" Although the scales say the ZX-12 needs a weekend or two with Jenny Craig, it doesn't shy away from canyon running. Unadulterated Speed The ZX-12R has been the flagship of the Kawasaki fleet since 2000 when it was commissioned to replace the legendary ZX-11 as the premier green machine. The new-age…

…Speed Week this year. She's also made a few passes over 200 on this machine and is looking to add a new red hat to her wardrobe. Jon was racing his ZX12R, which luckily was too tall for Nancy to compete on, so she hadn't given the more powerful steed much thought. Jon later fitted the Kawasaki with new…

…twist the throttle open and see how close BMW came to hitting its target. Did the Germans manage to create a bike to rival the mighty Hayabusa and ZX-12R for uber sport-touring supremacy? Let's find out. The horizon approaches as rapidly as the K's tach needle whistles to redline. With 143 horses at…

…6000 rpm. From there to over 10,000 rpm the ZX-14 pulls like one mean mother. The ZX-14's inline four-cylinder motor is the natural evolution of the ZX-12R motor, although according to famed tuner Rob Muzzy who was at the event, it has more in common with the latest ZX-10R than the 12R. Muzzy says the…

…claim. Not to be outdone, Team Green unleashed an updated version of its then top-of-the-line Hyperbike, the Ninja ZX-12R. Despite sporting a smaller displacement engine, the ZX-12R delivered an awful lot of performance for its size. But it wasn’t until 2006, when the ZX-14 was introduced, that it…

…really trying. Schnitz ran a 9.17 on the same bike. The ZX-14 is built low to the ground, with a seat height nearly 1 inch lower than the outgoing ZX-12R at 31.5 inches. And although it has a large 5.8-gallon fuel capacity, the reservoir is in the rear of what looks to be the tank and extends below the…