Kawasaki ZZ-R 1400 / ZX 14R

Prepare to experience performance in a way that only a Kawasaki can deliver. The ZX-14 is the ultimate blend of extreme excitement and everyday versitility. Feel at home traversing the mountain roads, or feel the ultimate rush hurtling down the dragstrip...

World-Class Performance Meets Real World Flexibility

Everything about the Ninja® ZX™-14R ABS sportbike is big: Big displacement, big horsepower, big accolades. Life is pretty good at the top of the heap. When you make more power than any other production sportbike on the planet, as the ZX-14R does, the character of the power delivery is as important as the actual number of horses. To that end, the surface-milled combustion chamber shapes and polished intake ports provide the benefits of racing’s black art – porting – straight from the factory. Consequently, all elements of the induction system work in a coordinated manner, maintaining the Ninja tradition of smooth power delivery.

ZX-14R’s popularity doesn’t just come from the brawniness of its 1,441cc inline-four. The bike is as happy meandering two-up on a country road as it is screaming down the drag strip or dry lake bed. The secret to the ZX-14R’s broad appeal comes from embracing technologies, like ABS brakes and traction control, that add more usability for a wide range of riders and riding styles. But yeah, the horsepower still has a lot to do with it.

The Ninja ZX-14R’s engine is more than supremely powerful; there’s also plenty of polish and refined manners to go along with it. The engine’s dual gear-driven counterbalancer setup has been optimized to work with the mill’s heavy-duty crankshaft and long-stroke dimensions. The end result is smooth power across the entire rev range.

High-lift camshafts are operated by a high-performance cam chain and tensioner system to help ensure high-rpm reliability. Lightweight forged pistons also help durability and are cooled by an oil-jet cooling system that pumps a continuous stream of lubricant at the underside of each piston. (Testing shows the engine runs considerably cooler with this race-spec system.)

The impressive durability built into this high-compression powerhouse continues with its super-strong alloy connecting rods which have beefy small ends. Similarly, it uses stout 40mm crankshaft main journals. Transmission gears are heat- and surface-treated for smooth shifting and a long service life.

Feeding this class dominating engine is a large, high-flow, air-cleaner element that helps prevent debris ingestion without restricting performance and a Digital Fuel Injection (DFI®) system that offers automatic idle adjustment and helps reduce emissions. Exhaust exits through a high-performance system with large-diameter tapered header pipes and large-volume mufflers, each with an advanced catalyzer to minimize emissions.

The benefits of all this hot-rodding are substantial, as there’s class leading power virtually everywhere across the rev range. The advantages are most profound in the mid-high rpm range, but incredible acceleration is still available from as low as 4,000 rpm. This translates into the sort of thrust riders can appreciate in a wide variety of situations, whether it’s powering up a freeway on-ramp to merge with fast-moving traffic or cruising along a deserted backroad on a sunny, Sunday-morning ride. On the ZX-14R, total domination is just a twist of the throttle away.

Beyond just being impressively strong, the engine’s manners are also effectively managed by a combination of its back-torque limiting “slipper” clutch assembly, a three-mode KTRC traction control system and a two-mode Hi/Low power selector system. The first two KTRC modes are intended to maximize acceleration similar to the ZX-10R’s S-KTRC. The third mode is tuned for low-traction (wet/slippery) conditions, similar to the Concours® 14 sport tourer’s KTRC. The KTRC system can be turned-off by the rider and its settings and the Hi/Low ignition maps can be selected with the bar-mounted toggle/push switch. KTRC activity can be monitored on a seven-segment real-time bar graph in the cockpit’s LCD info-screen. The back-torque limiting clutch technology comes directly from the racetrack, and helps eliminate the wheel-hop and stability-eroding torque effects of energetic downshifting and braking while cornering, or during spirited – or emergency – stops. It also helps protect the bike’s drive train, for optimum durability.

The result of all this refined and high-tech hot rodding is arguably the finest open-class sportbike engine ever built – and an engine this capable needs a similarly competent chassis in which to live and thrive. The ZX-14R is up to the job, and then some. Kawasaki engineers designed its chassis to deliver a light-handling and maneuverable personality. To provide a sweet-handling character coupled with real sport riding performance, the engineers designed the frame’s aluminum castings and forgings to have unique flex and rigidity characteristics. So, while its monocoque alloy frame and aluminum swingarm designs look similar to the original ZX-14, they have vastly different flex characteristics, stiffer in some places and unchanged in others. The net result creates an ideal balance for the ZX-14R’s world class power and acceleration capabilities.

