Subtle refinements give the very un-subtle Kawasaki ZX-14 even more
low-end power
By Denny Thrush
Photos by Adam Campbell and Evans Brasfield
Whether it's Supercross or Superbike, the manufacturers today face a
withering schedule of updating their stock motorcycles that form the
basis for their racing efforts. New models are updated after two years,
completely replaced after four. In other classes, like the one in which
the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 runs, the pace of change is usually
slower, however.
Not this time.
Just two years after it was introduced as the Kawasaki-proclaimed
"most powerful streetbike in the world," the ZX-14 received a number of
changes for 2008 to make it run even stronger (especially at low rpms), run
cleaner, and sound better. Outwardly, the 14 looks the same. Kawasaki
did the tinkering inside.
One reason for the changes was to meet Euro-III noise and emissions
regulations. Kawasaki addressed emissions by adding a third catalyzer to
the exhaust. The company attacked the
noise issue by trying to reduce the noise you don't want to hear, while
still letting you hear the engine. A urethane sheet inside the chain
cover lowers the sound level and different piston profiles reduce
mechanical noise.
Another reason for updating the ZX-14 (though it wasn't mentioned by
the Kawasaki engineers) was to meet the challenge from the Suzuki Hayabusa, which was redesigned for 2008.
The 14 never lacked power, especially at the top of the rev range, but
Kawasaki set out to make the low-end torque more impressive.
Changes to the cylinder head, intake ports and fuel injectors, and a
connector pipe on the header that's 75 percent larger, are among the
changes aimed at making the 14's broad spread of power even wider.
Our ride on biggest Ninja starts on the dragstrip. The sun is out and
the temperature hovers around 80 degrees with just a hint of humidity in the air.
AMA Prostar champion Rickey Gadson is standing by to coach us, and he
predicts the times will be just a bit slower than optimum.
Settling onto the ZX-14, it looks and feels like the 2006 model
I rode less than two years ago, when it was first introduced. But once I
start launching the bike, I can feel the changes Kawasaki has made.
Throttle response is smoother and power feels available everywhere.
I can feel the increased low-end torque, but fortunately, the power
is still amazingly manageable. As you run this motorcycle through its
rev range, there are no surprise hits waiting to catch you off
guard. Just smooth power.
With all that power, lifting the front wheel is easy but I'm trying
to improve my quarter-mile time, not show off the drain plug. As Gadson
points out, when the wheel comes up it's the motorcycle's way of informing me that
it is time to shift gears. Do it right, and it's also the sign of a good
run.
After several runs, I haven't improved my times that much, but I am having
a lot of fun.
After lunch, we hit the street. We leave the
track in Fontana, California, and head into the mountains.
The Ninja's seat is comfortable
enough for a good, long day ride and the
clip-ons are high enough and the footpegs low enough to place the rider in a sport-touring position
that isn't as committed as sportbike ergonomics.
 As
we work our way up the mountain, the fairing does a good job of managing
airflow and the ZX-14 feels planted, despite the winds, which are
gusting up to 40 mph. "Solid" is the word that comes to mind, even when
the wind seems to be trying to blow me off the mountain.
The ZX-14 offers enough suspension adjustment to allow almost anyone
to find a comfortable setting, depending on the rider's size, pace and
the presence or lack of luggage or a passenger. The 43mm inverted fork
offers 13-way adjustable compression damping and 11-way adjustable
rebound damping, in addition to preload adjustability. The rear
suspension offers stepless rebound and compression damping, preload
adjustments, plus adjustable ride height, which comes in handy if you
take your 14 to the strip.
 The
radial-mount front brake calipers and petal rotors provide great
stopping power on the downhill side of those mountain roads. The brakes
and suspension work well together to avoid front-end dive. Kawasaki says the
damping rates on the front suspension have been tuned to be stiff in the
initial part of the stroke to prevent dive.
 From
its ram-air intake and distinctive, quadruple projector-beam headlights
up front, to its gill-like side panels and sculpted tail with LED
taillight, the ZX-14 draws as many styling cues from airplanes as from
other motorcycles.
The changes to the ZX-14 for 2008 make the big Ninja's power even
more accessible. More low-rpm power, on top of the ZX-14's already
flawless smoothness, only adds to its abilities as a sport-touring
motorcycle, if that's your mission.
But that's just icing on the cake. The ZX-14 still feels most at home
staging at the end of a quarter-mile strip. Even then, the tweaks
Kawasaki has made to the big Ninja will come in handy, especially if you're not Rickey Gadson and
(like me) you're still perfecting the art of the launch.
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2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
|
 |
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Engine
|
Liquid-cooled, double overhead cam, 16-vale inline four
|
|
Displacement
|
1,352cc
|
|
Bore x stroke
|
84.0mm x 61.0mm
|
|
Carburetion
|
DFI, 44mm Mikuni throttle bodies
|
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Compression ratio
|
12.0:1
|
|
Transmission
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Six speed
|
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Final drive
|
Chain
|
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Tires
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120/70-17 front; 190/50-17 rear
|
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Front brake
|
Dual 310mm petal discs, radial-mount four-piston calipers
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Rear brake
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Single 250mm petal disc, twin-piston caliper
|
|
Front suspension |
43mm inverted cartridge fork; adjustable for compression and
rebound damping and preload |
|
Rear suspension |
Single shock; adjustable for compression and rebound damping,
preload and ride height |
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Seat height
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31.5 inches
|
|
Wheelbase
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57.5 inches
|
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Fuel capacity
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5.8 gallons
|
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Dry weight
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485 pounds
|
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MSRP
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$11,699; $11,999 with Special Edition paint shown above
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© 2007, American Motorcyclist Association
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