Mr. Turbo’s Kawasaki ZX-11 Turbo

Summary

• Kawasaki has a history of producing some of the fastest motorcycles in the world, with the 1971 Kawasaki H2 being the fastest production motorcycle at the time.
• The release of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-1100 changed the motorcycling world, as it was a sports tourer disguised as a superbike.
• The Kawasaki ZX-11 achieved unprecedented performance, reaching a top speed of 175 mph and becoming the fastest motorcycle at the time.

Kawasaki has always produced some of the meanest and fastest motorcycles on the planet. When you look back to Kawasaki’s history going back to the early seventies, the 1971 Kawasaki H2 (750SS Mach IV in Japan) was the world’s fastest production motorcycle, delivering what Kawasaki called, “the most intense acceleration”.

In the 1980s, the Big Four Japanese manufacturers were in the horsepower battle, each vying for the title of the fastest production motorcycle. Kawasaki had already taken a step down this path when they commenced the development of the H1 in 1968. But it wasn’t until the nineties that Kawasaki would achieve the title – up until then, everyone was trying to outdo each other.

Continuing in the footsteps of the GPZ900R and ZX10 ‘TomCat’, the release of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-1100 changed everything in the motorcycling world. It may not have had the true look of a superbike, but it was one in the guise of a sports tourer.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Kawasaki and other authoritative sources, including CycleWorld.com.

The 200-Mile Per Hour Magic Mark

When the Ninja ZX-11 (also known as the ZZR-1100 in Europe) was released in 1990, it was unlike anything that had been released and was the fastest motorcycle money could buy. It may have initially seemed like the boxy ZX-10 Tomcat had had a styling update to become the new ZX-11, but this was far from true, as very little was interchangeable in terms of parts.

The Kawasaki ZX-11 Showed The World Unprecedented Performance

The ebony-black motorcycle with a 1,052cc engine had lighter chrome molybdenum connecting rods, lighter 11:1 pistons, larger 31.5 mm intake and 27 mm exhaust valves, and a 40mm Keihin CV carburetor bank that used a ram-air induction system with a single scoop leading from the front of the cowling below the headlight to a 15-liter sealed airbox. The ZX-11 produced 147 horsepower at 10,500 rpm, could cover the quarter-mile in 10.46 seconds at 135.54 miles an hour, and hit the indicated top speed of 175 MPH, something Cycle Magazine proved in its May 1991 test.

Out of the box and with no modifications, 175 miles per hour was unheard of back then. It was a bit shy of the 200-mile-per-hour mark, but how much faster could it go? That number was close, yet so far away. Surely, with some modifications, it could get there. Lose the thirty-eight-pound exhaust system for something lighter, knife the crankshaft, get bigger cams, big-bore kit perhaps? It wasn’t going to happen normally. Top AMA, WERA, and Formula USA race motorcycles at the time couldn’t hit 200 miles per hour.

Kawasaki ZX-11 (Stock) Highlights

• Rigid, yet flexible aluminum twin-beam chassis
• Ram-air system based on race car technology from Formula One
• Four-into-one-into-two exhaust system with mufflers constructed from aluminum
• Decent handling despite the size and its 581 lbs of weight
• The European version is restricted to approximately 126 horsepower by differently designed carburetor caps

Stock Motor Specifications

Superbikes From Hell

Sport Rider Magazine is what started it all in 1991, all in an effort to see if the 200-miles-per-hour mark was achievable. Reputed names such as Sims and Rohm, NOS & Patrick Racing, Lee’s Cycle Service, and Tom Houseworth brought their motorcycles together, consisting of a Suzuki GSXR1452, a CBR1000, a GSXR1100, and a GSXR116 respectively. Each broke 190 miles per hour, but failed to hit the magic 200 miles per hour mark.

In 1992, the Super Bikes from Hell part two featured Lee Cycle’s Suzuki GSX-R 1340, Dublin Kawasaki’s Land Speed record-holding ZX-11, Sims & Rohms streamlined GSX-R1452 and Luftmeister’s turbocharged and nitrous-injected BMW K1 – a curious quartet. The 200 mark still couldn’t be breached, though it was speculated that Dublin’s ZX-11 could have done it if Nick Ienatsch hadn’t crashed. People other than those who were there to take part in the challenge believed it could not be achieved until a pair of gentlemen showed up from Houston.

Enter Terry Kizer And Mo Parsons With Mr. Turbo

Terry Kizer, a flat tracker racer and drag racing legend, and Mo Parsons, a drag racer and tuner guru brought their turbo-based Kawasaki ZX-11 out for the shootout – a motorcycle that just wasn’t meant for quarter-mile passes, but was usable on the street. On the first run by Nick Lenatsch, the 577 lb ZX-11 couldn’t be picked up on the speed gun on account of its small frontal area, but the second run, a slower one on purpose, yielded an 189-mile-an-hour pass at 9,000 rpm.

At this point, the naysayers were about to be proved wrong. The next run had Lance Holst dangerously crouching in the middle of the testing road to get a head-on reading. As the ZX-11 with Nick aboard approached the speed gun, 215 flashed and locked onto the digital counter. To verify its authenticity, Holst also made a 215 MPH pass with Parsons verifying the runs from his dyno charts.

Mr. Turbo Kawasaki ZX-11 Turbo Speed Run

The Hardware Involved To Achieve The Double-Ton Mark

As good as the ZX-11 was from the factory, it could never hit 200 miles per hour back in the day, even with street-legal modifications. The only way was to turbo it, which would involve extensive development work, manufacturing of parts, modifications, labor, and testing. The order of work was to bore out the engine to accept a Wiseco 1,109cc piston kit using Carillo connecting rods with a 9:1 compression using a 390 cfm turbocharger unit. To be clear, motorcycle stock engines are not designed to use their original compression numbers with a turbo setup due to detonation caused by the overheating of the extra-induced fuel-air mixture.

Engine compression ratio is reduced when a turbo is added with a control device put in as a safety net called a boost regulator, which ensures boost pressure going into the engine is regulated and does not exceed a certain pressure. The other parts used to help build Mr. Turbo ZX-11 included a racing sixth-gear set, an intercooler to control and reduce the temperature of the heated air coming from the turbo, an electronic fuel injection system, a lock-up clutch, MSD ignition, and a nitrous injection kit. Mr. Turbo ZX-11 also featured an oil-bypass kit that addressed bearing failures in connecting rod number 3 in some of the early ZX-11s due to insufficient lubrication at high revs.

Famous Racer Terry Kizer Would Not Settle For Just Braking The 200 MPH Mark

Terry Kizer would later return with his re-tuned ZX-11 with updated injectors installed to breach the 230-mile-per-hour barrier at the Honda Proving Grounds in California. There were several motorcycles to choose from to go turbo, but perhaps it made sense to use the ZX-11. With a proven terminal velocity of 175 miles per hour, a strong, yet rigid and flexible twin-beam aluminum frame, and a reliable engine, it was the best platform available.

The only other company offering a similar system at the time with an engine management system controlled by 2 computers was RB Racing, and they made serious 500-horsepower turbo kits, but that’s a story for another time. They discontinued making turbos for the ZX-11 over 25 years ago, but then, both company’s products were created on order. If you have a Kawasaki ZX-11 and you still want to ride the streets and perform 130-mile-an-hour wheelies, besides the usual straight-line quarter-mile passes, maybe Terry Kizer of Mr. Turbo will make a one-off Turbo ZX-11 for you.

Upgraded Engine Vs. Stock Engine

Additional Kawasaki ZX-11 (Stock) Specifications

Source: Kawasaki and Cycle World