Front and rear suspension tuning helps maintain the balancing act of wheel control, ride compliance and maneuverability. Both the 43mm fully adjustable inverted fork and multi-adjustable single shock offer excellent response throughout a wide speed range, while the beautifully machined 10-spoke wheels reduce unsprung weight to aid acceleration, handling and suspension action.

The Ninja ZX-14R ABS features a powerful and responsive Nissin sportbike anti-lock brake system (ABS), for additional rider confidence on mixed or slippery surfaces. Triple petal-type brake rotors and radial-mount calipers help provide powerful, fade-free stops and a progressive feel at the lever.

Of course, with this much top-shelf performance, you also have to look good. Dynamic styling has been a Kawasaki hallmark since the days of H1s, H2s and Z-1s, so it’s only fitting that the pinnacle of a long line of sportbikes looks the part. From tip-to-tail, the ZX-14R’s bodywork honors the imposing, angular and flowing shapes that have made recent Ninja models some of the most attractive sportbikes in existence. The front is especially imposing, with a highly aggressive nose fitted with a unique quad-headlight assembly and a large ram-air duct to stuff cool atmosphere into the intake system. The traditional 4-fin theme along the fairing’s sides has a pronounced 3D design, while great effort was expended to hide hooks and fasteners as much as possible. The bike’s tail section is especially well-sculpted, with faired-in turn signals and a cool rear seat cowl – standard on all U.S. models – boosting aesthetic performance.

The fairing package offers functional benefits as well as aesthetic ones. The seat, for instance, offers excellent thigh support and helps make it easy for vertically challenged riders to reach the ground. The bodywork’s venting system effectively extracts heated air from the engine bay and away from the rider and passenger.

Instruments and controls are fully up to the latest standards, with a multi-function switch on the left handlebar that handles all system functions. You can toggle the LCD screen using the upper/lower buttons, and easily scroll through fuel consumption, remaining range, battery voltage, external temperature, traction control, etc., choosing and adjusting functions using the ‘select’ button in the center of the toggle switch. There’s even an “eco” indicator on the LCD screen that lets riders know when they’re getting maximum economy and fuel mileage.

The end result of all this technology and all these features is a dominating open-class ride – a supremely smooth, powerful and refined sporting motorcycle that’ll gladly go anywhere there’s asphalt and do it with an uncanny level of competence. High-aggression Sunday-morning rides? No worries. Two-up along the coast for the weekend? Easy. Commuting to and from work? Simple. Weekend bracket racing at the local dragstrip? Cake.

See? It’s difficult to compete with an open-classer this good at so many things. It’s a fact our competition knows all too well.

Genuine Kawasaki Accessories are available through authorized Kawasaki dealers.

Features

Everything about the Ninja® ZX™-14R ABS sportbike is big: Big displacement, big horsepower, big accolades. Life is pretty good at the top of the heap. When you make more power than any other production sportbike on the planet, as the ZX-14R does, the character of the power delivery is as important as the actual number of horses. To that end, the surface-milled combustion chamber shapes and polished intake ports provide the benefits of racing’s black art – porting – straight from the factory. Consequently, all elements of the induction system work in a coordinated manner, maintaining the Ninja tradition of smooth power delivery.

- One-of-a-kind 1,441cc inline-four engine is the most massively powerful motorcycle engine Kawasaki has ever produced, delivering the most power of any current production sportbike in the world

- ABS brake option helps increase rider confidence and helps provide additional security in slippery situations

- KTRC traction-control system addresses varying riding conditions via three different modes controlled by a handy switch assembly on the left handlebar

- Slipper clutch assembly helps control chassis upset from rear-wheel torque effects while braking and downshifting

- High performance exhaust system features large-diameter tapered head pipes, a catalyzer and an efficient muffler assembly for low noise and emissions

- Aluminum monocoque frame is narrow, strong and rigid for impressive sport riding performance that complements the engine’s power

- Aluminum swingarm assembly is longer than traditional designs and incorporates strengthening gussets to withstand the engine’s substantial torque

- Supersport bodywork package embraces the visual cues of Kawasaki siblings, includes a rear seat cowl and adds better air management for improved rider and passenger comfort

- All-new 10-spoke wheels are more than 3 pounds lighter in total than the previous generation’s, reducing unsprung weight for better handling and maneuverability

- Radial-mount calipers feature individual pads for each piston, improving heat management

- Balanced suspension settings front and rear for a comfortable ride without sacrificing performance

