Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R To Be Discontinued After 2020: The Big Ninja To Be Taken Off The Shelves!

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is one of the biggest, baddest motorcycles currently in production. It debuted in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show and was then launched in 2006. With its 1,352cc engine, it became the motorcycle with the largest engine in the world, thereby achieving its main objective of competing with the Suzuki Hayabusa.

It also became the fastest-accelerating motorcycle in the world with a 0-100km/h time of just 2.5 seconds. The motorcycle received a few updates over the years including a second-generation model that was launched in 2012.

The updated model received a new 1,441cc engine and several updates in terms of features. The same Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is on sale even in 2019 and and continues to sell in small numbers as it is a niche motorcycle.

However, Kawasaki has decided against keeping the ZX-14R going and will pull the plug on it in 2020. The reason for the same has not been clarified by Kawasaki. However, a few possible reasons come to mind.

One of the main reasons for this decision could be the tightening of emissions norms around the world. The 1,441cc engine in the Kawasaki ZX-14R is a gas-guzzler and is quite the opposite to environment-friendliness.

Secondly, Kawasaki already has a motorcycle that can easily be considered equivalent to the ZX-14R. Kawasaki launched the Ninja H2 SX in India back in February 2018 at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The H2 SX is the hyper-touring variant of the Kawasaki H2 series.

It is powered by a 998cc, inline-four-cylinder, supercharged engine with a maximum power output of 199bhp and a peak torque output of 136Nm. It has been tuned to deliver stronger low and mid-range, thereby making it suitable for hyper-touring, something that the 209bhp & 153Nm Ninja ZX-14R did very well.

However, the Ninja H2 SX is lighter and hence easier to tour on than the bulky ZX-14R. Adding to it all is the fact that the Ninja ZX-14R clocks dismal sales numbers, giving Kawasaki more reason to stop production.

The motorcycle will be available on order throughout 2020 and after that, it will fade into history. There were talks of Kawasaki developing a new replacement, but with motorcycles like the Ninja H2 SX already in the brand's portfolio, the new motorcycle seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, Suzuki has announced the development of an all-new Hayabusa. So, it seems like the title of the largest production engine in a motorcycle will once again go to the Suzuki Hayabusa.

Thoughts On Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Being Discontinued After 2020

Motorcycle aficionados and motorcycle enthusiasts will surely be saddened by the very thought of the ZX-14R speeding into the pages of history. The Kawasaki ZX-14R is a motorcycle that just cannot be ignored. It is big, powerful, fast and is a machine that commands respect and attention from everyone.

It is a rare sighting on Indian roads but Its presence will certainly be missed even if the new Hayabusa is around the corner. The Kawasaki ZX-14R will certainly go down as one of the best motorcycles ever made.