ZZR1400 ABS 2011

[Stu]

so i have just got back from a test ride on one of these and was only a 60 min ride so its first impressions really

after riding a TL1000s for 5 years and sports bikes for 2 years before that i have not had experience of a sports tourer before so didnt know what to expect

first of all its big!! the wheel base is huge compared to the TL and its a lot wider too so that im mind im thinking this is going to be a right pig to ride plus i had a pillion too

so we sets off and instantly i felt at home on it!! it was really comfy i couldnt even tell i had a pillion it felt so light even lighter then the TL

the engine is so powerfull low down its unreal any gear turn the throttle and it goes over takes no problem i didnt really rev it past about 5 -6k but i didnt have to! and the power delivery is really nice and smooth too

suspension is really good too nice comfortable ride soaks up all the bumps but not too soft

i comes to my first round about i could take at some speed and the bike just dropped in like it knew what it was doing and where to go as i came on to the roundabout there was a van coming on from another entrance and i thought he was going to just pull out i was too busy watching him i started to drift out when i realised it was so easy to correct my line it did it with no effort at all in the twisties it was just the same pick a line it will take it!

the front brake was stunning just a little touch and it was shedding speed quicker then i could keep up with it

the only bad thing i could find on the bike was the rear brake it was piss poor!!

and the best part of all the missus loved it too

would i get one....hell yes

[Jonabonospen]

the engine is so powerfull low down its unreal any gear turn the throttle and it goes over takes no problem i didnt really rev it past about 5 -6k but i didnt have to! and the power delivery is really nice and smooth too

suspension is really good too nice comfortable ride soaks up all the bumps but not too soft

 

Just wait until you get the revs above 5k and open it up as then it rips the bike out of your hands at a phenomenal rate. The grunt low down is good, but the acceleration when ridden in sports bike style with high revs is unbelievable.

Suspension is notoriously wishy washy on these bikes and it is a very common modification on them to get the rear shock upgraded to enable comfortable touring two up with full luggage, and front fork springs replaced to enable a more planted feel on the front. I have had to wind the full preload in to my forks to stop them bottoming out on speed bumps.

I love mine though. Previously ridden sports bikes most of the time but this ZZR1400 is by far and away the best bike I have ever owned. Had it 2 months and done almost 3,000 miles on it already, and that is just social use. It munches the miles effortlessly. It has a comfy riding position. And its performance is phenomenal. But you can tour Europe on it too (and I plan to). Truly is the best of both worlds. Yes its a big bike, but it doesnt feel to have the weight of a big heavy bike. This, together with the handling, is partially helped by the shape and location of the fuel tank, as it snakes in an 'S' shape to go from the back half of where a normal tank would be and then goes down under the seat, so most of the fuel and weight of it sits below your bum, keeping the centre of gravity lower down.

Would I buy one now after owning one for a couple of months....... fook yeah I would!! I wouldn't pick anything else. I've had the big sports bikes, I have had Blackbird, I've ridden Harleys, and this is the best without shadow of a doubt. In the last 3 years I have owned 10 different bikes probably, for one reason or another, but this is definitely a keeper. Its not a "jack of all trades master of none" even though it ticks pretty much all the boxes (sports, performance, touring, commuting etc), it is excellent at all.

So when you buying one Stu?

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj12/jonabonospen/2011-07-23082958.jpg

[Stu]

well this bike had 200 miles on the clock so suspension was still spot on but i recon it will go saggy as all suspension does but i probably would have to wind the front preload up a bit too as it did dive a bit when hard on the brakes

i didnt really get chance to open it up with the missus on the back and when i did get chance to wind it on a tad i ran out of road really fast

and yes i know what you mean about the weight it feels really light its unreal i expected it to be a bit of a barge i was really shocked and yes it does tick all the right boxes and can easily be used for every type of riding with ease

when am i buying one well we will just have to wait and see for now but im hoping early next year depending on if things go to plan

[Voodoo]

I've owned a ZZR1400 for about 2 years and travelled just over 6000miles on it, mainly two-up. The reason I bought the ZZR was two fold. Firstly I had a ZZR1100 which I owned for about 12 years and did in excess of 50,000miles on, so I knew it was going to be a pretty good road bike and like most Kawasaki's have a stonkingly powerful engine. Secondly the bike I owned before the ZZR14 was an R1, which was not only uncomfortable but a total disappointment in power compared to the ZZR11 which was 7 years older. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying R1's are un-powerful, just that compared to the old ZZR11 they really are no faster, and in some areas, quite a bit slower. Anyway after travelling more than 400miles two-up on the R1 with a tank-bag and rucksack in over one weekend I knew the R1 had to go!

My criteria for my next bike, was comfort, looks and it goes without saying, something incredibly fast, so that only left one bike to actually choose from, the ZZR1400.

Handling

Firstly I must agree with Stu & Jonabonospen, the suspension is definitely on the soft side. The first thing I did was stiffen up the front & rear preload using the standard suspension and its now fine. Before if you were braking and hit a small bump the front forks would just bottom out, but it’s never done it since adjusting the preload. As for going round corners, I can go just as fast as I could on the R1, and before you start thinking that’s because I'm a shit rider, I've seen very few riders in twenty odd years of riding that have managed to go faster than me round a corner.

Engine

Like the other two have said, up to 6000revs it monsters most other bikes, and in top gear at say 40mph, you only need to twist the throttle to overtake. From 6000revs onwards its like Mr Sulu has put it into warp speed.

I'm very impressed with the fuel economy too, returning 40-44mpg when you open it up as often as you can, and more like 50mpg on long distances.

