The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R massively more powerful 1,441cc inline-four engine features a 4mm longer stroke, reworked cylinder head assembly, polished ports and lighter, stronger pistons for more power across the rev range. KTRC traction-control system features three different modes for varying conditions and is controlled by a handy switch assembly on the left handlebar. All-new exhaust system features tapered and reshaped head pipes and an all-new muffler assembly for low noise and emissions. Kawasaki ZX-14R redesigned aluminum monocoque frame is narrow, strong and rigid. All-new swingarm assembly is longer and features strengthening gussets to cope with the engine’s newfound power. Transmission gears are more durable thanks to new temperature and surface treatments. All-new bodywork package builds upon the slick aesthetic image of the previous machine, includes a rear seat cowl and adds better air management to the mix for improved rider and passenger comfort.
It’s gotta be ugly competing against the 2012 ZX-14 year after year. When it arrived on the big-bore sportbike stage in 2006, the big Ninja blew everyone’s minds owners, journalists and competitors with its incredible thrust, sport-tourer comfort, agile handling and aerodynamic full-coverage bodywork. Continuous refinement has kept the 14 a step ahead of the competition, all while filling enthusiasts’ face shields with wild, ear-to-ear grins. Fortunately for Kawasaki fans (and unfortunately for the competition), there’s no let up for 2012. Not only is the newly R-designated Ninja ZX-14R massively more powerful, it’s also almost entirely new, with more of the character, design excellence, and finesse you’ve come to expect from Team Green the company that’s been building legendary open-class motorcycles for more than 40 years.
Big power delivered smoothly has always been a big Ninja hallmark, so the changes for 2012 begin in the new ZX-14R’s engine bay. First off, there’s more displacement via a 4mm stroke increase; to 65mm (up from 61mm), with displacement now registering 1441cc (up from 1352cc). Combustion chamber shapes are newly optimized for 2012, and they’re surface-milled now, not cast. Intake ports are reshaped and polished for maximum flow while working in concert with longer and more durable intake valves. Yep, the new Ninja ZX-14R really does come “ported” right from the factory.
The camshafts working those valves are more radical, with increased lift and revised profiles, while a stronger cam chain and revised tensioning system maximize reliability at the stratospheric rpm levels this engine is capable of. Newly designed forged pistons with thinner crowns offer increased durability and less weight, and are cooled by a new 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 system.) There’s more: Compression is up from last year; connecting rods have beefier small ends, and are made of a stronger material; crankshaft main journals are thicker, from 38 to 40mm; a new air-cleaner element is larger and thicker, with 10% more surface area and 40 percent more airflow capability; and transmission gears have been heat- and surface-treated to be even more durable and shift more smoothly.
Feeding this class dominating new engine is a revised fuel injection system that offers automatic idle adjustment and reduced emissions. Burned hydrocarbons exit through a heavily revised exhaust system with reshaped, larger-diameter tapered header pipes and larger-volume, reshaped mufflers, each with an advanced catalyzer to minimize emissions. The benefits of all this hot-rodding are substantial, as there’s more power virtually everywhere across the rev range. The increases are most profound in the mid-high rpm range, with notably stronger acceleration from 4,000 rpm onward. 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.
That power is more manageable than ever, too, thanks to the addition of a back-torque limiting “slipper” clutch assembly and a KTRC traction control and ignition management system that features three different riding modes full power, medium power and a third mode for low-traction (wet/slippery) conditions. The KTRC system is controlled by a bar-mounted toggle/push switch, and the system’s effects can be monitored on a seven-segment 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.
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