2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 - King Of Kwik

It's not enough to be a competent 160-plus-horsepower hyperbike these days, I muse, after asking the many and various characters that loiter around the Motorcyclist bunker for their thoughts on the Kawasaki ZX-14. Reasons not to own one, allegedly:
1. Peaky Engine.
2. Not A Hayabusa.

The distilled, collective mutterings from young spunkers and old sages alike...nobody apparently had many kind words for the ZX-14 as it was. but as the key to a brand-new 2008 model had been shoved under my office door that morning with a hand-scrawled note stuck to a press pack-"need 1500 words by Monday, thanks"-I'd be making my own mind up fairly rapidly. That's OK, I had nothing planned for the long weekend. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving back in blimey anyway.

I spent 10 minutes having a good poke around the sleeklooking tool I found lurking in the depths of the workshop. In the dim light its silver flanks looked gray and I couldn't help but be reminded of some sort of large, predatory fish. I think it's the piercing, thousand-yard-stare headlights, gaping ram-air nostril and gill-like slatted flanks. The thing's a Great White on wheels.

Out into the watery sunlight and the ZX-14 feels solid, long and muscular. For a machine with heart and lungs this big it's slim, and not bulky at all. And I immediately get the impression that Kawasaki hasn't cut any corners-this is a well-made bike. not one bit of cheesy metal, everything fits perfectly and it gives off a quiet air of polished quality at rest.

On start-up, some of the subtlety and order evaporates. The needles in the pair of large, white-faced dials do a doubletime synchro backflip as the fuel pump primes and the engine fires instantly with a hint of an edgy, hunting growling idle-sooo Kawasaki. There's the right amount of information in the digital display between the clocks-range, average/current mpg, battery voltage, time-as well as a gear indicator, a fuel gauge and a pair of tripmeters, controlled by dual buttons. Both levers are span-adjustable; the hydraulic clutch gets five slots, the front brake six.

The riding position is on the relaxed side of sporting. The bars clip on above the satin-black top triple clamp and while they're set low, they don't heave your weight onto your wrists. The rubber-mounted foot pegs are not so high that your ankles are tucked under your thighs. Flat and long, the seat has plenty of room to move fore and aft, making it suitable for larger humans.

The 10-mile urban joust to my apartment passes effortlessly, the ZX-14 gliding through stalled traffi c almost unnoticed. What was that about a peaky engine with nothing below 8000 rpm? not this one. This thing's pumping hard from 3000 rpm, and even harder by 4000. Parking the bike, I retreat to my terrace: Time to crack a cold one and sift through what Kawasaki has to say about its new ZX-14. What's different, then?

Hmmm...not a lot. Getting the engine through the tight Euro 3 emissions and evermore stringent noise tests has been the focus, apparently, while blessing the 1352cc four-cylinder DOHC lump with more power and torque everywhere (it says here). The cylinder head is revised, as is its cover, and the secondary air ports (which inject clean air into the exhaust, leaning it out) are 20 percent bigger. The internals of the exhaust pipes have been dialed in, the header connecter pipe is 75 percent bigger while a third catalyzer has been wedged in there somewhere. Intake porting has been fettled, and the reason for the obvious low-end boost is an increased spray angle for the sub-throttle injectors, from 15 to 20 degrees, sending atomized fuel over a wider area.

Now, you know it's a slow news day when a urethane sheet inside the chain cover gets its own headline in a press pack. Piston profiles are new too, both measures to quiet the mechanical chitter-chatter. I fired off an e-mail to a Kawasaki insider: Was all this freshly found bottom-end power really just revised fuel injectors and a tidied-up head with no cam-timing changes? yup, came the reply, just as it's written. Fine. My plan was to hit the road early the next day and head somewhere for breakfast-somewhere about 100 miles away. We'd soon see what this "new" ZX-14 was packing...

Six a.m. clicks over on the clock radio by the bed. I'm awake anyway, and in 20 minutes am nosing the ZX-14's snout toward the freeway. Out on the blacktop, the silky smoothness of the engine (dual gear-driven counter-balancers) is beguiling. best to keep interested, though: At 70 mph- 3500 rpm in sixth gear-the ZX-14 is just about ready to rip. And rip as in fling you well north of 100 mph in a second! just a gentle tweak of throttle lights up the engine and the bike hurtles toward the horizon. It might bind a little around 6000-7000 rpm, the relentless torque tying up for a split second, but it's soon off again, the yellow shift light clambering for attention as the 10,500-rpm redline draws near. no doubt this is a fast motorcycle. It'll tweak your nose and pin your ears back real quick.

The screen is a little on the low side to provide much shelter from freeway windblast and likewise the bars are a little too sporty for a truly relaxed ride. but here's the real deal and why this bike makes any sort of sense: The ZX-14 will transport you swiftly down any highway in relative comfort (compared to a racier sportbike), and when you finally get somewhere to actually ride, you can actually ride. Sure, it's set up soft stock. The plushness that soaks up all those bumps and ripples gives you a little slack to deal with on a point-and-squirt mission. but hey, this thing will still carve a set of turns double-quick.

