Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport 2018 — Specifications

Imagine for a moment a machine capable of devouring a continent at the speed of a jetliner, but which also lets you do the Sunday market without breaking your back. This chimera exists, it bears a name: the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport. Since its appearance, this hyper GT has never been content with its status as a locomotive; it has methodically climbed the ranks of luxury and technology. The Performance Sport edition, available from 2018 and continuing until 2020, is the culmination of this quest: a 262 kg motorcycle fully fueled that boasts accessories worthy of a MotoGP prototype for the common person.

At the heart of the machine remains the 1441 cc engine, an inline four that delivers 202 horsepower at 9900 rpm. The ECU programming and exhaust have been revised to meet Euro 4 standards, a job that may have slightly trimmed the character, but when there are still 157.9 Nm of torque at 7710 rpm under the right hand, we are not going to complain. This power is served by an aluminum monocoque frame and a six-speed chain transmission, an architecture that aims for absolute stability at speeds where the landscape becomes an abstraction. The seat height of the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport, set at 800 mm, is a typical compromise of this kind: low enough not to intimidate when stopped, but high enough to offer a little clearance when the beast comes alive.

What truly distinguishes this version is its catalog of original equipment. A rear Öhlins TTX39 shock absorber, with its twenty-two compression and rebound settings, replaces the standard unit. This is a profound change, not a cosmetic gadget. It transforms the handling of this mass, giving it precision and comfort that borders on that of a lighter machine. At the front, the 43 mm inverted fork does its job with the same rigor. The braking, often the weak point of behemoths, is treated here with the seriousness of a Ninja ZX-10R: monoblock Brembo M50 calipers bite 310 mm discs, assisted by a radial master cylinder. The confidence they inspire is total, a must for taming 202 horsepower. And to top it all off, a titanium Akrapovic line reduces weight and adds a sound signature worthy of this titanic block.

Faced with competitors like the Suzuki Hayabusa or the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport no longer plays only the card of brute power. It offers a complete package where performance is served by exceptional technical refinement. Its price, close to 20,000 euros, reflects this ambition. It is not for beginners, nor even for the standard touring rider. Its audience is that of enthusiasts who are looking for the ultimate GT, a machine capable of top speeds of 300 km/h but also of long journeys without pain, an interstellar spacecraft with salon-quality finishes. For those who would like to further personalize their machine, accessories such as a pre-painted upper fairing for the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport exist, but the essentials are already there, mounted as standard. Kawasaki simply took the best hyper GT in the world, and gave it the dancing shoes of a champion.