Kawasaki Zx-11
KAWASAKI ZX-11
Is there a place on the racetrack for a 176-mph streetbike?
LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE: OUR ZX-11 WENT 176 miles per hour. That's not a calculated speed or some theoretical figure; that's the number that flashed on our radar gun when the ZX went ripping past it, pushing a wall of wind and roaring like a 747 on takeoff.
What happened next was inevitable. The moment we found out just how incredibly fast the ZX-11 would go. we began to wonder how it would stack up on a racetrack against the class’s track specialists, the FZR 1000 and GSX-R 1100. Our question was simple: Would the general-purpose ZX be able to make up in straightaway speed whatever it might give up in the corners to the more highly focused repli-racers? And even if it wouldn't, we thought it would be great fun just to find out.
A couple of laps around Willow Springs refreshed our recollection of the ZX-1 l’s astonishing speed capabilities. It is nothing less than phenomenal how hard this motorcycle accelerates in any gear at any rpm. Down Willow’s front straight, it just kept pulling harder and harder as it charged past the radar gun at 144 miles per hour, nearly 5 miles an hour faster than the FZR 1000 had gone that same day. And the ZX would have gone even faster had the rider not had to jump on the brakes a bit early for Turn One.
See, the Kawasaki’s brakes are good, if not great, for all-around street riding, but on the track, they lack the sheer stopping and staying power to haul the bike down from its tremendous speeds quickly and consistently. So, the brakes cost the ZX some time around the track by forcing the rider to brake early when entering practically every corner. Compounding the problem was the bike’s dry weight of 549 pounds, which made it feel like a runaway locomotive charging into Willow’s faster turns.
Indeed, though the ZX is more sporty than the other all-around sportbikes in the Open class (see “An Embarrassment of Riches,’’ page 40), it is large and bulky compared to the FZR and GSX-R. and its size makes it more difficult to hustle around the track. It’s a bit harder to hang-off of, too. The suspension caused some wallowing in the corners and allowed the
exhaust system to drag, but the bike was still surprisingly composed until the front tire started sliding. Once that happened, we called a halt to our experiment and settled for having turned lap times that were, on average, about 3 seconds slower than those cut by the hard-core sportbikes. Clearly, the Kawasaki's awesome power was not able to offset its handling shortfalls on the track.
Nevertheless, the ZX still stands out as one impressive motorcycle, no matter where it's ridden. And for now, at least, we’re perfectly happy to keep our ZX on the street, where it feels more at home.
That is, if a 176 mile-per-hour motorcycle can ever really teel at
Camron E. Bussard
