Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Just picked up a darling 12R....
10/2005 model....

But question I have is..... there seems to be 12R A,B and B6F ??? What do these models mean??? and would a 2005 be a B5?


Confusion reigns supreme.. and and and all I want to do is start buying goodies!

(and pics will come!)

A & B models were pre major update 2000-2002, the B3 is a kind of in the middle like a hybrid.

2004 B4 to early 2007 B6 are pretty much the same, if there are any differences besides colours I dont know about them.
I will stand corrected.

there is the ZX12 A1 , A2 and A3 models
dunno about Bs...dont have one

please don't make my head hurt.

How would i know which bikes are which models?

BASICALLY.....

A models have the snorkel air scoop compaired to the wide mouth streamlined scoop, more rounded headlights, different mirrors and more rounded fairings. You will know when you see one

The B3 has the same 6 spot Tokico calipers as the A model. (old skool look) However teh B3 has the later fairings and a different ECU to all the others and looks just like the later ones.. HYBRID or transitional.

B4 onwards has the squarer Radial mounted brake calipers and all the updates.

I could really make your head hurt with all the updates they had Even that hurts my head

ok. so how do i work out what a 10/2005 model is?

From what I have been told, anything plated from November on is the next years model usually, anyone?

That would make it a B6 Midnight black or whatever it is called and gold scheme?

The limited surfing i have done doesn't seem to help me.

.. and haven't been able to distinguish, because the insurance companies list a B4 and B6F as models for the year, and its making getting insurance really painful because even they don't know.... (funny that )

Is there a list of the changes made to the different models of the years(ie: B1,2 B3 etc) anywhere handy so i can try and get a better idea of this beast?

It is the black and gold - with a blue metallic speckle on the black. - Have seen on other sites shown as a 2006.

It depends on the frame number as to which model it is.

Back page of the service manual. Shows which frame numbers are which model.

Thanks Wilso!!!

I was looking for something like this! and you are a star!

It looks to be a B6F as its in the JKAZX9B1-6A range

Yay! confirmed B6F!

OK I stand corrected then in your other thread about this bike - there is basically SFA difference between the B4 and the B6F models anyway - they are basically B4 models with gold wheels not black............and thats about it.

Apparently ( according to my local dealer) - there was a bit of stock left over from the B4 model run, but the ZZR1400 was just about to be released, so it made no sense to do any serious updates at all to the existing 2005 B4 model. About the best they could do, was do a paint job on the wheels ( which went back to the 2003? model anyway I think) - with gold wheels not black.

You can be pretty safe that everything and anything which fits a B4 model, will be fine for your B6F model. A lot of aftermarket suppliers don't list anything after the B4 model anyway...... there was no B5 model ZX12R.

The major differences between the A & B models can fill a book ! there were literally hundreds of major & minor changes to heaps of things. However, lots of bits *didn't* change either.

Thanks everyone ;o)

I will learn... in time.. with the patience and guidance of everyone I admire so much!

Shall we start before it was born?

Designers bench?

Notice the early design had a bit of zx14 there even back then in 1996? I think.