Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport 2019 — Specifications

Who, in 2019, still had the backbone to offer a 268-kilo hypersportive with 202 horsepower? Kawasaki, of course, guardian of a temple of pure speed that norms and trends have yet to demolish. The ZZR 1400 Performance Sport of that year is not a simple update; it's a mechanical manifesto, an assumed statement of intent. It doesn't seek to be the most agile or the lightest; it aims for hegemony on the highway and a demonstration of power. With such a brief, you don't skimp on equipment, and that's where this version stands out.

The heart of the matter is this 1441 cm3 inline four-cylinder engine, a steam factory that spits out its monumental torque of 162.5 Nm from 7500 rpm, enough to stick you to the tank with an insolence that borders on defiance. The 202 hp arrives higher, but it doesn't matter; the essence of propulsion is played in the mid-range, where the competition, often more refined, still has to bite its brake. This generosity, combined with a 22-liter tank, makes it a machine for devouring kilometers, an intercontinental cruiser that is indifferent to limitations. The issue of the seat height of the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport, at 800 mm, arises mainly when stationary. Once in motion, this 268-kilo weight is forgotten with surprising ease, carried by a long and stable geometry.

But what transforms this missile into a collector's item is its standard armament. Kawasaki brought out the heavy artillery for this edition. The Öhlins TTX39 rear shock absorber, with its piggyback reservoir and remote preload adjuster, offers a surgical precision adjustment, far from the basic shock absorbers of the standard versions. At the front, the 43 mm inverted fork is just as prepared. Braking is entrusted to the Italian elite with Brembo M50 monoblock radial calipers, capable of taming this mass with exemplary bite and feel. And to top it all off, a titanium Akrapovic exhaust releases the breathing and lightens the whole, giving this engine a voice worthy of its stature. It is this complete package, this Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport with a painted-to-match fairing and these high-end peripherals, that justifies its price of around €20,000.

Faced with a Suzuki Hayabusa more geared towards touring or a BMW S 1000 XR more versatile, the ZZR 1400 Performance Sport 2019 stands on its ground: the straight line reigns, very high-speed travel, the thrill of excess. It will not forgive the mistakes of a beginner and will require a certain musculature in the city, but it rewards the experienced rider with a feeling of absolute power and foolproof stability. It is the motorcycle for those who believe that top speed, here flirting with 300 km/h, remains a legitimate quest, and that mechanical luxury is measured by the quality of the components.

Kawasaki has therefore succeeded in a bold bet with this version. It doesn't just sell a motorcycle; it sells a living myth, a 2000s icon carefully preserved and even improved. For fans of the brand looking for a Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Performance Sport 2020 or a model from previous years, this 2019 probably represents the pinnacle of the lineage, before the contrary winds of regulation blow too strongly. It is the last of the great asphalt devourers, a superb show animal, as demanding as rewarding for those who know how to tame it.