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Kawasaki ZX-14R sets new Australian land speed record
Posted On 31 Jul 2014
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The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R has reinforced its title of “the world’s most powerful production motorcycle” by setting a new Australian Land Speed record (Production class – Outright) at Lake Gairdner, SA during the recent DLRA Speed Week.
With only gearing/tyre changes and the speed limiter removed, the Kawasaki Australia supplied Ninja ZX-14R, which happens to be the first unit to roll off the production line in Japan (#0001) set a phenomenal top speed of 208.153 miles per hour (334.99 km/h) at the hands of rider Ralph Nicholls. The achieved speed set a new Australian Production Frame-Production Engine (P-P) 1650cc class record which is also the fastest speed any Production P-P bike has traveled to date.
Ralph Nicholls and his team consisting of Team Manager Leanne Knowles, Crew Chief Anthony Mack and assistant Peter Mack are thrilled to join the Two Hundred Mile per Hour club having exceeded 200 mph whilst setting a new record for their class.
The feat is also remarkable considering the crew is relatively new to salt flat racing with the 2013 DLRA (Dry Lakes Racers Australia) Speed Week outing their first campaign.
Rider Ralph Nicholls says, “We went to Speed Week with fairly large goals to fulfill and we achieved them all on the Kawasaki. We’re so thrilled!”
“It was hard work in extremely hot and hostile conditions. Over the week we progressively refined our approach to this unique form of racing and on the final day of racing on what was to be the Ninja’s final run of the meeting we set the record. It was an amazing feeling to travel at that speed. I was literally skipping along the salt. It was certainly a life experience I’ll never forget.
“The whole team would like to thank Kawasaki Australia for partnering us in this project and for manufacturing such a superb bike in the Ninja ZX-14R”.
The team was also accompanied by a camera crew who captured the journey and Australian record on state of the art 3D cameras for an upcoming documentary.
The Australian record setting #0001 Ninja ZX-14R will be left in its salt flat racing livery and will be displayed at upcoming shows and events including the 2013 Australian Motorcycle Expo in Sydney and the Hi-Octane Fuelarama event in Newcastle, NSW in April.
