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Nov 20, 2023

Ten Reasons Why We Love The Kawasaki Ninja ZX

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R came at a time when speed and acceleration were

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R came at a time when speed and acceleration were everything, and they don't build them like this anymore.

In the 1990s, the Japanese manufacturers engaged in a power and speed war that resulted in some of the most insanely fast motorcycles ever produced. This threatened backlash from legislators in Europe so much that, in an unprecedented move, the Japanese agreed to a voluntary top speed limit of 300 km/h or 186mph. Despite this, it didn't stop the likes of Kawasaki from creating ever more powerful models and, between 2000 and 2006, the Ninja ZX-12R was the most powerful motorcycle in the world, with 190 horsepower (with ram air effect). Of course, power is nothing without control, and the Kawasaki ZX-12R featured an aluminum monocoque frame - a first on a mass-produced motorcycle - for increased strength and stiffness. The ZX-12R was replaced by the even more powerful ZX-14R in 2006.

Related: Check Out The World's Most Powerful Motorcycle (From The 2000s)

In the late 1990s, speed was everything for Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki, which led to the companies going at it hammer and tongs, trying to outdo each other in the top speed stakes. Honda's CBR1100XX Super Blackbird took top honors from Kawasaki and its ZX-11, only to be itself beaten by the Suzuki Hayabusa. The Japanese realized that such spiralling speeds could only lead to crippling legislation by the Europeans, so the three giants entered into a gentleman's agreement to limit top speed to 186mph. What couldn't be curbed, however, was acceleration and also the title of most powerful road motorcycle and, from 2000, this is what Kawasaki concentrated on. The Ninja ZX-12R had a power output of 178 horsepower, which increased to 190 horsepower with ram-air effect.

There was nothing earth-shatteringly technological about the engine in the Ninja ZX-12R: it was just a good, old-fashioned large displacement 16-valve, inline four-cylinder unit. It was a huge 26 pounds lighter than the previous ZZ-R1100's engine, had a 12.2:1 compression ratio, and magnesium clutch cover, cylinder head cover, and generator cover. Where it differed from rivals was the use of ram-air technology, with a huge duct at the front that channelled air through its airbox via ducts that ran through the frame, ensuring as direct a flow of air as possible.

Related: This 20-Year-Old Kawasaki Can Kick The New Suzuki Hayabusa's Butt

Chassis development has gone through many stages since the dawn of motorcycling, and at the time, the Ninja ZX-12R came along, the aluminum beam frame was the technology to have. Kawasaki went one further, however, and developed the first-ever production aluminum monocoque chassis. This featured a large diameter tube that ran up and over the engine from the headstock, which helped keep the bike as narrow as possible. This ‘backbone’ doubled up as the airbox and the swing arm was attached to a box-section welded to the backbone. The Ninja ZX-12R featured a relatively steep steering head angle and a shortest-in-class wheelbase, giving it much quicker steering and handling than the built-for-stability Hayabusa.

Just like the engine, there was nothing dramatically radical about the suspension or the brakes, with electronically-adjustable damping and monobloc calipers some way off when the ZX-12R appeared in 2000. The 43mm upside-down forks featured full adjustability, as did the rear monoshock, but it's all manual so there's no adjustment on the fly. The Suzuki Hayabusa had notoriously poor brakes, so the Ninja ZX-12R scored an easy goal here by being equipped with Tokyo six-piston calipers in the front. These were updated in 2004 to four-piston radial-mounted calipers with the same stopping power. The Ninja ZX-12R was the first production bike to run a 200-section rear tire made especially for Kawasaki by Bridgestone.

Related: 10 Reasons Why We Want The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition

We’re talking the early 2000s, and, while ABS had been pioneered on the BMW K100 in 1991, it took a long time for other manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon, let alone for the technology to be made mandatory. It was the same story with traction control which might have appeared on the BMW K1 in 1988 and the Honda ST1100 in 1992, but it was clearly still seen as a complicated gimmick in 2000. You got an analog dashboard with a fuel gauge, rev counter, and speedo, but that was about it. We’re talking fully stone age motorcycling here: a huge engine in a chassis with a pair of wheels and a set of handlebars to hang on to.

With all that performance, the Ninja ZX-12R was never going to be a small motorcycle: the shortest wheelbase in its class is one thing, but that will never mean that it is as accessible as a CBR600 or GSX-R750. There's still a long stretch to the handlebars from the seat, meaning shorter riders might struggle to feel in control. It's also not a particularly light motorcycle, although that weight does disappear once on the move, and the fairing does a decent job of keeping the worst of the wind off the rider. A pillion passenger has nothing but the rider to hang onto as there are no grab handles, and the seat isn't that large, which is no surprise as Kawasaki was certainly not touting this as a sports touring bike.

Related: 10 Middle-Weight Sport Bikes For The Casual Rider

The top speeds of the time dictated motorcycles that were stable at high speeds, at the expense of ultimate handling performance. Kawasaki went in a slightly different direction and gave the Ninja ZX-12R a much more sporty riding feel, more like a liter sports bike than a hyper bike. Despite having more horsepower than the ‘Busa, it had less torque, especially in the mid-range. The other problem the ZX-12R had, if it can be called a problem, was its image. The Hayabusa definitely looked weird, but that helped it stand out, and it had a cult following. The ZX-12R, on the other hand, just looked like any other large sports bike and even a bit dated.

The 2000 ZX-12R, with internal designation A1/2, was updated in 2002 to the B1/2/3/4 with over 140 changes that included a heavier flywheel, a new fuel map to make it more refined at lower speeds and it had a revised suspension with stiffer front fork springs and a softer rear shock spring. Visually, the 2002 model is identified thanks to its frontal air scoop that looks like a protruding bottom lip where the earlier model was flatter. In 2004 the ZX-12R B6 gained radial brakes and new 43mm forks as well as a few engine and styling tweaks in its final update before it was discontinued at the end of 2006. As is so often the case, the final version is acknowledged to be the best of all.

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There's no doubt that a Ninja ZX-12R is a lot of bike for the money on the used market, with examples selling for between $5,000 and $10,000. There were some recalls during its life, but these should all have been sorted by now. Of more concern is condition, mileage, and what, if any, aftermarket bits and pieces have been fitted. In the chase for ever more power, some owners will have discarded the KLEEN air injection system, thinking this might give a few more horsepower but, when there is already so much, do you really need any more? The chances are a Ninja ZX-12R will never have been ragged as much as a ZX-10R, Fireblade, or YZF-R1, so it is likely to be a better bet from that point of view. Mind you, it is a fast motorcycle so check carefully for crash damage.

If you can bear the looks, the Suzuki GSX1300R is the most obvious rival to the Ninja ZX-12R and, of course, it has remained in production an awful lot longer so there will be a greater - and younger - choice. The other obvious rival is the Honda CB1100XX Super Blackbird, which came out earlier than the Ninja and remained in production for a year after the ZX-12R had been replaced by the ZX-14R. Then, of course, there is that ZX-14R as a rival, although that was leaning more towards a sports touring rôle. It appeared in 2006 and is still in production today, so like the Hayabusa, there will be a lot more choices on the used market.

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.