Back to ZZR1400

KAWASAKI ZZR1400 (2006-2012) Review

Published: 23 November 2006

Sections:
MCN Review
Owners' Reviews
Photo Gallery
Facts & Figures
History & Versions
Bikes For Sale

"Not only the fastest, most powerful motorcycle you can buy, but happens to be an extremely capable all-round machine too"

Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding

"Not only the fastest, most powerful motorcycle you can buy, but happens to be an extremely capable all-round machine too"

Overall Rating 5 out of 5

The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 is not only the fastest, most powerful motorcycle you can buy, but happens to be an extremely capable all-round machine too. Limited to 186mph (300kmh) – but the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 will do it with a gear to spare. Capable of commuting, two up sporty touring, track days, drag racing, posing – almost anything is possible on the big Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 - just don’t try taking it dirt riding.

 

Watch the 2008 Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 take on the 2007 version

Watch the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 take on the 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa and the BMW K1200S in our long distance road test

Watch the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 compete against the 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa in our top speed test

 

 

Ride Quality & Brakes 4 out of 5

Ultra sports-tourers can’t be track bikes but the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 copes superbly on the road. With 215kg to carry it’ll never flick as fast as the latest dedicated sports bikes but it’s smooth, predictable and sporty in a road orientated way. The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400's brakes are awesome and it’s plush enough for those European blasts.

Engine 4 out of 5

Bordering on insanely powerful for a motorbike. Its builder says the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400's the first of a new generation of engines which owe nothing to the outdated ZZ-Rs of he past. 197bhp with ram air is an astounding figure. Torque on the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 is plentiful too but at low revs Suzuki’s Hayabusa out-grunts it.

Build Quality & Reliability 4 out of 5

Since 2003 the new improved wave of Kawasaki models have been better than previous ones in every way including build quality. The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 seems to follow that trend and no real weaknesses have been identified yet.

Insurance, running costs & value 4 out of 5

The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 is not that cheap but it’s the hot kiddie of the class until something more powerful is released, so a good buy. The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 was late arriving in dealers showrooms in 2006 which led to stock being left unsold late into the year and some discounting, which affected new and used value. Find a Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 for sale.

Insurance group: 17 of 17 – compare motorcycle insurance quotes now.

Equipment 4 out of 5

The Kawasaki ZZ-R1400's riding position’s compact for a substantial bike and comfy for one or two. The screen’s surprisingly effective considering it looks low and allows the insane top speeds the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 is renowned for. Instruments are very comprehensive and a genuine Kawasaki tank pad is available for the Kawasaki ZZ-R1400.

By MCN Staff

Owners' Reviews

45 owners have reviewed their KAWASAKI ZZR1400 (2006-2012) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

Review your KAWASAKI ZZR1400 (2006-2012)
Summary of Owners' Reviews
Overall Rating 4.7 out of 5
Ride Quality & Brakes 4.7 out of 5
Engine 4.8 out of 5
Build Quality & Reliability 4.6 out of 5
Value & Running Costs 4.7 out of 5
Equipment 4.3 out of 5
5 out of 5

Mr

02 April 2018 by Neil hodgkinson

Year : 2008
Annual servicing cost : £100

Nice, easy-to-ride rocketship. Love it! Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
4 out of 5
-
Engine
5 out of 5
-
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
-
Value & Running Costs
4 out of 5
-
Equipment
5 out of 5
-
5 out of 5