- Flagship-worthy finish quality with hidden bodywork fasteners

1,441cc Four-cylinder Liquid-cooled DOHC Engine

- Long-stroke design, ported cylinder heads, lightweight forged pistons, and aggressive camshaft profiles provide more torque and power throughout the rev range than any other production sportbike

- Piston jet system sprays a continuous stream of cooling lubrication to the underside of each piston for cooler running temperatures, more consistent power output and excellent long-term durability

- Strong cam chain and tensioning system offers excellent high-rpm durability

- Thick 40mm crankshaft main journals contribute to long-term engine durability

- Surface and heat treatments allow the transmission gears to better harness the engine’s prodigious power output

- Chrome composite-plated aluminum cylinder bores are lightweight, durable, and effectively transfer heat away from the combustion chamber and piston for maximum durability at high power outputs

- Mechanical noise is kept to a minimum via special piston profiles and a urethane insulation sheet on the inside of the magnesium chain cover

High-flow Exhaust System

- Header assembly has tapered-diameter pipes for optimal engine response and power output

- The internal construction of the dual mufflers minimizes the impact of noise and emissions regulations, while maintaining impressive top-end power

- Airflow directed into the exhaust by the large secondary air ports in the cylinder head and head cover, plus a third honeycomb catalyzer in the exhaust collector, help meet strict Euro III emissions standards

Gear-driven Dual Engine Balancers

- Revised balance weights keep the dimensioned engine (more stroke) in ideal balance, resulting in improved comfort for riders and passengers

- Already in perfect primary balance, the ZX-14R’s engine design features dual secondary balancers that virtually eliminate unwanted vibrations for extremely smooth operation and reduced rider fatigue

Ram Air Induction

- Central ram air duct draws cooler, higher-pressure air from the face of the fairing and efficiently guides it through the larger and more efficient air cleaner and into the reworked engine for maximum power output

Digital Fuel Injection

- DFI® throttle body assembly features individual 44mm throttle bodies fitted with an idle speed control and sub-throttle valves controlled by the 32-bit ECU. They provide precise response, smooth performance, automatic idle speed adjustment, and help the bike meet strict Euro III emissions requirements

- High performance intake tract porting optimizes flow characteristics

- Fuel injectors deliver lateral spray at a 20-degree angle to disperse the finely atomized (75-micron droplet size) fuel over a wide area

Dual-Mode Digital Ignition

- Rider selectable Full & Low power maps offer a choice between full power and approximately 50 percent power output to help suit changing conditions

- Digital Timing Advance enhances low- and mid-range power

- Individual spark plug-mounted ignition coils fire each of the four spark plugs independently to achieve the optimum timing for that cylinder

- ECU includes an idle speed control system for easier starting and warm-up

KTRC Traction Control

- KTRC traction-control system features three different selectable modes to suit rider preference and different riding conditions

- Modes are selected by a handy switch assembly on the left handlebar

- Modes are indicated on the LCD cockpit display

Back-Torque Limiting “Slipper” Clutch

- Back-torque limiting “slipper” clutch assembly helps control rear-wheel torque effects while downshifting or coasting to minimize wheel hop, chatter and reduce rider stress

- Radial-pump hydraulic clutch master cylinder offers smooth and precise engagement and optimal feel at the lever

ABS Disc Brakes with Petal-type Rotors and Radial-Mount Calipers

- ABS brakes offer excellent performance and enhanced confidence in adverse conditions

- Compact, lightweight ABS unit is highly effective without weighing the bike down

- Petal-type brake rotors provide better cooling and enhanced warp resistance than traditional discs

- Radial mounted four-piston front brake calipers offer greater rigidity than traditional caliper mounting to improve brake feel

- A separate brake pad is used for each piston. Individual pads provide increased cooling efficiency and can absorb more heat without deforming so they maintain a consistent brake feel longer

- Radial-pump front brake master cylinder provides excellent lever feel and feedback

Monocoque Aluminum Frame

- Lightweight monocoque frame is a hollow aluminum box that arches over the engine from the steering head to the swingarm pivot. It is narrow, strong, rigid and very light

- Many of the frame’s cast aluminum sections – steering head and swingarm pivot areas – are produced via a die-casting process for weight savings

- Rigidly mounted engine is a stressed frame member, which increases the frame’s torsional rigidity and saves weight vs. traditional designs

- Engine is positioned forward in the frame, with the long wheelbase and front/rear weight balance carefully designed to achieve high-speed stability and responsive handling

- Long swingarm design helps maximize forward drive and is gusseted to better cope with the engine’s healthy torque output

