motorcycle

The Kawasaki ZX-12R is a sport bike that was made from 2000 to 2006 byKawasaki. It was known as a contender to be the fastest production motorcycle, and for its role in bringing to a truce the escalating competition to build a faster motorcycle.

Before the introduction of the ZX-14 (ZZR1400), the ZX-12R was Kawasaki's flagship sport bike and a competitor to the Suzuki Hayabusa. The ZX-12R was a fuel injected (four 46 mm throttle bodies) 1,199 cc (73.2 cu in) hyper sport motorcycle, generating around 161.2 horsepower (120.2 kW) at the rear wheel.^[1] Handling and braking match the power of the engine resulting in a motorcycle that was docile at low speeds and very easy to handle in heavy traffic, but has strong acceleration and a top speed limited to 186 mph (300 km/h) by a motorcycle manufacturer gentlemen's agreement.

Pre-production models of the ZX-12R revealed a motorcycle that was indeed faster and more powerful than Suzuki's Hayabusa. Several notable motorcycle publications tested the pre-production ZX-12R and found it to be superior to the Hayabusa in terms of straight-line performance.^{[citation needed]} In Japan, pre-production tests revealed a top speed near 200 mph (320 km/h).^{[citation needed]}However, the 2000 release of the ZX-12R proved to be somewhat of a disappointment, as the production version of the ZX-12R was delayed for weeks without notice. Many in the industry reported that European governments had threatened to ban the ZX-12R altogether due to its top speed and outlandish acceleration. These threats were apparently taken seriously, and Kawasaki released the bike with a slightly de-tuned engine^{[clarification needed]} which failed to knock that Hayabusa from its throne (in terms of top speed and acceleration tests). Starting with 2001 models, speed limiters were included to reduce the ZX-12R's top speed to 186 mph (300 km/h). This was because governments mainly in Europe were concerned with the ongoing pursuit among Japanese manufacturers of ever higher maximum speeds, which were seen as a powerful marketing tool in most markets around the world.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R was discontinued in 2006. While not nearly as popular in terms of sales as the Suzuki Hayabusa, the ZX-12R enjoys a strong following among its riders and fans. Many sport bike magazines praised the ZX-12R for its overall sportbike performance.

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