I found State Road 150 just north of Ojai. It's 25 or so miles of undulating, twisting, perfectly surfaced asphalt and-it seemed-all mine. I soon worked out that the only gears needed for any combination of corners-slow, medium or fast-were third and fourth. There was all the punt I needed to nail the rear bridgestone into the ground, hard, and not have to think about it. Hunkered down over the bars, slid back in the seat, head down, I charged corner to corner, apex to apex. The brakes? Superb: A one- or two-finger squeeze and feel enough to have the front tire howling and the 43mm upside-downers just off the bump stops into the slower corners,and scrubbing off speed swiftly and surely for turn-in to the faster ones.

Off The Record - Mitch Boehm
Wow. Wow. And wow. I've just hopped off the ZX-14 for the first time, and that's pretty much all I have to say. I simply can't believe the staggering amount of brain-warping speed, overall function and high-end refinement 12 grand gets you these days. My only nits are the lengthy reach to the bars and the fork's slight mushiness. Other than that the thing's a freakin' missile,and a smooth one. With bars an inch or two up/back and some good hard luggage, the new 14 could double as a way-capable long-hauler. And just think of the fun you'd have once you turned off the freeway into the mountains. Woo-hoo!
Age: 45 Height: 6' Weight: 225 Lbs. Inseam: 32 In.

And while the ZX-14 is long and feels it, it will turn. A good shove will get it on its side and adjusting line, or a trail of the front calipers are a synapse reaction away-handy attributes when riding at a brisk clip down an unknown road. Cornering clearance is excellent; while a racetrack might find the limits, on the street there's plenty of lean angle.

Don't get me wrong: This is not a pure sportbike. but you sure can ride it like one. The ZX-14 is a very... let me find the right word... forgiving bike to ride fast. And riding it fast is a lot more fun than you might think. The suspension is fully adjustable front and rear, but I wouldn't sacrifice the comfort-the trade-off simply isn't worth it. It's easy to get used to that magic carpet ride.

A couple passes and I was done. The low-fuel light was on (150- to 160-mile range, low-30s mpg-not bad) reminding me to find gas, and my conscience was telling me that would do for the day. Find the 101 freeway and head south to home-which is where the 14's ace card really came into play. I punched in 4000 rpm and cruised those 90 or so miles in what seemed mere minutes, time compressing. The last hour of the journey wasn't spent contorted into some sort of race-replica yoga position. I could stretch out, duck down and stick it on autopilot. Pure bliss.

Later that night, once again aided by several of Grolsch's finest, I pondered the ninja. Having been thoroughly underwhelmed by the Concours 14, which I found to be a leaden, ponderous, way-too-heavy-to-be-fun lump (sorry, Kawasaki), I'd been thoroughly and pleasantly surprised by the ZX-14 (nice one, Kawasaki). For light mileage work it needs a bubble screen; go farther and you might want higher bars and hard bags. but that's all easily done and whatever you do to it, it's still got that engine, plus a chassis that can genuinely do something with it.

So here, in summation-and I could have done this a lot sooner, but I had a 1500-word hole to fill, remember?-are my reasons to own a Kawasaki ZX-14:
1. Great engine.
2. not a Hayabusa.

I'll say no more.

Off The Record - Lon Rozelle
Usually the words fast, smooth and comfortable are mutually exclusive. If a bike is fast, you can count on folding yourself into positions the Kama Sutra doesn't even list, and dreading the harsh ride you're sure to experience. The new ZX-14 is an exception to the rule. If you ride it sanely, its comfort and superb fueling can lull you into believing the horsepower and torque figures have got to be wrong. but a firm tug on the throttle dispels your misguided misperceptions, quickly, as this beast is ferocious when prodded. There's no lag when cracking it open either, just cannonball propulsion. And yet the ninja has a tame side that had me wanting to throw on some soft luggage and go touring. It's smooth, large enough that you never feel cramped, and there's decent wind protection from the fairing. It does run a little hot when hemmed in by traffic, but give his monster some running room and you'll be rewarded with a perma-grin.
Age: 56 Height: 5' 10" Weight: 165 Lbs. Inseam: 33 In.

2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 | PRICE: $11,699-$11,999

Hard Parts

Frame
The ZX-14's unique monocoque frame, essentially a hollow aluminum box that arches over the engine (doubling as the airbox), is narrower, lighter and more rigid than a contemporary twin-spar type. The steering head and swingarm pivot portions are now die-cast instead of gravity-cast, shaving a little weight for '08.

Suspension
Damping rates in the 43mm inverted fork have been increased to better resist front-end dive under braking-an issue on earlier versions of this somewhat heavy machine. The rear shock rocks on Kawasaki's proprietary uni-Trak, which locates the linkage under the shock to lower the center of gravity for improved handling.

Engine
Lots of little changes to increase low-end and midrange power, including improved intake porting and new fuel injectors with a wider spray pattern. The exhaust system receives a third honeycomb catalyzer (in the collector) to meet stricter Euro 3 emissions standards,plus larger secondary air ports, revised internal silencer construction and an enlarged connecting tube to offset power losses due to the catalyzer.

