Not long ago, we told you about Japanese shop Trick Star’s goal to take the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R to superbike speeds. The company tried to do that a few months ago, came really close, and then had to back out as the bike went kaput. Now, though, with the fixes in place, the team is back at it. And the result is arguably the fastest sub-400cc motorcycle in the world!
Trick Star’s Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R Has Breached 180 Miles Per Hour With Ease
Trick Star is not new to setting records. It did the same with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R, taking it to a scarcely believable 155 miles per hour. Things have been a bit difficult with the ZX-4R, though. Last time around, the sports bike managed an impressive top speed of 163 miles per hour in the fifth gear itself.
Then in the next run, the inline-four engine poofed into a blur of white smoke. So Trick Star took its own sweet time to understand things, and as you’d expect, it came back stronger than ever. The result? As the video shows, the turbocharged ZX-4R managed to hit an insane top speed of 183.3 miles per hour (295 kph).
That is a number not even the mightiest of supersports can manage, but the baby Ninja did it with relative ease. Plus, the test rider claims there was some resistance from the rear wheel, which is why the magic ‘299’ figure remains unattained. Thus, the 4R hitting 186 mph seems like a matter of “when” not “if”.
The Secret To The Trick Star Ninja ZX-4R’s Top Speed Is A Turbocharger’
Yes, you read that right. Trick Star’s Ninja ZX-4R is not ordinary. It hides a turbocharger under the skin, done in-house by Trick Star. You can spot it tucked neatly between the middle and lower fairing. Speaking of which, the fairings are custom units put in place to make space for the turbo. They also don a white and green livery–quite typical for Trick Star bikes.
The turbo joins hands with a free-flow custom exhaust system with custom headers and a free-flow intake. This is said to promise an output of around 125 horsepower at the wheel (over 130 at the crank). As a refresher, the stock ZX-4R manages “just” 76 ponies.
Key Changes On Trick Star Ninja ZX-4R
- New fairings
- Turbocharger kit
- Full-system exhaust
- Custom sprockets
- Custom air filter
Read the full article here
