The Ninja ZX-14R ABS continues to serve as Kawasaki's non-H2 Ninja flagship as we head into the 2020 model year. Essentially unchanged since this generation hit showroom floors back in '12, the “14R” brings almost a liter and a half of four-cylinder supersport-goodness to the table along with the ride-quality and safety subsystems you'll need to keep it under control. Make no mistake; this is a serious ride meant for experienced riders, and not another one of these racebike-looking commuters so popular with the masses right now.

2015 - 2020 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R ABS

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 - 2020 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R ABS
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Design

- Dragstrip dominator - LCD display - Aggressive rider triangle - Pillion accommodations

No doubt about it, the body panels give the Ninja 14R a very distinct look that seems to borrow elements from Kawi's sport-tourer model, the Contours 14. The windtunnel-tested fairing leads the way with a ram-air port that shunts pressurized air from the entry directly into the airbox and a six pack of headlights to split the night. A bubble screen tops the front fairing to punch a hole in the weather, though you'll have to tuck in all the way to get any benefit from it, and on either side, the mirrors ride in low-drag housings.

Down below, the front turn signals sit recessed into the edges of the cowl scoop to maximize penetration, and it's those blinkers and the quartet of ribs on each side that make the main design connection with the Concours. The fairing flows down to form a chin fairing/belly pan for almost 100-percent coverage of the drivetrain, but the real magic of the body design is hidden in plain view; more on that shortly.

Clip-ons pull the pilot forward and down over the 5.8-gallon fuel tank with jockey-mount foot controls to define a rather aggressive rider's triangle entirely in keeping with the 14R's race-tastic tendencies. Yeah, it's great for stupidfast rides, but for the everyday commute, maybe not so much; it just ain't that kind of bike rides, but for the everyday commute, maybe not so much; it just ain't that kind of bike.

The instrument panel rocks a pair of analog clocks with blackout faces bordered with bright bezels to display speed and rpm. An LCD screen displays its metrics against a backlit face, or you can flip the script and run with a blackout face behind light lettering. A fistful of idiot lights finish off the instrumentation, and the LCD screen doubles as a rider interface for the various ride-quality subsystems.

The seat rides 31.5 inches off the ground with a narrow build where it meets the tank, but it quickly flares out with enough of a vertical offset in back to keep your butt where it belongs. Like the front blinkers, the rear turn signals are recessed into the tail to minimize drag, and the taillight and tagholder ride nice and high, tight to the tail and out of harm's way. A rear fairing snaps on over the pillion pad to give the 14R a solo look if you so desire, but if you want to haul a passenger you can pull it off and flip out the subframe-mount footpegs to accommodate a friend.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Chassis

- Unique monocoque aluminum frame - Stainless steel braided brake and clutch lines - 3-mode traction control - Back-torque-limiting slipper clutch - Very nimble - ABS

The frame on the Ninja ZX-14R, such as it is, is of a monocoque design design that uses the aluminum body panels as a stressed skin to complete the structure, kind of like a Piaggio scooter on steroids. Rake measures in at 23 degrees from the vertical with 3.7 inches of trail for some very nimble handling. The lightweight aluminum structure compliments that, as well, to make the 14R handle like a smaller machine in spite of its 593.1-pound curb weight and bulk.

Inverted forks float the front end on 43 mm inner fork tubes with 4.6 inches of travel and the full trinity of adjustments. Out back, a Uni-Trak monoshock delivers the trifecta as well with 4.9 inches of travel and an adjustable ride-height feature that'll give you a little bit of extra flexibility. Symmetrical, 17-inch cast-alloy rims rock a 120/70 up front followed by a 190/50, and of course, the hoops come with a “ZR” rating so they can take whatever you can dish out.