2008 ZZR1400 Owners review.

09 January 2018 by Simon Foz Foster

Version : ABS
Year : 2008
Annual servicing cost : £120

Best feature is the turbine like engine. Pulls like a train in any gear, supervise killing performance but all day comfort. Worst feature, uses rear tyres and sprockets pretty quick id ridden hard down to the amount of grunt the thing has. Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
4 out of 5
Ride quality is good but i believe the rear shock is better off being replaced as they get older. Brakes are excellent you can upgrade to braided hoses but they are expensive , quality pads improve them even more.
Engine
5 out of 5
Awesome and the bikes best feature you can pull away in 5th if need be,
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
No corrosion on my machine and very good overall finish. Like any bike best to use ACF 50 during the winter to keep it tip top.
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
Service costs are very reasonable and if you prefer easily done in your own garage, mine is coming up to its 15000 mile service, valve clearance etc i beleive its about £450. Usually does about 38mpg the way i ride , but you can get up to 40mpg driving Miss Daisy !
Equipment
4 out of 5
No fancy electrical gizmos in 2008 just ABS and Kawasaki Traction control, Good old school dials but you do get a computer showing average mpg and fuel range etc. You can fit loads if extras , mine has top box panniers heated grips and bar risers, the perfect continent crosser!
Buying experience

These bikes are very good value i bought mine from a trader for £5500 with only 10500 miles on it and the panniers. Not bad for a bike that will do nearly 200mph.

4 out of 5

Scream like a girl

15 June 2017 by Chris Long

Version : DAF
Year : 2010
Annual servicing cost : £200

Fast, capable, mile muncher with a naughty side Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
Smooth missile with a headlight set that telepathically moves motorists out of the way. The fairing is large and bike long so you are well protected from the elements (though at a height of 6ft 4 a truck would struggle to keep me out of the wind). The breaks are strong which can cause problems with the soft front suspension bottoming out (mine is overdue a suspension rebuild). The seat is well padded and comfortable. The only issue i have is with the height of the rearsets, which with an inside seam of 36 inches, folds my legs as if i'm riding a sportsbike - fine for an hour but after that my knees are screaming enough...old age perhaps.
Engine
5 out of 5
In a word 'monster'. It is turbine smooth and gets up to speed quickly, some times a little too quickly officer...which is very addictive. The enginee is also good at slow speed, with good fuelling making filtering in town a doddle (size of the bike aside, which you quickly come accustomed to).
Build Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5
Up to recently, mine had been used to commute in all weathers and the fit and finish has stood up well to the daily abuse.
Value & Running Costs
4 out of 5
Annual servicing prices have been reasonable given the power of the bike, with the large service, including valve check (24,000) and steering head bearing check costing close to £700
Equipment
4 out of 5
As standard, the bike is well equiped with the info you need. Mine sports the tail hump (i don't take pillions) and factory scorpion end cans, which sound nice and fruity without upsetting the neighbours (until you remove the baffles that is). Best two modifications i've made are rearsets and tyres; rearsets are Gilles Tooling from Calsport and tyres are Metzler Roadtec 01. The rearsets provide some good adjustment and are slick in operation. The tyres which replaced my Michellin Pilot Road 4s (a top tyre also) provide great feedback, grip and quick warm up come rain or shine.
Buying experience

My work meant i was up and down the M25 so my 2013 Z1000 (a great bike) was chopped in for the ZZR1400. I bought the bike from Three Cross in Wimborne, Dorset who's staff treated me well and gave me a great price on my trade-in. The bike was £6700 with 26,500 (approximately) miles showing.

5 out of 5

2006 zx14 a great ride

19 April 2017 by Greg Pickering 1352

Year : 2006

Best features , power above 6000 rpm, ride position, brakes, handling,reiability. Worst features stock low end power delivery,but is easily fixed, heat from engine can roast legs at times. Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
Great bike two up. Plenty of power to pass anything if required.
Engine
4 out of 5
Only delivers the promised horsepower when secondary throttle plates are removed and the ecu reprogrammed with a good exhaust system as well. Standard twin mufflers are very restrictive. Kawasaki shouldnt be softening the low end power delivery.Inexperience riders shouldnt be on this bike in the first place.
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
Cannot fault the bike mechanically
Value & Running Costs
4 out of 5
Likes a drink.
Equipment
4 out of 5
-
Buying experience

Standard tyres are excellent but wear fast.

