Sniper Bullet – ZX14 ‘Test’ / Motorcycle Review
MotoGeo tests the ZX14, the most powerful and fastest production motorcycle on the planet at this time!
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The Story:
As it has been since 2008 the ZX14 is most powerful and THE fastest production motorcycle on the planet.
Most likely designed on a dragstrip- rather than racetrack, the ZX14 is one enormous motorcycle. If it’s not the massively powerful, 1,400cc motor that pushes out 203 PS (with ram air & measured at the crank) that makes this machine a giant, the sheer span of the machine definitely does.
I finally got my chance to flick my leg over the one that holds the prestigious title of being the “fastest.” I decided to really test the beast, to find out what she’s really made of. I didn’t want to just hit the gas and go straight, I wanted to go around corners.
It just so happened that California’s brand new racetrack opened the day after I picked up the ZX14. The Chuckwalla Valley Raceway was a little more than 180 miles away from me, and I thought it was the perfect place to test this bike.
The ride over was mainly freeway, so it was a good time to just cruise and tick by the miles. The race track, however, has 17 technical corners every 2.7 mile lap. It was going to be an interesting day.
My first impressions of the ZX14 as I sat on it for the first time was that it felt low to the ground. I’m used to riding sportbikes or bikes with upright bars where you sit on the bike. With the ZX14, you sit in the bike.
The riding position is sporty, but comfortable. On the freeway, the protection from its fairing was superb, deflecting much of the wind from me. As we skipped through morning L.A. traffic to the open highway, it was quickly becoming the most comfortable long-distance ride I’d had in a long time. It was rather effortless, the super-quiet exhaust note was even pleasant on the ears.
Be careful though: Kawasaki’s inline four engine is a silent bullet. What seemed to be barely ticking over in top gear — just cruising along — was actually whistling along, doing over a ton. I could hardly feel or hear the motor working. This thing is seriously fast.
As I arrived at the racetrack, I was already impressed with the ZX14’s speed and comfort, but I’d felt awkward when leaning it over. The weight and soft suspension made it difficult to understand on the road. The racetrack might seem like an odd place to bring a ZX14, but I needed to learn more.
My first outing was simply to take a look at the track, as I’d never seen the place before. Even going slow, I knew immediately that I needed to stiffen up the suspension to understand anything. With the help of the boys at Kawasaki (who just happened to be there with another mag) I drove in those clicks and made her more taut.
The next time out, it was a different machine — now I could feel the tires, and we stared to glide. The ZX14 ate up the corners and we started to shift. I soon discovered that you can’t be too aggressive or expect things to happen in a nanosecond when changing direction with this bike, as there’s too much weight for that. Ride smooth, and you can carve up any corner with ease.
The Nissin 4 piston front brake is insane; you can stop this monster with one finger. The chassis, despite holding a powerful brute of a motor, actually corners with surprisingly little effort, and holds a line well. Little time is spent thinking about getting to the next corner — by the time you do, that hp kicks in with smooth yet dam serious power, and boom, you’re already there.
Kawasaki has not only produced the fastest production motorcycle on the planet, but one that corners and is comfortable. Half the time, I feel like I’m riding my armchair. It was so much fun that I decided to put the knowledge gained at the track to some good use. I rode an extra 70ish miles through the twisties of the Joshua Tree National Park on my way home and loved it.
The ZX14 exceeded all of my expectations. It’s one sweet ride with rocket-power at your fingertips. I’m still astonished by how quick you get places. No wonder drag racer Rickey Gadson rides one.
www.chuckwallavalleyraceway.com
