AWESOME GREEN FLYING MACHINE

BY any standards, Kawasaki’s ZZR1400 is an incredible piece of engineering.

Not that long ago, it was the quickest production motorcycle on the planet – now eclipsed by the same manufacturer’s awesome H2. It produces 197bhp – 207bhp with RAM air – and hits 186mph before the speed restrictor kicks in.

At 268kg it’s no lightweight, but the weight-totorque ratio of 116 lb ft is impressive and it goes from a standstill to 60mph in about 2.5 seconds.

Knowing that you have all that amazing power and speed at your fingertips is awe-inspiring, but most of us are never going to experience it at anywhere near full capacity.

So what’s it like to ride in more usual circumstances?

First of all, the bike looks great. It’s long, low and flowing, with sleek lines which belie the beast within.

Twin headlights plus two sidelights set in the wraparound fairing mean it looks the business up front.

The colourway and paint finish are sumptuous – classic Kawasaki green with black on the Performance Sport model I was testing.

The cockpit design and layout is excellent – twin black circular clocks for speed and revs, with a central info panel.

Hit the start button and the sound reverberating from that big in-line four via the Akrapovic titanium exhausts sounds pretty sweet, too.

Ride position is very relaxed and comfortable. The ZZR is a sportstourer and it immediately feels as if you could happily cover many miles on it. Head off and it’s beautifully smooth through the gears, and surprisingly responsive and agile even at low speeds.

Out on the open road the acceleration is phenomenal, yet the bike remains amazingly stable and there’s no buffeting due to the bubble screen windshield. There are three traction-control settings and two power modes. Through the bends, it handles superbly – much better than you might imagine for its weight and length.

It’s aided in this by a fully adjustable Ohlins TTX39 rear shock and fully adjustable inverted forks up front. Braking, too, is excellent via top-of-the-range Brembos, with twin 310mm front discs and a 250mm rear.

I can’t fault the ZZR in any way. Quite simply, I love this bike – it has been and remains one of my all-time favourites.