5 out of 5

10 June 2016 by Steve

Year : 2007

Fantastic bike. A true hyperbike and a good looking one too. Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
Better than most out of the factory on the suspension but a modest rework front and rear works wonders. No need to spend mega bucks getting Ohlins fitted.
Engine
5 out of 5
Rocket ship engine but the early ZZR's are choked a bit by the secondary butterfly valves which takes away grunt from this big engine at low revs. This is remedied using one of two methods. The original old school method is to remove the secondary butterflies and do some remapping but the more recent method is a full ECU remap that does not require the secondary butterflies to be removed as the ECU is coded to open them much earlier. i went with the full ECU remap on my 2007 ZZR and the difference is night and day. Forget about the horsepower what you want at the lower rev range is tourque which is what the remap gives you.
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
-
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
-
Equipment
5 out of 5
-
4 out of 5

ZZR1400 You don't need any other bike

03 June 2016 by Monk

Version : A7F
Year : 2007
Annual servicing cost : £500

Yes, excellent performance and presence. Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
2 hours between breaks
Engine
4 out of 5
the 1352cc version lacks a little bottom end grunt. But to honest the rest of the rev range more than makes up for it. Driveability is not compromised.
Build Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5
Never broken down, however some exposed components could do with better protection, oil cooler, headers etc
Value & Running Costs
3 out of 5
Not bad for such a powerful bike. Just tyres, brakes, plugs, oil and filter
Equipment
3 out of 5
This model lacks sensible bungee hooks (like those fitted to the zzr1100 c/d models), tyre choice is endless
Buying experience

Dealer, paid £5k, the advertised price (but they did fit new tyres and brake pads)

5 out of 5

Kawasaki zzr 100 let the good times roll

13 May 2016 by Bikerman

Version : A7f
Year : 2007

Where to start 10 years away from motorcycling for genuine reasons hadn't stopped me continually looking to see what I would like if the day came when I could afford another bike that day came and there was only one bike I wanted zzr 1400 never rode... Read more one, never saw one up close but allways admired from a distance. I love the front end, it's the stuff of legends, I travelled to Taunton from Cumbria to pick up the bike of my dreams and jesus the 350 mile journey home was a mixture of euphoria and trepidation in equal messure had I made a big mistake the first 100 mile I thought Yeh after a break the rest of the journey put a massive smile on my face which I've had ever since this is without doubt the best bike I've ever had the pleasure of owning by a mile big thanks to kawasaki purs like a big cat mile after mile

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
Fantastic all rounder comfortable fast quiet economical
Engine
5 out of 5
Engine is sweet as a nut happy pottering in traffic or cruising at high speed
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
Quality finish not allways the case in the past with kawis but the 1400 is spot on in every way
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
No more expensive than any other bike I've had
Equipment
5 out of 5
My bike is standard apart from rear hugger fender extender Bridgestone BT023s tyres I prefer new battery discs and pads in a year considering its 10 years old it looks and rides like new
Buying experience

Bought the bike private for £4450

5 out of 5

19 March 2016 by Stuart Carter

Version : A7F
Year : 2007
Annual servicing cost : £300

AS stated by others the bike is a little heavy to move around the garage but once moving gives a solid planted feeling on the road. It'll never match a sportsbike for handling but is far more comfortable and good for a couple of hours continuous... Read more riding between fill ups.

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5
Cannot fault the ride quality in any way. Sometimes travel with a couple of sportsbike riders and it's always them who want to stop long before I find the need.
Engine
5 out of 5
Low speed requires the right gear and the right speed. Personally have no problems with this but once out on the open road it really comes to life. The engine seems bombproof. Stopping such a lump at high speed is done effortlessly as the Nissins do their work.
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
No issues whatsoever with paint or any other finishes. As long as its cleaned regularly and maintained properly I don't envisage any problems. Always starts 1st time but does clunk into 1st gear no matter how gently you try to engage it.
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
Tyres another £250 on Bridgestones. Servicing is done religiously whenever the time or mileage dictates.
Equipment
3 out of 5
The on-board computer is more than adequate. Storage is next to nothing. Otherwise I just love everything about it, always leaves me feeling positive after every ride.
Buying experience

Bought privately with very few miles on the clock. Showroom condition with a FSH. Advertised for £5500 but got it for £5100 cash.

