Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-14R has essentially remained unchanged since 2012. But, after recently being
discontinued in Europe and now with a brace of H2 supercharged models above it in Kawasaki's lineup,
what can this hyper-sports tourer offer us in 2021? That's what we're about to find out.
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The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R has a rich heritage of iconic, power-packed,
inline-four predecessors that stretches back to the early 1970s. It's a lot to live up to,
but over its long tenure, the model has done a top job of honouring that legacy. For 2021, however,
the big Ninja's days may well be numbered. It was dropped in Europe in 2020 ahead of the
introduction of Euro 5 emission standards, and it's overshadowed by its supercharged siblings
like the Ninja H2 and H2 SX. Add in renewed pressure from Suzuki's next-gen Hayabusa,
and the time for the ZX-14R to be overhauled or dropped altogether is well and truly nigh.
Whatever the future holds, the ZX-14R is still a part of Kawasaki Australia's 2021 range,
and it still has plenty to offer as a value-packed, high-performance sports tourer.
You get a choice of two ride modes, plus ABS and three-level traction control. But there's no IMU,
so the safety systems aren't lean-angle sensitive, and the cockpit is looking decidedly old school.
Don't go looking for a TFT screen, bluetooth connectivity, or push-button starting here.
On the plus side, you do get a slipper clutch, Brembo brakes and an Ohlins TTX39 rear shock,
along with an accommodating ride position with a comfy seat and reasonable legroom.
There are retracting luggage hooks to help tie a bag down on the pillion seat, and a
decent lighting package comprising quad projector beams up front and an LED tail light at the rear.
But a bike this fast is crying out for electronic cruise control, even just to
help preserve your license, and there's no quick shifter either. It's fair to say the ZX-14R is
no longer a technological tour de force, but at this price, it still delivers impressive bang
for your bucks. Anyway, that's enough chat. Let's get out there and see how it rides.
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Despite the passage of time, this monster 1441cc, inline, four-cylinder
mill still packs one heck of a wallop. It's no lightweight, but with this sort of stomp,
a small twist of your wrist is all that's required to turn your eyeballs into wind socks.
It's actually really docile at road-legal speed. It's really manageable. There's barely a hint
of vibration, but make no mistake, it might be 10 years old, but wind it on even just a little bit,
and this thing is still a missile of a machine. With today's policing and modern speed limits,
you can get yourself into some serious trouble, seriously quickly.
It, of course, won't flick through the bends with the ease of a ZX-10R, but it still gets
through the corners respectively well. The chassis and suspension are well up to the task,
and the ride position is really pretty comfy, even for bigger riders,
with a modest reach to the bars, a compliant seat, reasonable legroom, and a decent screen.
When it's time to slow the show, the Brembo M50 front stoppers do an adequate job in terms of
power and feel, although they do lack initial bite. But it's not exactly frugal, no surprises
there, although the 22-litre tank does give a healthy safe range of around 300 kilometres.
At the end of the day, the Kawasaki ZX-14R is showing its age as far as it's tech goes,
and with the pressure of Euro 5 and more modern rivals,
even though it's within the Kawasaki family, who knows for how much longer it will be with us.
But if you're a die-hard devotee of team green's naturally aspirated big fours
and you're after a super fast, high-performance sports tourer in 2021, Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-14R
still offers an attractive blend of hard-charging thrills for a relatively modest price.
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