The Fast One

There are motorcycles that are made to bring in the numbers and keep the ball rolling and then there are motorcycles that are made to make a statement. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, unwieldy name as it is, is the epitome of all such statements. It has been everyone’s greatest endeavour to make that one motorcycle that would better the Hayabusa and take away its crown, one that it has worn for more than a decade. While some may have been satisfied doing just that, Kawasaki decided to take the ZX-14R a bit further and snatch that accolade away in a way that would make the others cry.

There is one small issue though, with the ZX-14R. While most superbikes are designed to be edgy but stylish, the Ninja is a bit of a blob. With the sort of speeds it can achieve and the rate at which it does so, something had to give. But then don’t worry too much about it, because a speck of that brilliant green is what most people will ever see of you. While its overall proportions are a bit rounded, the four headlamp cluster and the array of fins and gills on the sides, however, do give it a certain character. One that says, ‘keep off’.

Either way, a bike that looks this fast must employ a bit of computer wizardry to keep the wheels rolling without it turning into all smoke and rubber. So, Kawasaki put into use a complex traction control system with three modes to choose from, with ‘3’ being the most lenient of the lot. However, even if you leave it in ‘1’ and try a few full blooded launches, the traction control will kick in as soon as it senses the bike is about to pull a wheelie and get things under control. If you are utterly confident about your skills and abilities you can even turn traction control off completely, but then that is completely at your own risk and unadvisable in most cases. To make things even simpler, the ZX-14R uses two power modes too, ‘L’ or low power for slippery conditions and ‘F’, for a fist full of the good stuff for days when the sun is shining bright.

You are probably thinking, I wonder how boring it will be with all these electronic aids on. But, it is far from it. Frankly, there can hardly be a dull moment when you have more than 200bhp to dispense with at a twist of your right hand. Yes, you heard that right, this is a 1,441cc, in line four-cylinder motors that makes more than 200bhp. And just in case you are wondering how much weight it is carrying around, well, that would be 265 kilograms. It isn’t by accident that the ZX-14R is going around all the drag strips in the world setting records for stock motorcycles. The ZX-14R can hit 100kph in under three seconds and crack the quarter mile mark in nine-something almost every time you ask it to. To reel in all that speed there is a dual disc set up in the front and a single rear disc equipped with ABS. So what does this mean for fuel economy, well, if you must know, the ‘Kwacker’ still manages to travel 17 kilometres for every litre consumed, which is a fair bit when you are only a blur at the best of times.

But it isn’t the massive engine or incredible power that set this Ninja apart. No. It is quite simply the way it handles and uses its computers to deliver an experience which is quite unlike anything else out there. You could be corner carving on the trickiest of hill roads and still enjoy every bit of it, or you could land up on an otherwise straight and boring highway and still enjoy it. Enjoy it to an extent that you will be giggling like a little girl inside your helmet. Or, if you so please, you could hop on and ride out to the city with the power delivery turned down in ‘L’ and traction control working over time in ‘3’. It behaves almost like a 400, easy to ride around even in traffic, apart from the fact that it still has a heavy clutch. Even the heat coming off the engine seems bearable compared to most motorcycles this size. Ride quality isn’t too bad either, not that we are saying it is meant for bad roads or anything, but it won’t break your back. The problem, however, is that you are likely to be travelling at a speed others can scarcely imagine, so the slightest bump in the tarmac will tend to throw you off the bike.

To round things off, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is quite simply the most amazing superbike that you can own, and all for yours for a shade under Rs 18 lakhs. It not only is the quickest one out there, but it also is the friendliest one of the lot. It can crack out the most remarkable performance that you can imagine or trundle around town while you indulge in a bashful day of showboating. But most of all, it handles like a dream and is possibly the most accommodating motorcycle when you head out for a day at the track or just ride up and down your favourite hill. The Suzuki Hayabusa was the king of the hill for more than a decade and there isn’t really any alternative beyond that. But, now, the ‘Busa is a bit of a ‘has been’. If you are one for customization, the ‘Busa still has a bit of an edge thanks to years of domination, and is slightly cheaper at about Rs 16 lakhs, but other than that going for the Suzuki there isn’t a better superbike that you can buy today than the Ninja ZX-14R.

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