5 out of 5

Best overall bike out there

27 January 2016 by Tony

Year : 2011

Best bike I've ever owned by a mile!! It does it all from pulling your head off it's shoulders (0-60 in 2.5secs) to cruising all day at motoway speeds in comfort. My wife loves going on the back, we can be in traffic at 50 and just effortlessly twist... Read more the throttle in top to nip back up to 70ish. handling around corners is as good as most people would want to try, any faster and you should really be on a track!

Ride Quality & Brakes
4 out of 5
Brakes and build quality on the whole are excellent, watch out for warped front discs (warp due to very high temps cooling quickly) and the only other criticism is the seat, gives me bum ache after about 1.5hrs, better padding needed.
Engine
5 out of 5
Just awesome!!!
Build Quality & Reliability
5 out of 5
Never hic-cuped
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
I do my own servicing, so pretty cheap really, The price new is a tad high, but when you take into account how well they hold their price, it's not too expensive to swap.
Equipment
4 out of 5
By today's standards (2016) it's basic. I find Angle GT tyres are best, I've also fitted heated grips, bar risers, full Givi luggage and exhausts.
Buying experience

Bought from a dealer

5 out of 5

Awesome machine

20 August 2015 by Daz Atkinson

Year : 2009
Annual servicing cost : £100

I cannot fault this bike's performance or reliability, think millenium falcon and Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs, and you will be close, only build quality lets it down a little Read more

Ride Quality & Brakes
4 out of 5
Great for cruising but not the comfiest, break every 100 miles or so, but i am over 50, bar risers and peg lowering kit a must for older riders
Engine
5 out of 5
smooth and bulletproof
Build Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5
Rust around small components is the only let down, lever screws, brake line brackets, luggage hooks etc
Value & Running Costs
5 out of 5
Never done main dealer service but easy enough to do small annual service at home
Equipment
5 out of 5
Beware putting sport tyres on unless ya can afford a new set every 2k miles or so, square off quickly, Pilot roads are good dual compound and give higher mileages
Buying experience

Bought privately for £5.2k when 4 years old

Read all 45 owners' reviews in full

Facts & Figures

Model info
Year introduced 2006
Year discontinued 2012
Original price £10,613
Used price £4,000 to £8,000
Warranty term (when new) Two year unlimited mileage
Running costs
Insurance group 17 of 17
Annual road tax £88
Annual service cost £220
Performance
Max power 197 bhp
Max torque 113 ft-lb
Top speed 187 mph
1/4-mile acceleration 10.2 secs
Average fuel consumption 39 mpg
Tank range 185 miles
Specification
Engine size 1352cc
Engine type 16v in-line four, 6 gears
Frame type Aluminium monocoque
Fuel capacity 22 litres
Seat height 800mm
Bike weight 215kg
Front suspension Preload, rebound, compression
Rear suspension Preload, rebound, compression
Front brake Twin 310mm discs
Rear brake 250mm disc
Front tyre size 120/70 x 17
Rear tyre size 190/50 x 17

History & Versions

Model history

2006: Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 launched.
2011: Available as Kawasaki ZZR1400 ABS [£10,613] and ZZR1400 ABS Performance (Inc. Akrapovic silencer, tank pads, seat cover, higher screen) [£11,634] 

Other versions

None.

Photo Gallery

  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Front view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Front view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Brakes
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Side view
  • Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 motorcycle review - Riding

Other pages you might like ...

NewsArticles
VideoVideos
ReviewsBike reviews
For saleBikes for sale
All related reviews
All related bikes for sale