The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series made by Kawasaki from 2000 through 2006. The inline-four engine produced at low speed, and increased to at high speed due to its ram-air intake, making it the most powerful production motorcycle up to 2006 and the release of the ZX-14. It was a contender to be the fastest production motorcycle, and played a role in bringing to a truce the escalating competition to build an ever-faster motorcycle. Its top speed was electronically limited to , tying it with the Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 as the fastest production motorcycle on the market, after the 1999 Hayabusa was replaced with a speed-limited version as part of a gentlemen's agreement between motorcycle manufacturers that lasted until the 2007 MV Agusta F4 R 312. Model designation Usually 1,200 cc Kawasaki sportbike was called ZZ-R1200 in some markets and ZX-12R in others, but the ZX-12R only went by one name. The 2002–2005 Kawasaki ZZ-R1200 touring motorcycle did use this scheme, going by either ZZ-R1200 or ZX-12C. The ZX-12R's R designation followed the race-replica Kawasaki ZX-6R, ZX-7R, ZX-9R, ZX-10R. Top speed limited by agreement Apart from the first year of production ZX-12R, the 2000 model year was unrestricted, 2001 onwards its top speed was restricted by a motorcycle manufacturer gentlemen's agreement that was started in late 1999. This was due to a voluntary gentlemen's agreement that included BMW Motorrad and the Japanese manufacturers, amid fears of government regulation of motorcycle speeds mainly in Europe. Prior to the agreement, with rumors of going 200-mph Kawasaki had planned a world press event to launch their answer to Suzuki's Hayabusa, but the event was abruptly cancelled, and instead the ZX-12R with a revised engine control unit that limited speed to about 300 km/h was released with no fanfare or comment by Kawasaki. Performance At its introduction the ZX-12R was Kawasaki's flagship sport bike and a competitor to the Suzuki Hayabusa. Its handling and braking matched the power of the engine resulting in a motorcycle that was docile at low speeds and very easy to handle in heavy traffic, but had strong acceleration. The displacement engine generated at the rear wheel. Cycle World tested the ZX-12R's acceleration at 2.59 seconds. They found an electronically-limited top speed of , a braking distance of , and fuel economy of . They tested the time at 10.04