The suspension works beautifully in standard trim, only diving too fast under the most extreme braking, but never less than impeccably stable. Feedback from the tyre is clear, and it flattens bumpy roads like a steamroller. It has the magic balance between stiffness and compliance that Kawasaki has recently discovered for the ZX-6R and 10R, and it's complemented by the tyres. Bespoke BT-014s offer almost too much grip. It took drastic measures to break traction in search of some sideways thrills. Even on the morning's damp roads, so long as the tyres were warm, the bike would rather wheelie than spin the rear.
The brakes are the same fourpiston radial calipers as used on the ZX-10R. Although they're up to the job, you're well aware of the extra impetus needing reining in. Feel and progression are great though. If you have leprosy or a bionic arm and can't feel the lever, you may want the ABS option, tho real riders will skip it.
Power delivery is crucial to smooth riding, and like the new Z10-R, the ZZR has one of the best fuel injection systems yet. Initial pick up is smoother than the best ice-cold Polish vodka. Needless to say that this excellent package instantly inspired some enthusiastic corner speds, only for the limit to appear surprisingly soon. The footpegs went down early with the bike still on rails, so I pushed further only to find that I was waring out the bellypan. Although the frame and engine are more compact than the ZX-12R, the engine has been puyshed so low in pursuit of easy and stable handling that the fairing has to be wider at the bellypan, limiting clearance.
Even if you're a not knee-down enthusiast, ground clearance is so poor that it might affect a brisk ride with a pillion. Finallly, we got to the autobahn and the mayhem began. The ZZR tore through the first three gewars to 120mph, and never let up. I stopped looking at the speedo after that, and kept my head under the bubble and watched for four-wheeled mobile chicanes. A few seconds later the speedo needle locked at 186mph, tho the stability and broad fairing made it feel far slower. Only the white lines, now blurring into one, hinted at the huge speed. At that moment, I relaised that I was still in fifth. Six gear dropped 1,000 rpm and the engine settled into a comfortable overdrive at 300kph. Motorway bends really tighten at these speeds, but the ZZR remained agil enough to let you hold it open. I was really impressed at how tight a line it could hold too. The ZZR does everything it can to help you keep the throttle to the stop, which is when the 'Playstation factor' takes hold. In many respects the ZZR1400 is amazing. It's 200bhp claims will probably deliver about 173bhp on a static dyno, but that's still a shit-load. It's the usability that really makes it though. Combining red chili power with deliver as delicate as quail eggs dipped in a lemon-grass sauce. The handling too, given the size of the bike, is in a league of one.
More than anything though, the ZZR1400 is a tease. It gives you amzing power, but caps your speed shy of the double-ton. It gives you excellent handling characteristics, but the ground clearinace puts a halt to your corner speed. It gives you a taste of enormous potential, only to demote you to window-shopper status. The ZZR1400 is certain to be the best ballistic sports-tourcer though without testing it back to back with a Hayabusa, I'm not sure which bike would provide more thrills. The ZZR can be so good that it feels lazy. One thing is certain though, in the engine department the ZZR1400 has put Kawasaki back on top. And you know what else? It could be yours for just 8,995. That's a bargain.
At 1,352cc this is Kawasaki's largest sportsbike engine ever. Claimed power is 190bhp at 9,500rpm, with an extra 10bhp when the ram air is in full effect. It has a more sporty architecture than other hyperbikes, achieving its capacity with a much bigger bore and a shorter stroke than the 1.298cc Hayabusa, pushing peak power and torque further up the rev range.
Like the ZX-IOR, the engine's forward slanted cylinders are cast integrally with the crankcase, and the compact tri-axis shaft arrangement is used. The ZZR1400 features forged camshafts, forged pistons, carburised connecting rods, and twin balancer shafts to keep vibration to a minimum.
The aluminium monocoque frame is similar to that used on the ZX-12R. A conventional twin-beam frame that wraps around the engine would have resulted in an excessively wide overall package. Different casting techniques are used in order to adjust rigidity levels of individual sections of the frame. Comparatively, the ZZR's frame has 230% of the longitudinal rigidity, and 90% of the torsional rigidity of the frame used in the ZX-12R. The suspension features inverted 43mm forks with 13-way compression damping, ii-way rebound damping and preload adjustability. The shock is fully adjustable for compression damping, rebound damping and preload.
posted June 24, 2006 09:30 PM
Edited By: FasterThanStink on 24 Jun 2006 22:34
Sweet. I'm going to buy this issuue tomorrow. I love the British bike magazines. The writing, photography and production quality are beyond reproach. Not to mention the British wit anf humor. ____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
quote:Sweet. I'm going to buy this issuue tomorrow. I love the British bike magazines. The writing, photography and production quality are beyond reproach. Not to mention the British wit anf humor.
____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
posted June 24, 2006 09:33 PM
OOps. Double post. Too many painkillers. ____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
posted June 24, 2006 10:34 PM
The editorial story holds special significance for me as I have driven the Rhine valley, and area's around Frankfurt.
Imagining the experience on my zx14 really stirs the soul.
I wonder.... how much to ship my bike over for the next familly reunion with my inlaws?
Hooking up with fullzx12r for some fantastic rides in France would be a plus!
Hmmmm......
____________
natural selection.....
destiny will overcome intervention.
Some are not worthy of the effort.
Needs a life
Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
posted June 25, 2006 09:10 AM
Go to a German dealer, take the bike out for an 'extended' test ride! ____________
82 Gpz750, 84 Ninja 900, 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy Big Bore Kit), *another* 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy custom stroke crank 1341cc motor), 2004 ZZR1200, 2005 ZX10R, 2007 ZX14, 2008 Concours 14, 2014 Versys 650, 2014 Yamaha WR450F, 2015 Ninja H2
posted June 25, 2006 09:13 AM
Edited By: TheVak on 25 Jun 2006 10:21
Oh Fast Bikes we have that hear I am going to go get that right now good looking out on the info. I know it is a european mag but we have it in the states. Yeah they always show nice wheelie shots as where the US mags shy away from that for some reason. Going to get it now thanks again bro.
Don't miss the ZX14 special on the Speed channel this wednesday 28th it's on at 8:00PM
Easter Standard Time. I saw the previews and I hope it is not all stock footage that we all have seen already. From what the lady comintator made it seem like that wasn't the case.
I'm watching just out of curiousity.
quote:anyonebought the recent issure of fastbikes?08busa vs 08 zzr1400
Both editors pretty much chose the ZX-14 overall, but said the Busa was the one to have if speed/sport was on your priority list. They rave about its motor, but the riding position hurt one of the editors' back after extended periods.
For what these bikes are(high speed sports tourers) the ZX-14 is the better choice. If you want something more adept at canyon carvin, they like the Busa, but mention you might as well get the Gixxer 1K if that's the case.
What was annoying was the dyno graphs don't support the hp/torque data they printed for the respected bikes.
posted October 04, 2008 07:48 AM
Edited By: suix on 4 Oct 2008 15:51
thanks... i miss the issue..i kinda like fastbikes review..wonder if they are shooting mach4.
posted October 04, 2008 11:34 AM
Love the old write up, great dig!
____________
2006 Black ZX-14,6 inches over,16/42, flies out,BMC Street Filter,Brock's Street Meg,Brock's Radial Mount Strap,PClll with Race map,Dynojet LCD w/Techmount, ZX-14 fender eliminator,Pilot Power2CTs,Speedohealer,Pazzo Levers,Cox Radiator Guard, Garmin Nuvi 265WT
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posted June 24, 2006 07:37 AM
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