Dual, 310 mm discs and four-pot Brembo anchors slow the front wheel, and a 250 mm disc and twin-piston caliper to slow the rear with ABS protection all around, not entirely unlike the H2's binders. I'm a little surprised that the antilocks don't seem to be switchable, but I guess it's safer to leave them on, considering the performance envelope of this particular Ninja. Even the brake lines are off the top shelf with a braided stainless sleeve that delivers precise pressure and feedback, and radial-mount master cylinders and calipers to boot.

Frame:

Aluminum monocoque

Front Suspension / Wheel Travel:

43mm inverted cartridge fork with adjustable preload, 18-way compression and 15-way rebound damping adjustment/4.6 in

Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel:

Bottom-link Uni-Trak® and gas-charged shock with adjustable preload, stepless rebound and compression damping adjustments, adjustable ride height/4.9 in

Rake/Trail:

23.0°/3.7 in

Front Tire:

120/70 ZR17

Rear Tire:

190/50 ZR17

Front Brakes:

Dual floating 310 mm discs with dual radial-mounted Brembo® monobloc 4-piston calipers, ABS

Rear Brakes:

Single 250 mm petal disc with opposed twin-piston caliper, ABS


Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Drivetrain

- 1,441 cc inline-4 engine - 207 horsepower - 116.5 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm - Dual power modes -Quarter mile in less than 10 seconds

The beating heart of the Ninja ZX-14R is still the showstopper with its four-cylinder, liquid-cooled design that packs in a total of 1,441 cc. Bore and stroke measure out at 84 mm and 65 mm, respectively, and while the “resting” compression ratio is pretty high at 12.3-to-1, there's no telling what the actual pressure gets up to once the ram-air effect really starts to make itself felt up somewhere near the 100 mph mark. Sure, that generates a significant amount of heat, but the forged pistons are kept cool by an oil jet that bathes the underside of the crown to draw off some of the waste heat.

Dual over-head cams time the 16-valve head, and this newest version features cams with higher lift and polished intake ports to aid in aspiration along with the ram-effect intake system. Kawi fitted 44 mm Mikuni throttle bodies to control the induction with its Dual Throttle Valve technology that smoothes out transitions and stabilize bottom-end performance. To maximize power, the factory used liberal bypass holes to reduce pumping losses as the pistons shove the air around the bottom end.

The electronic riding aids come off the top shelf with Kawi's own Traction Control system to prevent excessive wheel slip and front wheel lift-up, and it gives you a choice between three levels of intervention. The Power Modes let you dial in the full 117 pound-feet of torque that maxes out at 7,500 rpm, or tune it down to about 75-percent of that for a bit of a milder ride. Bear in mind, “mild” is a relative term here.

Power tops out at 207.9 ponies that flows through a slipper clutch and a six-speed transmixxer before it heads to the rear wheel via an O-ring chain drive. The 14R will top out somewhere around 189 mph with a 9.7 second (or so) 1/4-mile time that maxes at 147.04 mph. Like I said before; it's a stupid-fast bike. What does all that get you? Well, in a whole heap o' trouble if you ain't careful.

Engine:

4-stroke, 4-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve, liquid-cooled

Displacement:

1,441 cc

Bore x Stroke:

84.0 mm x 65.0 mm

Compression Ratio:

12.3:1

Maximum Torque:

116.5 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm

Fuel System:

DFI® with 44mm Mikuni throttle bodies (4)

Ignition:

TCBI, with electronic advance

Transmission:

6-speed return shift

Final Drive:

Sealed chain


Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Pricing

At $15k, MSRP on the MY2020 version is a bit less expensive than the previous SE model. This year, the ZX-14R rolls in two-tone Metallic Diablo Black/Golden Blazed Green.

Electronic Rider Aids:

Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), Power Mode, ABS

Warranty:

12 Month Limited Warranty

Color:

└ 2019:

Metallic Spark Black/Pearl Meteor Gray/Emerald Blazed Green

└ 2020:

Metallic Diablo Black/Golden Blazed Green

Price:

$14,999


Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Competitors

As I worked on this machine, it became clear that the 14R makes a dandy competitor for Suzuki's top-flight supersport; the Hayabusa.

