New ZZ-R1400 coming this month
Little is known about the bike, except that it's expected to be a revamped, facelifted version of the current machine rather than an entirely new model.
Exactly how the styling changes is a moot point. The distinctive side vents are a trademark feature, and probably set to stay, while the two round-section exhaust end cans, which seem rather dated compared to the strangely-shaped pipes that most modern bike sport, are also expected to stay; in Japan such pipes are considered synonymous with power in a way that under-seat or belly-mounted single exhausts simply aren't.
Of course we'll be doing our best to bring you any news and pictures of the new ZZR as soon as it arrives, but in the meantime, let us know what you think; are high-powered straight-line missiles like the ZZR and 'Busa outdated now that sharp-steering superbikes can match them in terms of power? Or is there still something special about a bike designed with top speed placed above cornering in its priority list?
Kawasaki to upgrade ER-6
Although there are no pictures, so we don't know if it will look any different, the documents from the California Air Research Board reveal that the bike will be fractionally heavier than the old model as well as being significantly less polluting.
That could be down to something as simple as a reworked catalytic converter in the exhaust. It certainly isn't an all-new engine – the capacity remains 649cc and all the technical details on the emissions certificate are the same as the old bike's – and styling changes are unlikely given that the design was refreshed just two years ago.
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