- Massive head pipe casting contributes to frame rigidity

- Frame houses the air box and air filter in a space-saving design that simplifies air cleaner maintenance

- Battery is also housed within the frame and is easily accessible through an aluminum frame cover

Comfortable Sporting Suspension

- Inverted and multi-adjustable 43mm cartridge-type fork provides excellent wheel control and without sacrificing ride comfort

- Stepless damping adjustment allows ultra-precise tuning of fork reactions

- Fully adjustable bottom-link Uni-Trak® rear suspension is a compact design that offers premium control and feedback

- Linkage rates designed to allow linear suspension action and excellent wheel control

- Bottom-link design helps create a lower center of gravity, which makes the motorcycle more nimble

Aggressive Supersport Bodywork

- Monocoque frame is positioned over the engine so the sleek fairing is uninterrupted by protruding frame spars, adding to the extremely long and low styling

- Efficient fairing venting offers excellent engine-heat control to help maintain rider and passenger comfort on hot days

- Standard rear-seat cowl adds aesthetic appeal

- Both the front and rear turn signals are integrated into the bodywork and have clear lenses to enhance for a more modern appearance

- Quadruple projector beam headlights give the ZX™-14R a distinctive look. The outer lights contain position lamps and high beams, while the low beams are located in the center lamps

- Lightweight Denso radiator with dual fans and high-density cores provides maximum cooling efficiency

Full Instrumentation

- Black-faced dual analog speedometer and tachometer are easy to read

- Multi-function LCD digital display includes an odometer, two trip meters, fuel gauge, gear position indicator, clock, and many other variables, including traction-control and power mode information through its LCD indicator

- Programmable shift indicator lamp illuminates at pre-set rpm to signal rider upshift

- Programmable clutch engagement lamp illuminates at pre-set rpm to signal the rider to engage the clutch

- Controller Area Network (CAN) interface between the gauges uses fewer wires yet allows a greater volume of information, such as estimated fuel mileage, to be exchanged

Review

Giving the Kawasaki ZX-14R more stroke and added displacement is sort of like Dolly Parton getting breast implants, but those wild and crazy guys over at the Big K have gone ahead and done just that – adding an R and so much more to the big-bore ZX-14. They’ve made sickly fast even faster. And for good measure, they’ve thrown in more torque.

Thank God the thing comes with a bra called traction control.

Already known the world over as a perennial contender for the title “world’s most powerful mass-produced motorcycle,” Kawasaki engineers couldn’t leave good enough alone. They had to make it better. And “better” in the case of motorcycles like the ZX-14R usually means more power. And the quickest way to that is to increase the size of the engine – thus, the inline four has been pumped up to 1441 cc / 87.9 cu-incc from the 1352cc it’s had since its introduction in 2006.

The added displacement comes via a 4mm stroke increase that sees the 2012 ZX-14R at 65mm (up from 61mm to 84.0 x 65mm); it also gets a reworked cylinder head assembly with polished ports and lighter pistons – which also got stronger to handle the extra power. The compression ratio has also been bumped to 12.3:1.

To help harness all of this, the ZX-14R gets traction control for the first time – a modified version of the system currently used on the smaller sibling ZX-10R. The system features three different modes – 1, 2 and 3 – for varying conditions with 1 being the least restrictive while 3 offers up the most help for dealing with slippery conditions. And for those of you who still believe in traction control coming from your right wrist, the whole thing can be turned off.

The bike also gets a two-mode power selector that cuts power in the low-power mode down to 75 percent of full power, though this all happens at the top of the power range. Off the bottom, both modes offer full power. All the options on traction control and the power selector are changed via a switch on the left handlebar with the modes easily viewed on the bike’s LCD cockpit display.

Power, torque and traction control is all well and good, but something else that should be appreciated is the fact that the ZX-14R also gets a slipper clutch for the first time – a package that is almost identical to the one found on the ZX-10R. The slipper clutch on the new bike works well, allowing you to hammer downshifts without the rear end getting out of shape. Just like it should. A very good addition to any sportbike.

The chassis on the ZX-14R has also been updated with a 10mm longer swingarm the biggest change to the new model. It also gets a new steering stem and different rigidity and flex characteristics. Working in conjunction with all that are stiffer springs and revised damping settings in both the front (a 43mm upside down fork) and rear suspension package with the suspension action now taking place higher in the stroke than on the previous model.

