Kawasaki to discontinue ZX-14R by end of 2020

The demise of the hyper tourers

First it was the Hayabusa. Now, it seems, another hyper tourer will be bidding farewell. Kawasaki has announced that the ZX14R (also known as the ZZR1400) will be discontinued at the end of 2020.

This is the result of tightening emissions standards that motorcycle manufacturers will have to comply with. By 2021, Euro 5 emission standards will take effect in Europe, which the ZX14R sadly cannot meet.

The ZX-14R was one of three legendary superbikes that vied for the fastest production motorcycle title, alongside competitors like the Honda Super Blackbird and Suzuki Hayabusa. All three were in an arms race to crack the 300 km/h barrier.

The ZX-14R was first launched in 2006 and received a steady stream of updates that bumped its power from 197 PS to the current 210 PS. It also received a revised fairing and rider aids like a slipper clutch and 3-stage traction control from the ZX10R. It has been in Kawasaki’s superbike lineup for a total of 14 years.

Unfortunately, due to a gentleman’s agreement between Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, the ZX-14R’s top speed was limited to 299 km/h for safety reasons. Nonetheless, the ZX-14R was a fearsome contender, producing 210 PS at its peak and accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.

Nonetheless, it’s not the end of hyperbikes from Kawasaki at least as new additions to its Supercharged H2 line of motorcycles, particularly the H2 SX still leave a lot of options for those wanting to hit 300 km/h.

For now, it seems the development will only affect European markets while Asian markets like ours could still sell remaining stocks of the unit. Nonetheless, the days of the ZX-14R are definitely numbered.