Road-testing the Kawasaki ZX12R: It is common enough for a motorcycle to have four, sometimes more owners during its lifetime. That means that more second-hand machines are bought than new ones.
The term second hand is a euphemism for used, pre-owned if one wants to appear more up-market or, as I recently saw, God help us, "Cherished"!
There are many motorcyclists who have never, and would never buy a new machine. They would say, better by far to let someone else handle the teething troubles and suffer the high initial depreciation.
Bike reviews usually concentrate on new or soon-to-be-released machines. With rare exceptions tests take place over a short period of time. They rarely give you any idea as to how the machine would fare over a long period of time, what faults and vices emerged nor how much it costs to maintain and run.
Some of our future MotorBikes articles will deal with used machines, concentrating on what are popular. In the first in this series, we are looking at the Kawasaki ZX12R. This 1199cc Exocet missile of a machine which was ultimately "limited to 300 km/h" (186mph) being superseded by the ZX14R, an even more powerful beast which will reach our shores sometime in the new year and which we will be testing in the early spring. Its introduction will mean that some owners will be trading up, so depressing the asking prices for used ZX12Rs.
Recently we tested a low mileage 2004 ZX12R as well as Jonathan Coburn's 2000 registered, 32,000 mile A1 model. As a senior instructor with the Motorcycle Safety Association, his workhorse is a BMW R 1150 RT, in constant use, and the ZX12R also takes part in numerous track days each year. Few machines would get the chance to be as hard used, which makes his experiences particularly valid.
Jonathan says that "the styling and design of the bike is very well thought out. The mirrors are large but work well. Kawasaki has a knack for producing sports bikes that have engines which demand control and restraint from the rider. They are best described as being aggressive and brutal in their power delivery. You need a lot of respect and skill to get the best out of a bike of this size and power."
Winding the throttle open on the ZX12R is like looking into the Abyss. You roll back the throttle, and the power keeps building and building and building - there seems to be no end to it.
It is a beast of a bike. Take off at the traffic lights and before you know it you are doing 120km/h in first gear!! If pushed it will do 200km/h in second gear. Top speed is 340km/h, (211mph) This, year 2000 A1 model, was the last of the unlimited ones.
WARNING: I'll say it again - this is not a bike for novices or those who have just passed their test. It is a bike for riders who have been riding for a number of years. You can enjoy this bike but must also have respect for it and yourself.
One of the quirks of the ZX12R is the snappy throttle in first gear. Later models have been cured. Occasionally I may have left my braking late, or not read the road ahead correctly, and found myself in first gear trying to open the throttle but not sure how the bike will respond. It responds exactly the way you hoped it wouldn't, which is that it lurches forward as if it is getting ready to go into hyper space and it does this with less than a 1mm of movement on the throttle.
When you find yourself in this situation it is either all or nothing with the engine's power delivery, there is no in-between on the ZX12R in first gear.
There is an impressive 200mm section rear tyre. It is one thing looking at these tyres and saying yes, that looks great. But a new rear tyre will cost you about €260 to replace. If you are lucky you could get about 5,000km out of a back tyre.
I put four rear tyres on my ZX12R last year which included five track days in Mondello and about 18,000 road miles. There were also two front tyres at €190 each.
That's 8c per kilometre (over 10c / mile) in tyres alone!
I have had few problems. The thermostat had to be replaced after the fan started running all the time.
I replaced the front and rear wheel bearings after about 28,000 miles. The chain and sprocket were replaced after 30,000 miles as was a front floating disc. One of them became warped after some very hard braking on a track day.
Riding around town, commuting and suchlike expect around 8.5 litres / 100 km (33 mpg). But when you push it it is down to about 14 litres / 100km (20 mpg) for a full tank.
Brake pads have been renewed several times.
Watch the cable running from the alternator up to the regulator under the pillion seat. The design allows oil from the engine to creep up through the sleeving covering the cables feeding into the rectifier. Oil creeps into the socket and plug. This is a serious fire risk. The plug and socket can melt and the fumes are toxic.
If you did decide join in the madness and purchase a ZX12R then get an insurance quote before you buy. I would also, declaring a vested interest, suggest some Advanced training so that you will be around for a long time to enjoy your bike
This bike is a lot of fun. One can use it for track days, sports touring, commuting or just going on a short spin at the weekends. It has all the grace of a Goddess and the might of Ares. But if you don't take care it will bite back.
Tech Spec
ENGINE: 1,199cc, DOHC, 16-valve, transverse, liquid cooled 4-cylinder. 160 to 188bhp, depending on exact model & year. Torque 90 lb.ft @ 7,700rpm. Six gears, chain drive.
PERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h in 3.43secs. Top Speed: 296 to 340 km/h.
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 1,450mm. Seat height: 820mm. Weight: 210-213kg.
FUEL: 19 litres.
INSURANCE: Group 12
PRICES: New RRP €14,900 currently less €1,000 discount.