Touring/Comfort

It's very comfortable compared to modern sports bikes, but I improved it further by changing the seat to a GTR14 gel seat which fits straight on. It now means I can ride 200 miles before I get a numb arse compared to 100 miles.

You can easily go over 200miles before fuel stops too, which is very handy when touring.

Brakes

The brakes are superb, the best I've ever used and whilst I've never had a problem myself, I believe a lot of ZZR14's owners have had disks warp. Not sure if Stu had a dodgy rear brake, or if it was because he's used to a twin, but I think the rear brake is not bad compared to most bikes, i.e. you can actually stop just using the rear brake.

Overall

The mirrors are fantastic, they stick out miles and so you do not get the usual view of your elbows. The headlights are also superb, but that’s no surprise considering how many of them there are.

Bad Points

The one thing that I hate about Kawasaki's is that they seem to make their fairings out of brittle plastic, you only need to look at the fairing and it starts cracking. Unlike the Yamaha's I've owned which had fairings you could bend in half and they'd just spring back.

It's difficult to open it up as much as you'd like to, by the time your hitting the redline in first gear your already going over the speed limit!

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/Voodoo1972/PICT0001-4.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/Voodoo1972/DSC00129-1.jpg

[Stu]

nice write up voodoo

nice to see you on here too

as for the rear brake god knows what was up with it but it certainly wasn't right!! i wouldn't have been able to trust it to stop me not as good as my rear brake

i can lock the rear brake on the TL two up this just didn't do a lot at all it could have been that it was a demo bike and abused or not used i dunno

[Jonabonospen]

Overall

The mirrors are fantastic, they stick out miles and so you do not get the usual view of your elbows. The headlights are also superb, but that’s no surprise considering how many of them there are.

Bad Points

The one thing that I hate about Kawasaki's is that they seem to make their fairings out of brittle plastic, you only need to look at the fairing and it starts cracking. Unlike the Yamaha's I've owned which had fairings you could bend in half and they'd just spring back.

 

Very good points about the mirrors and headlights. Best by far that I have had on any previous bike.

never had an issue with Kwak plastics to be honest. The 1994 ZXR750 I just got rid of was 17 years old with 23k on the clock with all original plastics in perfect condition.

[Voodoo]

One thing I've heard a few people say is how the BMW S1000rr is quicker and I think this mistaken belief is because MCN wrote an article where they tested a ZZR1400, Suzuki Hayabusa and S1000rr. What they didn't mention was the ZZR and Hayabusa are restricted to 176mph but the BMW isn't and so it can reach 178mph, hence they said the BMW is the quickest. Take off the restriction and the BMW is left for dead at top end.

Obviously in the real world this is completely irrelevant, but if you'd really like to see which is the best at accelerating then have a look at this video

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[Stu]

when we was in germany there was a guy there that saw a true 190 on his zzr

recorded off his sat nav

[Voodoo]

when we was in germany there was a guy there that saw a true 190 on his zzr

recorded off his sat nav

 

Apparently you just disconnect the speedo to derestrict.

Anyway more to the point Stu, you know you want one! (just don't get a pre 2008, unless you want to cock about with a power commander)

[Stu]

Oh I want one alright but things have changed so its b no go for a while!

[Chrissb6]

Nice write up, l can say very much the same about the Hayabusa had mine a couple of years now and love it, it's half the weight of my old zx10 and that was the pinnacle in its day. As for the rear brake, for me its only used to keep the bike inline, as you rightly say the brakes on the front match the engines massive power. Stu wait till really let the thing go, you will so see why you can go to jail very quickly with one of these. As for top speed against other bikes its all bull shit - numbers, its the rush on the way up there that really counts Only down side for me is that as you say there a big bike - wide, hanging panniers on them make them a big ass bike for touring but as for comfort 4-500 mile a day a breeze

[Chrissb6]

One thing I've heard a few people say is how the BMW S1000rr is quicker and I think this mistaken belief is because MCN wrote an article where they tested a ZZR1400, Suzuki Hayabusa and S1000rr. What they didn't mention was the ZZR and Hayabusa are restricted to 176mph but the BMW isn't and so it can reach 178mph, hence they said the BMW is the quickest. Take off the restriction and the BMW is left for dead at top end.

Obviously in the real world this is completely irrelevant, but if you'd really like to see which is the best at accelerating then have a look at this video

">

I think you will find its 186mph "that's more than enough!!" l know from the Hayabusa forums that its an electronic blocker and a quick fix. It has no restriction on acceleration just knocks off the top speed. Many on the Hayabusa forum have had there bikes timed officially through the 200mph barrier derestricted

[Chrissb6]

One thing I've heard a few people say is how the BMW S1000rr is quicker and I think this mistaken belief is because MCN wrote an article where they tested a ZZR1400, Suzuki Hayabusa and S1000rr. What they didn't mention was the ZZR and Hayabusa are restricted to 176mph but the BMW isn't and so it can reach 178mph, hence they said the BMW is the quickest. Take off the restriction and the BMW is left for dead at top end.

Obviously in the real world this is completely irrelevant, but if you'd really like to see which is the best at accelerating then have a look at this video

">

I think you will find its 186mph "that's more than enough!!" l know from the Hayabusa forums that its an electronic blocker and a quick fix. It has no restriction on acceleration just knocks off the top speed. Many on the Hayabusa forum have had there bikes timed officially through the 200mph barrier derestricted

Hayabusa unleashed stock motor! OMG!!

http://www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/ ... g-records/