It's only on a German autobahn that the Kawasaki ZZR 1200 can begin to use all its available power. Nevertheless John Wheeler found it versatile for Irish conditions.
'What do you get out of it?" asked the young lad selling newspapers at the traffic lights. "A lot of fun," I replied. I felt it was unfair to add that this machine churns out 152 bhp and is claimed to have a top speed of 175 mph, when a lad of his age is probably at least a decade away from being able to get a full licence and afford the huge insurance.
The Kawasaki ZZR 1200 looks fast and sporting though it is, thankfully, free of "go-faster" stripes and lurid graphics. It's classed as a "sports tourer" despite the absence of any provision for carrying more than a toothbrush. The exhaust layout would take hard panniers - at a price.
It's a sports bike, and a potent one at that, delivering the equivalent of 644 hp per tonne. This gives reserves of power which, apart from the odd unrestricted stretch of German autobahn, could never be used legally - and from a safety point of view might never be used to the full.
So, what's the point of having so much unusable power? One could ask the same of a number of decidedly potent cars. Apart from the fact that such high power helps sell bikes, it does mean utterly effortless progress on the open road. Indeed, with so much power on hand and such excellent engine braking, one can become rather lazy. This Kawasaki can cope with almost most anything from 20 mph to very fast overtaking.
The delightful, vice-free six-speed gearbox and forgiving road-holding, make this machine a delight. The brakes are well up to handling such power. However, it's averse to the sort of strong, gusty cross-winds of which we seem to be getting rather too much of lately. Despite a mere 600 miles worth of tyre wear, it was far from happy on the smooth, wet "tar snakes" in which our road engineers seem to delight. As we all know, road engineers don't ride motorcycles.
In city traffic a machine such as this is clearly wasted. It's just not a commuter bike. This is not to say you couldn't use it for a daily commute - it's just that other machines are better suited and more comfortable.
The crouched riding position, essential in performance terms both to reduce wind drag and keep weight on the front wheel, is less than comfortable until one attains around 55 to 60 mph when the slipstream begins to help support the rider's upper body and take weight off the wrists.
A flip up edge on the top of the screen or an inch or so more height would also help divert some of the blast over the helmet.
Certainly, a bike of this power is not recommended as a first bike. A moment's injudicious use of the throttle could seriously damage one's health and a lot else besides. Yet of its class, the ZZR 1200 is well mannered and easily handled.
The seat proved to be more comfortable than on many machines of this configuration - and there are large, well-placed grips for the pillion passenger. The pillion seat, like those on all sports machines, puts a passenger high, crouched and vulnerable looking.
I have nothing but admiration for those young, predominantly female pillion passengers who apparently travel long distances in that posture on high-powered machines. Our own very experienced pillion critic declined the offer.
Mirrors are on hinged stalks, which makes for easier garaging. They give a fairly good rearwards view and are unaffected by vibration. The ZZR also has a centre stand and a well-placed lifting grip.
In terms of "bangs for your buck", this Kawasaki, which costs €13,400 here in Ireland, gives you virtual Formula One performance at a fraction of the price.