Kawasaki vs Suzuki the Quest for Performance
Exactly 10 years ago at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show Kawasaki pulled the covers off the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. It was the most powerful sportsbike the Japanese firm had ever made, but more importantly, it had a larger capacity, less weight and a higher output than the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa which was the market leader.Fast forward eight years to the 2013 Tokyoa Motor Show and it was still very much about output performance, but with the world becoming more environmentally conscious, it was about getting the most out of the least. Suzuki made headlines when it unveiled its Recursion concept motorcycle powered by a 588cc parallel-twin turbo-charged engine, but Kawasaki stole the show with the unveiling of an inline-four supercharged engine.
A year later Kawasaki beat Suzuki to the punch again when it launched an affordable production version of the 147kW supercharged 998cc Kawasaki Ninja H2 and, offered up a game-changing 221kW (296 horsepower) Ninja H2R version which weighed 22 kilograms less than the standard motorcycle.
At the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show the pair were at it again. Both marques were showing off a new forced-induction engine, and both are vying for the crown of hardest charger.Tag: Kawasaki Suzuki ZX-14 Ninja GSX1300R Hayabusa 1400cc 1340cc Turbo Forced-Induction Supercharger Sportsbike
