Kawasaki ZX-10R

Because if they’re tightening their purse strings, they certainly aren’t showing it. Their new ZX-10R was launched in spectacular fashion in Qatar with a decadent Ninja night ride thrown in for good measure. It’s a bike that has become lighter and stronger with each evolution. But the most important leap forward this time is with the electronics and the safety systems now in place.

The ZX-10R doesn’t have the kind of breathtaking beauty like Aprilia’s RSV4, MV Agusta’s F4 or Ducati’s 1198 and it doesn’t have the compactness of Honda’s Fireblade. And although Kawasaki claims it is 1kg lighter than the Honda, it doesn’t look it. Compared to the previous model, it looks more horizontal and even longer and lower. On first impressions, it looks set to be a fast stable rocket rather than a nimble and agile track bike. But then again, the fact that it can offer almost 200bhp probably has a subconscious influence on the initial perception.

With the seat now lower than the previous model’s and the two way adjustable foot pegs set at their highest mark, even six footers can feel instantly comfortable with the riding position. You sit inside the bike rather than on top of it, rather like a Suzuki. The digital dashboard has a bright LED rev counter strip light which also acts as a changeable shift light. And you can change the LCD screen underneath according to the circumstances.

The track display has a very dominant gear indicator and lap timer. In road mode the speed is more prominent and the gear indicator takes a back seat. There are also two trip meters, a consumption meter, one of the three selected power modes is indicated along with your chosen traction control setting and how much it is being activated, there’s an eco indicator showing when you’re riding economically plus the more conventional displays of neutral, lights and indicators etc. The brightness of the LCD and LED automatically adjusts according to the situation but it can also be manually changed. And after every ride, you can see how much fuel you have consumed. The only thing this Ninja won’t do at the push of a button is bring you breakfast in bed.

The position of the handlebars feels instantly natural and the vibration-free engine ticks over surprisingly sweetly although first gear is extremely long. From the first few turns, the ZX-10R displays a very rare and intuitive ease of use. It doesn’t demand any ‘getting to know you time’ and considering its statistics, it is strangely unintimidating. It’s fast, very fast, but it’s not at all mean or difficult to handle and while the ZX-10R is impressively friendly on the throttle with a linear power delivery throughout the rev range, the same tractability can be said of the unchanged brakes. They’re not aggressive but they react directly and can be fed in with a lot of feel.

Engine wise, it’s evolved in the same direction as the GXR-000 and Fireblade, where the low and midrange sections clearly have less comparative torque than from a few years ago. It’s not necessarily a negative point as you can get on the gas with more confidence and the extra horse power is delivered by higher revs. It’s more efficient but it is less impressive. The ZX-10R is fast but with less goose bump moments than the S1000RR or the previous model. There is no longer a noticeable rise in power at 6,000 rpm but the now more friendly build-up of power continues for longer. That isn’t the case in the low mapping though, where the engine feels completely dead above 10,000rpm.

There are three power modes which you can change on the move when the throttle is shut. ‘Full’ gives you 100 per cent power, ‘low’ is just 60 per cent of the total grunt and the middle mapping varies between the low and full settings depending on how aggressively and how far you open the throttle and how high in the revs you are. It’s not a very confidence-inspiring ride as the constant re-assessing makes the bike feel unpredictable. Change to the full power mode and the four cylinder’s behaviour is back to being spot on, which suggests that the whole mapping debate is actually quite unnecessary when the throttle response in full power is sorted in the first place. Peak power sits at 13,000rpm but the engine keeps on pulling until just past 14,000 where the rev counter starts to flash, indicating that it’s time to shift up through the precise and faultless gearbox.

The ZX-10R is really very impressive, helped admittedly by the Bridgestone race tyres compared to the BT106 hoops that the bike will be delivered with. This combination of bike and race rubber offers so much grip that it’s difficult to provoke the traction control. Even in the third and most sensitive setting, the system never feels abrupt or intrusive. The only indication you really have that it’s working is the fact that the dash lights up. On this bike, with these tyres and on this occasion, it was difficult to activate the traction control on the lower levels 1 and 2 and even with the system turned off, it was nigh on impossible to induce a slide.

Kawasaki’s ZX- 10R is not quite the race replica that some hoped and others feared for. It is pleasant company at normal pace and you don’t need to ride on the limit to feel connected to it. And on the flip side, lap time hunters will be satisfied with its efficiency and complete composure at speed.