Kawasaki ZX-12R

Name: Keith Cutler. Age: 48. Job: Anaesthetic technician (he monitors your vital signs while you’re under general anaesthetic and assists with operations). Previous bikes: Triton 650; This is his third ZX-12R on the trot. Bike: Kawasaki ZX-12R B1. Tuner: Ray Stringer at RSR Performance Power: 172bhp (158bhp stock). Torque: 96.7ftlb (82ftlb stock)

” I can’t afford to be stuck in jams, waiting to get to the hospital, so I ride in all weathers. I work around Birmingham and the M6 is a nightmare, as most people know.

” I do around 800 miles a week just going to work and I want something that makes it easy. I’ve had three other ZX-12Rs before this one, the first two were stock, the last one was tuned a little. I wasn’t on a mission to set new records, I just wanted a bike that’s easy to ride.

” It surprises some people, but I had the bike worked on more or less before I got it! As soon as I ordered it, I ordered the pipe as well, then it went straight over to RSR for the tuning and set up.

” Now it has really linear power and it makes overtaking so easy. There’s power everywhere and you can just roll it on – you don’t need to change down the gears to get by anything. People ask why I’ve tuned a ZX-12R, one of the fastest bikes on the planet. I ask why not? You grow with it and get used to what you ride. To some people it seems mad but to me it’s quite sensible – though it can be risky.

” I got flashed by a camera on the A14 at 140mph. I was on my way to an emergency job over in Birmingham so I got a letter from work explaining why I was speeding, to take with me to court. I got a b*ll*cking, but they let me off. But it’ll only be the once! ”

What the tuner did

Ray Stringer is the man behind this potent ZX-12R.

” The ZX-12 has a strong engine, it’s quite easy to get a bit more out of it, ” he says.

” We’ve added a full Akrapovic race exhaust system and a Dynojet Power Commander 3 to re-programme the fuel injection to suit the exhaust. Those are just bolt-on parts, but you need to set it all up on the dyno.

” If you want to break the 200mph barrier – and quite a few of our customers do – you need to get around the restrictor. The later bikes are limited to 186mph (300kph) and tuning doesn’t change that. It’s an electronic system – when you’re in sixth gear, the ECU knows and won’t let the engine rev beyond the red line.

” The secret is to change the final gearing. If you alter the sprockets, the ECU won’t know. It will still stop the bike from revving out in top gear, but you’ll actually be going faster than 186mph. But you’ll lose acceleration. ”

Riding it

Blast the Kawasaki down the two-mile testing straight at Bruntingthorpe and it’s very impressive.

It hits 186mph (the top speed is limited to that) with so little effort. You tuck in to avoid the windblast but the power is so strong it feels like it could do it even if you sat bolt upright. In top gear it slams into the limiter as if it’s going to punch through it.

The way it gets there is more important for owner Keith Cutler. He’s got serious acceleration for his money.

How does 0-186.2mph in 23.16 seconds sound? Or 0-100mph in 5.58 seconds? Rolling-on in top gear will get you from 70-100mph in 4.2 seconds. And that’s just the kind of thing Cutler was after – effortless overtaking acceleration without the need to disturb his left ankle. Even in top it’ll go from 40-160mph in 20 seconds. Not that you would on the road, of course… unless your boss can write you a get-out-of-jail-free letter.

But he needs a sponsor to help run it or it’s going to have to go (you’ll be helping him provide a vital NHS service into the bargain, if you can assist). ” I need a rear tyre and a service every month, ” he moaned.