Brakes
The ZX-14 carries Kawi's signature "petal-cut" rotors front and rear, said to offer better cooling and increased resistance to warping. Front calipers are radially mounted, of course, and the front master cylinder uses a radial pump for improved power and lever feel, contributing to the 14's commanding braking performance.

Bodywork
The big Z's smooth, sleek skin remains unchanged. The wind-tunnel-tested upper fairing contains four individual projector-beam headlamps that are unrivaled for apexing after dark.

Tech Spec

Evolution
Son of ZX-12, grandson of ZX-11.

Rivals
Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa and nothing else.

Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars

More Power Where You Need It Most.

**Power Broker

How does the new ninja perform on the dyno and drag strip? Rickey Gadson helps us find out.**

No one knows more about hustling sport bikes-Kawasaki sport bikes in particular-down the drag strip than Rickey Gadson. The winningest rider in AMA/ Prostar history has essentially become the face of American drag racing thanks to his high profile relationship with Team Green. When we wanted a rundown on the new ZX-14's ultimate straight-line potential, we went straight to the source-and Sicklerville, new jersey's, Sultan of the Strip was happy to oblige.

"When I first got on the '08 ZX-14 back in August, I was shocked-it looked the same, but was so much easier to ride fast," Gadson says. "The new bike accelerates quicker anywhere you hit it, especially in the low revs and midrange. you whack the throttle on and it picks the front wheel right up and goes!"

Kawasaki didn't necessarily squeeze more horsepower from the 1352cc four-in fact, the '08 ZX-14 we tested actually made fewer peak ponies than our '06 testbike, producing 167.2 bhp at 9250 rpm versus 175.7 at 9550. This power loss can likely be traced to the more restrictive, Euro 3-spec exhaust with its third catalyzer, and possibly an overly rich fuelinjection map. More on that in a minute...

What Kawasaki did was greatly improve low-end and midrange power, something that was decidedly lacking on the previous generation ZX-14. For whatever reason (fear of liability lawsuits?), power output on the old bike was significantly restricted at lower revs in lower gears. Adding a simple Ivan's Timing Retard Eliminator ($70 from www.ivansperfor manceproducts.com) to the '06 ZX-14 would produce a 13-bhp gain at 4000 rpm. Some tuners would even remove the secondary throttle butterflies (the opening of which was delayed at lower rpm by the ECu) for even more low-end power gains.

It appears that Kawasaki made similar changes as part of the '08 revision. Though these aren't the sorts of things manufacturers' reps openly comment on, we've heard off the record that the secondary throttle plates open more quickly on the '08 bike, and the press kit does mention a mysterious new Digital Timing Advance. These changes, along with improved intake porting and new, finer-atomizing fuel injectors with an increased lateral spray angle, together make the '08 model quicker and faster than before.

How much quicker? Gadson's best E.T. on a first-generation ZX-14 was dispatched in 9.75 seconds at 147 mph. His best so far on a 2008 model? That would be 9.65 seconds at 148.24 mph.

As noted, Gadson reports it's easier to go faster on the new bike, too. "The new bike makes more torque down low," he explains, "so instead of using rpm to rocket off the starting line, I can drive off at a really low rpm, get the clutch out quickly and roll into the throttle right behind the clutch. At 3500 rpm I've got 85 lb.-ft. of torque-plenty to drive off hard and get into the throttle early. leave at higher revs and you can forget about it: At 4500 rpm, the front wheel will be in the air by the time you get the clutch halfway out.

" Just don't wait too long to shift, Gadson cautions. Though acceleration is greatly improved at low revs, an overly rich factory fuel-injection map sabotages high-rpm performance. Power literally plummets past the 9250-rpm horsepower peak; by the 10,750- rpm redline, our '08 ZX-14 was making just 153 bhp-a dramatic, 14.2-horsepower drop. The exhaust-gas analyzer revealed that the air/fuel ratio falls to nearly 10.5:1 at redline, far from the optimal 13.8:1.

We can only speculate why the bike is mapped so rich on top. It could have something to do with emissions (though we can't imagine why it would be richer rather than leaner), or it could be a CyA measure to prevent grenadine when ninja joe tosses on a free-flowing aftermarket exhaust and doesn't bother remapping to suit. Either way, installing a Power Commander and leaning out the mixture could be worth as much as 10 or 12 bhp at the top of the rev range, and would almost certainly give the ZX-14 a few more mph at the far end of the drag strip.

OK, but how does the ZX-14 stack up against its arch-nemesis, the Suzuki Hayabusa? Dragstrip-availability issues prevented us from staging our own duel between the two, but we did crib notes from a well-known drag-racer who did just that (and who insisted on anonymity, due to sponsorship obligations). The two bikes were bone-stock, including tires and gearing, except that each was lowered with a fork tie-down strap and an aftermarket shock link. Twenty passes on each resulted in a virtual stalemate: The racer's best times were 9.24 seconds at 150.0 mph for the ZX-14 and 9.23 at 151.5 for the 'busa. "Almost identical," he said. "If you just glanced at the time slips, you'd think I ran the same bike 40 times."

They're that close.