When the Kawasaki ZX-14R first came to India, back in 2013, the bike was in its second generation of its life cycle, and now Kawasaki has given the big Ninja its first real change-up since then. The moment you set eyes on this 2016 model, you’ll notice the first alteration – which is its new paint scheme. It’s still the same happy looking monster with a big ram air inlet on its forehead, but now, there’s a lot more of black paint covering its fairing, tail and exhaust.
When you get astride the 14R, updates gets better. The handlebar’s positioning and width have been altered in an attempt to make this Kwacker more rider-friendly, and the seat is new too. There’s even an eco-friendlier ECU and Euro 4 regulation exhaust. But, by far, the best of the changes to the motorcycle are in the form of the updated Brembo braking system up front (same as on the Ninja H2R) and adjustable Öhlins TTX rear suspension with its remote preload adjuster.
Behind the big windscreen, this green monster houses a very old-school digital readout with some more retro-looking analogue speedometer and tachometer dials below it. Some will feel that this could appear to look dated, but we frankly think the dials look quite awesome, just that the numbers on the speedo are quite small and not very easy to read on the trot.
The ZX-14R was always about outstanding performance – which goes down to the fact that this is one of the few motorcycles in the world to crack a quarter-mile speed run in under ten seconds (running completely stock!). Thankfully, that fact hasn’t been tinkered with in this updated version. The 1441cc in-line-four that propels this mercenary is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine to have emerged from this Japanese stable (yet), and is an absolute soul-stirrer.
A healthy 158.2Nm of torque is distributed nicely across the powerband and the higher you get that needle on the tacho to climb, the better this motorcycle gets. Like before, there’re two riding modes to choose from. With the flick of your wrist, you can unleash a 100 per cent of 207bhp of mean, green glory in ‘F’ (Full Blast) mode, or opt for a 25 per cent decrease in response and power in ‘L’.
The traction control unit this motorcycle comes armed with has three modes and like the ABS unit, it’s a big plus point to this Jap package. In a straight line, the ZX-14R continues to accelerate with dogged determination, and at a fantastic level of composure – traits that deem it worthy of carrying a Ninja badge. Past 5000revs can devour the road ahead with certain tenacity and you’ll often find yourself out of runway when you thought you were just starting to have fun.
As its sizeable proportions and 269kg of mass pretty much dictates, this motorcycle isn’t the best carving tool you would wish to have handy when a couple of fast corner come up. But the long 1480mm wheelbase means that it can hold its line well in some long sweeping bends. The new suspension now works better than ever by absorbing all sorts of small undulations – something the older version didn’t do very efficiently. The humongous 310mm semi-floating Brembo discs up front are top-drawer and offer more bite than ever before. Its monocoque aluminium chassis is responsive and alleviates sport riding.
All these factors contribute to making the ZX-14R a more forgiving performance-focussed machine to ride overall. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a pain to ride in the city. Although its clutch isn’t very heavy, the six-speeder can get very clunky down the cog order. That, and it’s not the smallest motorcycle with the most comfortable of low-speed riding positions out there. Though the ergonomics have been altered, like most bikes of its calibre, getting stuck in traffic can be a real pain. It is best you go about your business astride this bike out on roads where traffic is sparse.
But that’s where a certain hindrance of this motorcycle lies. Realistically, India’s infrastructure doesn’t really support the safe exploitation of immense potential of motorcycles like the ZX-14R. And it is for this very reason that the ZX-14R appears in a way incoherent. Sure, if you’ve got Rs 19.83 lakh to shell out on a two-wheeled hooligan that’ll rocket you from 100kph in the blink of an eye on a daily basis, the ZX-14R makes complete sense.
Specs
1441cc, in-line-four, 207bhp, 158.2Nm, 6M, 270Kg; fuel tank: 22litres
Verdict: A beast of a motorcycle that’s definitely been bettered. But still not the best for its price in India.