New wheels have taken three pounds off the bike, but it’s still a big, beefy motorcycle that tips the scales at 584.3 pounds. The wheels are fitted with re-shaped petal-type discs with radial-mounted four piston brake calipers up front, though ABS still isn’t an option as Kawasaki says there hasn’t been much in the way of consumer demand for the system. Europe, however, does get the ABS option.

Kawasaki updated the styling on the bike, but not so much that ZX-14R fans won’t recognize it. It’s got a bit more aggressive look to it with its four headlights, V-shaped taillight and quadruple side fairing fins, but there’s no denying that it’s still a ZX. They tweaked it to make it look a bit different, but also changed it to make it more functional… i.e. a seat that has been reshaped to offer a bit more thigh support while also giving it a lower feel for shorter riders.

You’d be hard pressed to find better instrumentation than what you get on the ZX-14R. The cockpit features a large analog speedometer with an analog tach of equal size sitting next to it. The bike gets a multi-function LCD digital display that shows you everything but your bank balances: Fuel gauge, gear position indicator, dual trip meters, odometer, and clock. You can also toggle through (via the same switch that changes the traction-control settings) to find your current and average fuel mileage, remaining fuel range and external air temperature. There’s also a programmable launch light and shift light. And if that’s not enough, there’s also an “Eco” indicator on the screen that tells you when you’re getting maximum economy and fuel mileage, though we’re not sure anyone who buys a motorcycle like a ZX-14R does so to avoid higher gas prices.

Speaking of your bank balance, the new ZX-14R will sell for $14,699 in the two standard colors – metallic spark black and candy surf blue – while the special-edition golden blazed green will set you back an additional $200 at $14,899. The green one screams, “I’m the fastest freaking motorcycle in the world” loud and clear.

So how does it all work? Pretty damn good, actually.

To show us just how versatile the new ZX-14R is, Kawasaki took a contingent of journalists to Las Vegas yesterday for a combination street ride/drag strip day and it was hard not to come away impressed. It’s not every day that you find a motorcycle that’s extremely comfortable and user friendly on a jaunt down the 1-15 freeway and through the twisties of a National Park, yet gets even a drag-strip newbie like myself through a quarter mile in 10.067 seconds at 144.89 mph. Ride it to the drag strip, kick some ass and then ride it home. Welcome to life with the ZX-14R.

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My day started with the street ride that took us on a 30-mile or so jaunt down the 1-15 freeway to a desolate road that led us into the park – complete with a 35 mph speed limit – and ended with my best run of the day, the aforementioned 10.067 (drag racing hero and eight-time champion Rickey Gadson was in the 9s on the same stocker). Along the way, we tested the traction control system as best we could on the road and off it (you can set it on level three, ride it off into the gravel on the edge of the road, hammer the throttle and it churns its way along until traction is found again on the pavement). It definitely takes the edge off a motorcycle that’s got plenty of it.

On the highway, the ZX-14R is all sports-tourer. It cruises along at 80 mph at 5000 rpm in sixth gear, is unbelievably stable (not a surprise with a wheelbase of 58.3 inches), vibration free and silky smooth. You could ride all day on the ZX-14R without nary a worry, eating miles and smiling the entire time. And if you feel the need to make a pass or get somewhere in a hurry… give it some stick in any gear and hold on. Torque? It’s got boatloads of it.

At the drag strip, our instructor Gadson had us starting out using the ZX-14R on setting 2, giving you peace of mind and allowing you to focus your efforts on getting the launch just right and not on having to chop the throttle for over-zealous wheelies and such. With the setting on 2, you could hammer the throttle with reckless abandon once you got the clutch released just right. Piece of cake. And quarter mile times in the low 10s were fairly easy to come by. I recall my other lone drag strip experience and one run in particular coming three years ago on a ZX14-R: I got the bike lit up off the lights and it slid one way and then the other, fishtailing for the first 50 feet or so. It’s fun to look back on, but was a bit daunting at the time. Traction control takes those sorts of harrowing moments away.

My best run at the end of the day did come with the setting on 1, but using the second setting made getting to that point a lot more comfortable and confidence inspiring. Of course, Gadson does his best times with the traction control turned off, but there’s a reason why he teaches drag racing schools and the rest of us don’t. Trust me, the non-Rickeys will be better of with traction control than without it.

It’s sort of scary to come right out and say that a new motorcycle is the fastest mass-produced motorcycle ever built, but with the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R it’s a pretty safe bet that you’d be correct in saying just that. It’s difficult to imagine anything standing in the way of Kawasaki’s claim that the ZX-14R is “The King Of All Sportbikes.

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