The problem with press introductions are that the folks who provide the bikes, rent the track, fly you across the country, wine and dine you, etc... really want you to experience the bike as they designed it, not as you want to set it up. They also want them to look showroom stock in the magazine photos, which means the mirrors stay in place; frustrating for sure. Add to this the fact that I arrived with a ‘monkey on my back’ in that I had never managed to see my way into the nines on a stock height ZX-14 on TWO previous attempts; once in Vegas in 2006 and another in Fontana, California during the 2008 14 Intro. Both are high altitude tracks which atmospherically snip around two tenths of a second off of an elapsed time, but even at that, the power is there to do it. It’s just too damn difficult at stock height, plus I’ve been riding slammed bikes for too many years to just quit riding ‘the way I ride.’ Old dog, I guess?

That being said, thanks to the power of Facebook, I was watching Rickey Gadson’s trackside updates between flights and saw some of the ETs and MPH he was running in Vegas preparing for the press launch.

With the addition of just a lowering kit and gearing change, Rickey G ran an incredible 9.25 @ 151.37 MPH on an otherwise stock ZX-14R in the Vegas altitude.

I was pumped. That should put him in the high 9.60s ‘up in the air’ (w/no lowering kit.) Sure, I’m pushing 215 lbs. suited, but I damn sure still know how to drag race a motorcycle and that’s some serious MPH – in short, it’s a fast bike. Nines should be a piece of cake!!

“Ok Rickey, which one of the bikes is the fastest? I have more ‘beef’ to push down the track than the rest of these guys.”

The organizers of the intro had a schedule that included an extraordinary number of safety-based runs to get us all acclimated to the power of the new 14R. Mind-numbingly boring stuff like riding out 100 ft., clicking the bike into 2nd gear, accelerating to half track, and then coasting across the finish line over and over again. It took about 400 years (it seemed) before they allowed us to make full runs, but one part really got my attention. Even during the ‘burst and stop’ safety laps, one glaringly obvious point was made: This bike HAULS ASS - for real, no joke. It’s seriously fast, even bone stock. So when they asked us to put them in traction control mode two, roll out in the middle of first gear, and snap the gas wide open, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first. During my street ride, I found myself accidently controlling 3rd gear power wheelies in the default traction control mode one. (Oops, did I say that out loud?) To my amazement, in TC2 the front wheel stayed put, but the bike still accelerated very hard and without any abrupt interference. You could hear it ‘stutter’ a bit, although it was easier to hear as a bystander than as a rider since wind noise was louder than the stock exhaust as speeds increased. I’m very excited, because I believe this option could go a long way towards enticing novice riders to enjoy drag racing! FYI: Many ‘first timers’ shy away because they don’t want to be ribbed by their buddies for not going quick at the drag strip, and instead will opt for ‘roll-ons’ on the street since the launch is the most dangerous/difficult part of drag racing (horrible idea by the way.) For the first time ever, your bike can actually make you not only look faster than you are, but do it safely. Once you practice enough, your riding skills get better and your confidence is at an appropriate level, switch to TC mode one, and eventually turn it off. Don’t get me wrong, this little enhancement isn’t going to turn you into Rickey Gadson or Jeremey Teasley at the touch of a button, and if you're already a fast rider it will slow you down, but I witnessed journalist who would have otherwise been embarrassingly dancing in the elevens and gunning for the tens, record multiple passes in the 10.30 range that would have either:

Never happened
Stumbled upon once due to blind ass luck, or
Had their heroic attempt at stardom end at the expense of something/someone getting scratched up.

You can take that to the bank.

So, guess what happens when Kawasaki adds 4 millimeter of stroke, bigger intake/exhaust cams, and a hand finished cylinder head to a stock bike that is ALREADY almost impossible for me to ride at stock height? You guessed it… now it’s COMPLETELY impossible for me to ride?! My first session runs were all ten – ohhhhh somethings, and the blood was starting to boil under my helmet.

But then I remembered something as I waited for the second wave of journalists to make their passes. During the 2008 intro, I was so incredibly frustrated that I came up to the line at one point and just left the line like I was pulling away from a stoplight, and it worked better than trying to really ‘launch’. Being a heavier rider really does try to make the bike try to crawl out from under me, so by lowering the launch RPM, I can control the clutch easier to get me and the bike moving and then screw on the gas PAINFULLY SLOW to keep the machine from instantly snatching skyward and ruining the run.

All of this extra 14R power is like having nitrous in the throttle, and that’s not necessarily a good thing for quick ETs on a tall, stock wheelbase bike.

In closing, Kawasaki engineers seem to have peeled a page out of the 2008 Gen 2 Suzuki manual with the 2012 ZX-14R as a seriously refined version of the earlier machines. At a glance, it appears to basically be the same, but as you investigate further, you realize that although it looks the same, almost everything is different. There is much more attention to detail, not only to the fit and finish, but also to the ride and comfort. As mentioned previously, the ZX-14 was a solid platform in the past, but it wasn’t without flaws. The rider and engine alike were exposed to rather large doses of heat at times. The cam chain tensioner design allowed the engine to rattle enough to scare some owners repeatedly back into their dealership for fear of pending engine failure, just to be told, “It’s normal.” These idiosyncrasies have now been addressed.

In speaking with Kawasaki Heavy Industries ZX-14R Project Leader, Takeru “Tak” Ohshima, he explained that just like everyone else these days, money IS an object, so he and his team had to work within a set budget on the 14R project. He said that after they interviewed dealers and existing customers, one particular thing was clear: the US ZX-14 consumers had a desire for large amounts of smooth, reliable, usable power, and that dealers in particular had a bone to pick with a certain ‘bird of prey,’ so the engineering team set out to make sure there would be absolutely no questions on superiority in this regard, and they allotted a larger percentage of their budget towards engine development than towards any other area. “Total domination was our goal for the ZX-14R. It is the fastest accelerating, most powerful mass produced motorcycle on the planet - the king of all sportbikes,” explains Ohshima over dinner conversation as the quiet 32-year-old Shohei Naruoka, the 14R Engine Designer, agrees with a nod of approval.

These gentlemen do not lack confidence in their work and have done their homework, which became apparent as I quizzed them about their competition. I can promise you it’s going to get ugly for said competition when the slammed and stretched fans get their hands on the new 14R. Once all of this power is properly pointed forward by means of an extended wheelbase and the typical aftermarket goodies are added, Jerry Lewis should be able to clown his way into the eights. As far as the guys who prefer to build their own, it’s pretty hard to beat an OEM hot-rod engine, and I’m going to bet you’re not going to receive a warranty from even the top engine builders in the country. Add to that, once you start looking at the electronics package on the 14R, the aftermarket world just can’t offer up any items. So an apples to apples upgrade simply isn’t possible. Some of the ‘cheap drag racers’ might consider an MSRP of $14,699 (add a bargain-busting $200 for the blaze green custom look) a little steep, especially if they purchased waaaay back in 2008 or even before. Well, it’s reality check time guys… a 2012 ZX-6R now retails for $10,299. You can thank the declining value of our dollar vs. the Japanese Yen AND our economy/politicians for the majority of this two-wheeled performance sticker pain.