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Quotes from the Logbook:
Aftermarket Beringer front brakes border on overkill. Just breathe on the lever and the anchor is thrown out. Not for the ham-fisted. I'd also like to see what an inch or two higher handlebars would do for comfort.
—David Edwards
I wish the gas gauge was accurate. I rode 15 miles on Empty—one bar showing, 115 miles elapsed–worrying the whole time. But when I filled up, the tank only took 3.6 gallons.
—Steve Natt
The ZX-14 is ungodly fast—my wife, Julie, struggled to hold on during fierce acceleration—yet it's easy to ride, comfortable and has a low seat height for us shorter guys.
—Mike Monticello
Photos: 2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 >>
Dollar for dollar, pound for pound, pony for pony, the Kawasaki ZX-14 is one of motorcycling's finest all-around streetbikes, with comfort, power and speed in spades. That is the consensus CW editors reached after living with a Passion Red 2006 model for the past two years.
Kawasaki's reply to the Suzuki Hayabusa, the ZX-14 won Best Open Streetbike honors in our annual Ten Best vote-getting right out of the box and again the following year. "Big performance generates big headlines," editors noted in 2007, "and no motorcycle created more of a stir last year than the ZX-14."
Rooted in those headlines were the big Kawi's chart-topping test numbers: 2.5-second 0–60-mph acceleration, a 9.8-second quarter-mile, 170.2 horsepower at 9670 rpm, 103.8 foot-pounds of torque at 7770 rpm and a top speed (electronically limited) of 186 mph.
But as the back-to-back award-giving indicates, the ZX-14 is hiding more behind its full-coverage fairing and monocoque aluminum frame than just exhilarating get-up-and-go and eye-opening maximum velocity. Daily commuting and long rides along California's central coast spawned praise for its smooth engine, moderate ergonomics and sport-touring capabilities. Underseat bungee hooks provided secure tie-down points for luggage capacious enough to allow multi-night stays near Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the U.S. Grand Prix or with extended family farther north in San Francisco.
Along the way, we made quite a few modifications—some bargain-priced and others staggeringly expensive. Best bang-for-the-buck was the Ivan's Rockland County Motorcycle Timing Retard Eliminator ($70; www.ivansperformanceproducts.com). The simple, plug-n-play device fools the ECU into believing the transmission is always in sixth gear, mapping for which provides the quickest opening for the secondary butterflies. In back-to-back fourth-gear dyno runs, the TRE-equipped 14 outperformed the stock setup all the way to 7000 rpm, with the biggest gains—as much as 11.5 hp and 15.8 ft.-lb. of torque—coming between 2500 and 4000 rpm.
At the opposite end of the price spectrum, Blackstone Tek wheels ($3916; www.motowheels.com) eliminated 13.5 pounds of unsprung mass, endowing the ZX-14 with decidedly lighter handling. They look great and are tough, too. On the braking front, roller bearings in the pivot mechanism of the Beringer Aerotec Radial Master Cylinder ($535; www.beringer-brakes.com) all but eliminate stiction, resulting in exceptionally light feel and silky-smooth lever travel. Modulating edge-of-traction braking is easier, too. We later added a matching Aerotec Radial Clutch Master Cylinder ($535) and four-piston, machined-from-billet front brake calipers ($1200 per set). One finger on the lever is all that's needed to haul the bike down from even triple-digit speeds.
Maintenance was nominal. The 7500-mile service cost $543 and was completed by Champion Motorcycles in Costa Mesa, California. This included installing new sparkplugs, changing the oil filter and adding four quarts of 10w-40 Royal Purple Max-Cycle ($16 per quart; www.royalpurple.com), plus myriad checks and adjustments. New Driven #530 chain and sprockets ($253; www.drivenracing.com) were fitted at the same time, as were Michelin's latest Pilot Power 2CTs ($531; www.michelinmotorcycle.com), which replaced the long-wearing Pilot Powers ($474). Also worth noting: Over two years and more than 10K miles, the ZX-14 never skipped a beat. We never even replaced a light bulb.
We'll miss our big Kawasaki. Good thing there is a 2008 Concours 14 in the garage to help fill in the gap.
| Specifications |
| List price (2006): |
$11,499 |
| Current Blue Book value: |
$7855 |
| Warranty: |
12 mo./unlimited mi. |
| Engine: |
liquid-cooled, four-stroke inline-Four |
| Bore & stroke: |
84.0 x 61.0mm |
| Displacement: |
1352cc |
| Valve train: |
dohc, four valves per cylinder, shim adjustmment |
| Carburetion: |
fuel-injection |
| Weight, tank empty: |
531 lb. |
| Weight, tank ful: |
566 lb. |
| Fuel capacity: |
5.8 gal. |
| Wheelbase: |
57.9 in. |
| Rake/trail: |
23.0°/3.7 in. |
| Total miles: |
10,340 |
| Miles since last report: |
5140 |
| Average fuel mileage: |
33.0 mpg |
| Repair costs: |
$0 |
| Maintenance costs (including tires): |
$1865 |