Suzuki Hayabusa

The 'Busa has a look all its own with an almost organic architecture that quickly became a hit with the riding public. Like the Ninja, the design is all about low-drag penetration for top-end performance, but it has a panache unlike anything else in the world.

Suzuki relies on a more traditional skeleton with an aluminum twin-spar frame that rocks a steering damper for a bit of an advantage over the Ninja, and fully adjustable suspension front and rear. ABS comes standard, and the 'Busa carries a similar electronics suite with Dual Throttle Valves and Idle Speed Control on top of a Drive Mode Selector, but nothing in the way of traction control, so the Ninja comes out on top here.

Suzuki surrenders a few cubes to Kawi with only 1,340 cc packed away. This dips into the power a skosh with 97.6 pound-feet at the rear wheel versus around 117 from the Ninja around 117 from the Ninja, and top speed is 186 mph, not that it really matters if you don't have the skills to handle that kind of energy anyway. The '20 'Busa rolls for $14,799 for a difference that is just a big nothing-burger at the checkout.

Read our full review of the Suzuki Hayabusa.

He Said

“Woo-wee, this is one sizzlin' hot machine. I generally don't like the looks of Kawi supersports, but I'm digging this one, even if it's so far beyond my skill and ambition it ain't even funny. In all seriousness, only the most serious riders need even test ride one of these. It's not going to make you look cool on your commute... I take that back, it will make you look cool, but you will not be comfortable. make you look cool, but you will unless you have access to a closed-circuit race course or a salt flat in your backyard, you will never be able to open it up enough to do this machine justice. be comfortable. Plus, it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, and not be able to open it up enough to do this machine justice.”

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Specifications

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “Yes, this is a big, heavy bike, but Engine & Drivetrain:. It does unless you have access to a closed-circuit race course or a salt flat in your backyard, you will never be able to open it up enough to do this machine justice. want to go slow and Chassis:. Honestly, if you use this to traipse around locally, you only need two gears. This is a stupidfast bike that is not recommended for beginners.”

Further Reading

Read more Kawasaki news.

Engine:

4-stroke, 4-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve, liquid-cooled

Displacement:

1,441 cc

Bore x Stroke:

84.0 mm x 65.0 mm

Compression Ratio:

12.3:1

Maximum Torque:

116.5 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm

Fuel System:

DFI® with 44mm Mikuni throttle bodies (4)

Ignition:

TCBI, with electronic advance

Transmission:

6-speed return shift

Final Drive:

Sealed chain

Chassis:

Frame:

Aluminum monocoque

Front Suspension / Wheel Travel:

43 mm inverted cartridge fork with adjustable preload, 18-way compression and 15-way rebound damping adjustment/4.6 in

Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel:

Bottom-link Uni-Trak® and gas-charged shock with adjustable preload, stepless rebound and compression damping adjustments, adjustable ride height/4.9 in

Rake/Trail:

23.0°/3.7 in

Front Tire:

120/70 ZR17

Rear Tire:

190/50 ZR17

Front Brakes:

Dual floating 310 mm discs with dual radial-mounted Brembo® monobloc 4-piston calipers, ABS

Rear Brakes:

Single 250 mm petal disc with opposed twin-piston caliper, ABS

Dimensions & Capacities:

Overall Length:

85.4 in

Overall Width:

30.3 in

Overall Height:

46.1 in

Ground Clearance:

4.9 in

Seat Height:

31.5 in

Curb Weight:

593.1 lb

Fuel Capacity:

5.8 gal

Wheelbase:

58.3 in

Top Speed:

174 mph (est)

Details :

Electronic Rider Aids:

Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), Power Mode, ABS

Warranty:

12 Month Limited Warranty

Color:

└ 2019:

Metallic Spark Black/Pearl Meteor Gray/Emerald Blazed Green

└ 2020:

Metallic Diablo Black/Golden Blazed Green

Price:

$14,999


Further Reading

Kawasaki

Read more Kawasaki news.