Kawasaki

Kawasaki

NEW FOR'02

The ZX-11 becomes the ZZR1200, the ZX-12R gets slicker and refinements rule

THE ZX11 HAS FINALLY COME TO THE END OF ITS decade-plus run, but fans of the roomy and comfortable roadburner won’t miss it: It’s evolved into the ZZR1200. Kawasaki has followed the lead of many owners and even this magazine in transforming the big sportbike into one of the sportiest sport-touring machines.

In the process, its dohc, liquid-cooled 16-valve engine has grown from 1051 to 1164cc via the new bore and stroke first utilized on the ZRX1200 super-standard. But unlike that other 1200, the ZZR uses downdraft 40mm carburetors and disposes of unnecessary cylinder-head finning. Tuning, says Kawasaki, was aimed at enhancing low-end and midrange performance, so don’t expect the new machine to necessarily match the ZX-11 in top speed.

Following that trend, Kawasaki has also given the machine a heavier crankshaft for smoother low-speed running and reduced engine braking. The ZZR1200’s frame similarly derives from that of the ZX-11, but with added stiffness (thicker rails) and less rake and fork offset for lighter steering. For additional help in that regard, ball bearings replace tapered rollers in the steering head. A revised rear-suspension linkage and new shock are intended to give a smoother ride. New bodywork is part of the package, with gas-tank capacity growing to 6.1 gallons. The riding position has been altered, as well. Just as did many ZX-11 owners, Kawasaki has moved the handlebars back and the footpegs slightly down and forward for a roomier riding position. While the ZZR 1200 does not come with luggage, the aluminum subframe of the ZX-11 made the basis for a Steel subframe designed to be compatible with aftermarket luggage. Kawasaki even notes that Givi will offer colormatched hard bags.

While the ZZR is the only “all-new” introduction, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other significant changes to Kawasaki’s sportbike line. Even the ZX-12R, introduced just last year, has been more than slightly altered. After losing out in magazine top-speed shootouts last year to the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa, a motorcycle with similar power but superior aerodynamics, perhaps it’s not too surprising that Kawasaki has improved the 12R’s aerodynamics. A wider fairing with a higher bubble enhance rider wind protection while giving what Kawasaki describes as a “one point drag coefficient reduction,” continuing a long tradition among Japanese manufacturers of quoting aerodynamic performance with incomparable or meaningless numbers. The ram-air system was improved at the same time, and a number of changes were made for better rideablility. These include increased crankshaft inertia, a non-linear throttle linkage, and reduced freeplay between the gearbox dogs and elsewhere in the driveline. These are all changes designed to make the ZX12R respond more smoothly and predictably at small throttle openings and during throttleopening transitions.

Handling has been addressed, as well. Slightly increased rake (trail remains the same) and stiffer fork settings are intended to enhance steering feel when braking into a corner, while redesigned rear suspension actuates an improved damper with a softer spring through a new linkage.

And while the ZX-9R isn’t all-new for ’02, either, it too is substantially altered. As with the 12R, Kawasaki engineers

aimed for more controllable low-speed response with a 10-percent boost in crankshaft flywheel inertia. On the chassis side, the top engine mount (replacing downtubes) has been moved closer to the steering head to increase chassis stiffness. A new, stiffer swingarm was added, and the rear suspension linkage was revised for more linear action. Front brakes grew from 310 to 320mm, while the rear rim grew .5-inch to a full 6 inches in width.

In the category of small details that eventually add up to pounds, new axles are larger in diameter but hollow, for a better stiffness-to-weight ratio, and the drive chain shrank from a #530 to #525.

Finally, with all the changes to the other ZXs, the middleweight ZX-6R returns essentially unaltered, leaving something for next year. -Steve Anderson