HEAVY-WEIGHT SPORTS
A good boxer understands power and speed are simply brutal without control, so the biggest Ninja has an aluminium monocoque frame, Öhlins rear shock and big Brembo brakes - and it’s the only bike in its class to have such high-level standard equipment.
And just like a heavyweight boxer, the ZX-14R can only fully let loose and explore all its performance under strictly controlled conditions. For the motorcyclist this means you’ll rarely get the chance to explore its near-300km/h potential. Of course there’s a lot more to a good sportsbike than its top speed, though. Here at Australian Road Rider we went looking for the practical sportsbike built into the rocketship exterior…
THE DETAILS
It’s one of the oldest platforms in Kawasaki’s catalogue, but despite that, it’s still a very impressive machine. It has the largest inline four (1441cc) currently on offer from any manufacturer. It’s an advanced, high-compression DOHC design not relying solely on its huge capacity for performance. There are 200 strong legged horses at 10,000rpm and nearly 160Nm of torque at a much lower 7500rpm. This Power Station sits in a monocoque frame unique to this bike.
The 269kg wet weight sounds heavy, but as far as 1450cc motorcycles go, it’s light.
