DragBike.com ZX-12

Thanks ZX

Now I just need the rod length to complete the picture. Check on the deck height, if this has gone up it might indicate a longer rod hiding in there. If that's the case, there maybe some serious horsepower to be had. There is a trade off though, as torque tends to suffer a little with that long rod.
 
Ducmanic,

I picked up the 'Busa last night. They remapped it (no charge). It runs better and a bit smoother. They raised the RPMs to around 11,500. Too soon to tell if the cut out is gone. I guess they want to go one step at a time before replacing any other part. We'll see what happens Check your post: L.A./Hollywood Hayabusas.

Walt
 
They aren't going to tell us rod length yet cause they are having too much fun. The cylinder block is open deck and that is all they say about that in CW. Two other things interest me about what Kawasaki has disclosed so far.

1. They describe the combustion chamber as being a modified petroof and semi-hemi in cycle world. That is pure superbike which is hard to do with real world bikes because of emssions. This leads us to the next interesting tid-bit.

2. They have a "catalyst" in the muffler for every US bike not just Cali. I think this is so they can run this thing right on the edge without flunking the tree hugger test. Is this a by product of waiting an extra two years? You create your own aftermarket improvement? Or did they figure a new airflow combustion chamber configuration that brings ram air to another level????

Of course I am talking out of my ass right now.
 
Whoa, when I see the word HEMI, I start to drool uncontrollably. Right foot just kicked a hole in the wall (it's a cage thing). Must accelerate.............
 
Yeah but petroof semi-hemi? No need for people to flame and I am going to draw fire from crew served weapons....but I think....we.....are looking at 200mph. I don't care if playschool makes it....200mph stock is a happy day!!!! A happy day indeed!!!! Fast fast like ten buggers!!!!! And I also think this thing looks sweet!!!! I think in real life it is going to look even better!!!!!

Ok I will calm down now.

I am not going to make a final decision though till I hear the horn.
 
*****Message for Todd*******

VegasZX is not me!!! It's a pretty safe assumption it's not VegasDude either!

As for the ZX-12, we all have our opinions and likes and dislikes. But, all the talk of delays and phantom bikes that some of you like to carry on about is over. The bike is here.... let the rivalry commence! (All in the name of fun, of course)
 
If you do the math, the hayabusa has more torque about 8, but with the shorter stroke the red line on the zx-12 will be around 12.5k, this will give it more HP since it is a factor of rpm times torque, and with ram air working at high speeds the math says it can do 184hp at 200mph to the busas 177hp at 200mph (crank HP). The bottom line is the bike may be slightly faster than the busa stock for stock on top end, but the busa should have more grunt on the bottom.
David G.
 
I've been looking over the specs on the ZX12R and a few features stand out.

It's overall width is 3.5" wider than the Busa(Are turn signals the culprit?) I thought it was to have a narrower frontal area for lower drag...?

It has a 2" shorter wheelbase than the Busa....For a dragbike, this is not a positive!

It's dry weight is two pounds heavier than the Busa....I thought it was supposed to be lighter...?

It's overall height is 1.5" lower which should help...but the rider is the least aerodynamic feature and so I thought one wanted to flow the air over the rider to smooth air flow and avoid venturi effects.
 
I'm tired of hearing how kawasaki wouldn't build a ZX-12 unless it could smoke the hayabusa.If that's the only criteria for building a bike then there would be only one bike made, the hayabusa.
 
Have you guys really ever seen a hemi high compression piston? Huge dome...guess what the flow of the air coming in has to travel over..that big dome...open up that suzuki and you will find no dome period...the best combustion chamber has no dome on the piston and of a flat design...you can look at the advance that is put in a stock engine and tell real fast how efficent it is...less advance more efficent...more advance less efficent. I`d be willing to make a bet right now the busa will make more HP after the aftermarket guru`s get done with it than is ever possible than with the short stroke smaller cc kawa engine. Take a look at pro-stock ...I`ve said it before see any engines of another brand. Also look for the kawa to be very breakage prone due to the recent history of kawa engines being extremely light and barely strong enough to handle the loads of the stock out puts of the stock engine...boost it by 20% and boom..just like the crank breaking and tranny junk on the ZX`s. If not for the rules every pro-stock bike would be 1700 cc`s...bigger with a good head will always be better and suzuki has the best head period.
 
Hey guys... yep, you bet... what I put up was reconstructed jive from Kawasaki... but, it's all I have to go with right now.

The bike was officially unveiled today... I've seen one for quite some time now though. The bike will be out in Feb., just like all of the other manufacturers new models, and there will be some changes to the bike from the pre-pro model that I have on my web magazine. They said that the swingarm and exhaust will both undergo some minor changes, but everything else will stay the same.

There is only about four bikes in existence right now, two at the Kawasaki dealer's show, and the others in Milan. All are hand built pre production models... so we can't do any dyno work with them yet.

I can assure you, I've seen, experienced, and enjoyed. This bike is real, and I am still partial to my Hayabusa... as it sits in my garage, is ridden daily (over 6,000 miles now!), and is a blast.

The ZX-12, with a swing arm, and some lowering, will probably kick the pants off the 'busa, simply because of it's overall design makes it a better dragbike.

Also, for the record, how many people have seen a Hayabusa weigh in at under 500 pounds?

Waltman, who did your remapping? I'm trying to find somebody who is good with it in the LA area!

-Marty Kane
 
David G's analysis is dead on.

The rhetorical question that's been asked many times by pro ZX12ers is "Why would Kawi bother building the bike if it won't hammer the Busa?"

I think the question should be "Why did Kawi bother trying to trump the Busa with a smaller displacement motor?"

Displacement talks. It says torque.

Torque moves mass. ZX12 and Busa have the same mass. Busa has more torque. Busa moves off the line quicker. Period.

But we're probably going to get beat up in the higher speeds with ZX12's lower, slimmer wind profile and all of Kawi's ram air expertise, even if our weird front fairing is more aerodynamic than their conventional looking nose.

That ram air duct may look ugly to some, but it's thing of beauty to me because I have good reason the believe it's much more effective than the Busa's. You can count on their ram air system adding significantly more than the 10 hp we supposedly get at high speeds.

If David is right and the ZX12 beats us at the top end, we're gonna get slaughtered at the bottom end when Honda drops the 1600cc nuke.

But one thing's for sure, anyone who ever owns any one of these hyperbikes in the future will always have Suzuki's courage and foresight to thank for their mount.
 
Scott, all great points. I beleive the turn siganls is the wider reading, the frontal area is supose to be smaller. they test the bikes with a 140lb 5'0" rider, in the real world the busa may just as you say have less drag with two big riders. We can guess all we want. I'm looking to see one in action. Not going to sell my Busa to get one. Green isn't my color.
David G.
 
Dirty Pete, Kawasaki knows ram air, the front scoop is at the maximum position for pressure. I wish Suzuki would wake up and get over we're not placing it where others have it "NOT INVENTED HERE SYNDROME".
David G.
 
Aw c'mon. This is when it starts to get fun. Competition is a good thing (though I agree, the Busa by far looks better). I'm really interested to see the real world numbers on what it can do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
zx-12 rumor mill
Replies
0
Views
575
Frank Adams
F
O
Advantage Busa!!
Replies
16
Views
938
OB_maui
O
G
ZX-12 pictures???
Replies
5
Views
562
OB_DC
O
O
ZX-12 ???
2
Replies
27
Views
992
OB_Dr Busa
O
O
\"Stock\" MUZZY Piped ZX-12R goes 199.3mph.....
2 3
Replies
54
Views
3,805
GSX
G
Back
Top