The Speed War

These weren't race replicas. They were big, comfortable, full-fairing bikes you could ride across a state, and they'd do it at speeds that a decade earlier belonged to race bikes. Each new one went a little faster, until the numbers started making European regulators nervous.

A ZX-11 donor on the floor of our shop. Photo: JTL Powersports

Kawasaki fired the first big shot. Sold as the ZX-11 Ninja in North America and the ZZ-R1100 everywhere else, it used a 1,052cc inline four and was the first production motorcycle with a ram-air intake, feeding cool, pressurized air into the airbox at speed. Tests put it around 175 mph, and for most of the early '90s nothing in a showroom could catch it.

The 1993 D model refined the formula with a lighter, stiffer aluminum frame, a second ram-air intake under the headlight feeding a bigger airbox, bigger mufflers, larger front rotors and a wider rear tire. Kawasaki kept building it through 2001, and the ZZ-R1200 took over its sport-touring role after that.

Another ZX-11 donor with the bodywork off, showing the big aluminum frame. Photo: JTL Powersports

Owner's notes: The C model (1990–1993) and the D model (1993–2001) share a lot inside the engine, but the frame, bodywork, exhaust and ram-air parts are different, so confirm which one you have. On any ZX-11 that has been sitting, start with the four carburetors: gummed jets, worn float valves and tired diaphragms are the usual story.

Watch it

The Kawasaki ZX-11, the grandfather of speed. Video: DA_Garage on YouTube

A ZX-11 Ninja test ride. Video: 2 Wheel Workshop on YouTube

Honda answered with a bike named after the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, the fastest jet ever to enter service. The CBR1100XX used a 1,137cc inline four wrapped in slippery bodywork, and Honda claimed 177 mph. When Sport Rider tested it in early 1997, the Blackbird ran 178.5 mph against the ZX-11's 175. Kawasaki's long reign was over.

Before the Blackbird, Honda's big sport bike was the CBR1000F Hurricane, sold in the U.S. from 1987 to 1996. The Blackbird replaced it. Photo: JTL Powersports

The Blackbird earned a reputation as a refined, all-day bike that happened to be ridiculously fast. Fuel injection replaced the carburetors for 1999, and Honda's linked brakes let the front lever and the rear pedal each work both ends of the bike. Honda built it through 2007.

Owner's notes: Check the regulator/rectifier and the cam chain tensioner, the two weak spots owners mention most. The 1997–1998 bikes are carbureted, so a low-mileage one that sat on stale fuel will need its carbs and tank looked at. The linked brake system works well but has a lot of lines and seals, so budget for it.

Watch it

The CBR1100XX Blackbird: riding impressions, history and specs. Video: Jon's Motorcycle Rescue and Review on YouTube

Riding a 1997 Super Blackbird. Video: TheApostleP on YouTube

Suzuki didn't hide what it was after. Hayabusa is Japanese for peregrine falcon, a bird that hunts blackbirds. The 1999 GSX1300R had a 1,299cc inline four and strange, bulbous bodywork shaped to cut through the air, with the headlights stacked to make room for the ram-air ducts. Depending on the test, it ran somewhere between 188 and 194 mph, and Guinness listed it as the world's fastest production motorcycle.

Kawasaki's 2000 ZX-12R came up just short of it. By then the speeds were worrying European regulators, and the Japanese and European manufacturers informally agreed to cap their bikes at 300 km/h, about 186 mph. From the 2001 model year, the Hayabusa had a speed limiter, and the war was over. That makes the 1999–2000 bikes the only unrestricted Hayabusas ever sold. A second generation arrived for 2008 with a 1,340cc engine.

Owner's notes: Know whether you're looking at a 1999–2000 bike or a limited 2001-on bike. Check the cam chain tensioner and the generator. Early bikes had reports of cracked subframes, often on bikes running aftermarket exhausts, and Suzuki fitted a stronger subframe in 2002. These bikes were heavily modified and often crashed, so look for fresh paint hiding repairs.

Watch it

The first-generation Hayabusa reviewed. Video: The Bike Show on YouTube

A first ride on a 1999 Hayabusa. Video: Cars&Bikes on YouTube

The truce put a ceiling on top speed, but it didn't end Kawasaki's appetite for big power. The ZX-14 arrived for 2006, and the Concours 14 sport-tourer built on its platform followed for 2008. If the ZX-11 has a descendant still covering serious miles today, that's the one.

A Concours 14 donor from our shop. Photo: JTL Powersports

We part out real donor bikes and list the parts as they come off, so every listing tells you exactly what bike it came from. Our ZX-11 donors are coming apart now. Browse our Kawasaki parts and Concours 14 parts to see what's listed today.