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The one-litre motorcycle class is where the battle for sport-bike supremacy is won or lost and Kawasaki has run out a new big gun.
Because of the fierce competition between the main manufacturers for top honours in this category the challenge has become a game of king-of-the-hill – today this marque reigns supreme. tomorrow another. With its new-from-the-ground-up ZX-10R, Kawasaki has made its intentions very clear... it's war!
The new Kawa Ten packs enough electronic wizardry to rival the current title contender, BMW’s S1000RR. In addition to sporting three power settings and as many traction control modes, the bike we tested was also equipped with ABS, allowing its rider to use the engine’s considerable power without having to be constantly mindful of the grip limits of the tyres.
BAR-STYLE LCD
The bike’s seating position is typical for this class of machine – forward-canted to place the rider in a low crouch over the tank. Kawasaki claims this bike’s cockpit is roomier than that of its predecessor but, being anything but a slender person, I can’t honestly say that I’ve noticed. The seat itself is also typical of the breed – while appearing hard and uninviting at first glance, it is in practice surprisingly gentle on the posterior.
The business end of the bike is dominated by a bar-style LED rev counter and a smaller multi-function liquid-crystal display. I'm no fan of non-analogue rev counters but I have to admit the specimen found on the new Ten works very well. It's bright and easy to read in direct sunlight and auto-dims in low-light conditions so as not to impair the rider’s night vision.
The LCD conveys the usual information – speed, time, gear position, etc. It can also show overall and instantaneous fuel consumption but (in keeping with its siblings) lacks a fuel gauge.
The engine emits a subdued rumbling which, under normal riding, won’t scare the living daylights out of the neighbours. To keep the bike from sounding bland, the air box emits a wholly satisfying growl which is capable of awakening the inner hooligan in the most staid of pilots. With the engine running in the upper rev range, however, the rumble changes to the typical inline-four shriek as the Ten starts flexing its muscles in a not subtle way.
As befits a bike in this category, acceleration is nothing short of mind-blowing. It may be tempered somewhat by the traction control but that only adds to the grin factor – the bike constantly invites you to make full use of its power without giving you the feeling that it is trying its level best to throw you off. If ever there was a prime example of an iron fist in a velvet glove, this bike is it.
EXTREMELY DECEPTIVE
As much as it has been designed for track use (even the instrument panel has a track mode in which, among others, the larger speedo digits are used as a gear position indicator), Team Green hasn’t lost sight of the fact that its litre-class flagship will spend considerable time on public roads. In this role, the ZX10 shows itself to be remarkably easy to ride. With a more linear torque band and noticeably less vibration, the new Ten is a much more refined bike without sacrificing its brawny character.
It is also an extremely deceptive bike. Kawasaki has tweaked its suspension geometry to place more weight over the front wheel, which resulted in a bike so stable that you often find yourself straying into the illegal side of the speed limit without even noticing it. While its predecessors suffered from a disconcerting lightness of the front wheel at speeds on the naughty side of the 200km/h mark, the current iteration doesn’t seem to share that malady.
Throughout the review period, the bike never ceased to impress me with high-speed stability that belied its light weight and short wheelbase.
The stability is not just limited to straight-line riding. In corners, the Ten is equally poised – partly thanks to its race-specification dual-barrel Ohlins steering damper. When I encountered an unexpectedly bumpy corner during the review, the Kawasaki tracked as true as an arrow despite the fact that it was leaning at an acute angle at the time.
THE ANTE IS UPPED
It's one of those rare bikes that you can throw at curves with almost reckless abandon. While it won’t magically turn you into the next Valentino Rossi, it will patiently shrug off the follies of less-experienced riders.
That Kawasaki has upped the ante with this bike is beyond dispute. That the other three Japanese manufacturers will respond in kind sooner rather than later goes without saying. That we await their response with baited breath may well be the understatement of the century.
Because of the fierce competition between the main manufacturers for top honours in this category the challenge has become a game of king-of-the-hill – today this marque reigns supreme. tomorrow another. With its new-from-the-ground-up ZX-10R, Kawasaki has made its intentions very clear... it's war!
The new Kawa Ten packs enough electronic wizardry to rival the current title contender, BMW’s S1000RR. In addition to sporting three power settings and as many traction control modes, the bike we tested was also equipped with ABS, allowing its rider to use the engine’s considerable power without having to be constantly mindful of the grip limits of the tyres.
BAR-STYLE LCD
The bike’s seating position is typical for this class of machine – forward-canted to place the rider in a low crouch over the tank. Kawasaki claims this bike’s cockpit is roomier than that of its predecessor but, being anything but a slender person, I can’t honestly say that I’ve noticed. The seat itself is also typical of the breed – while appearing hard and uninviting at first glance, it is in practice surprisingly gentle on the posterior.
The business end of the bike is dominated by a bar-style LED rev counter and a smaller multi-function liquid-crystal display. I'm no fan of non-analogue rev counters but I have to admit the specimen found on the new Ten works very well. It's bright and easy to read in direct sunlight and auto-dims in low-light conditions so as not to impair the rider’s night vision.
BLACK BEAUTY: The Kawasaki's sporty lines are accented by subtle touches of red.
The engine emits a subdued rumbling which, under normal riding, won’t scare the living daylights out of the neighbours. To keep the bike from sounding bland, the air box emits a wholly satisfying growl which is capable of awakening the inner hooligan in the most staid of pilots. With the engine running in the upper rev range, however, the rumble changes to the typical inline-four shriek as the Ten starts flexing its muscles in a not subtle way.
As befits a bike in this category, acceleration is nothing short of mind-blowing. It may be tempered somewhat by the traction control but that only adds to the grin factor – the bike constantly invites you to make full use of its power without giving you the feeling that it is trying its level best to throw you off. If ever there was a prime example of an iron fist in a velvet glove, this bike is it.
EXTREMELY DECEPTIVE
As much as it has been designed for track use (even the instrument panel has a track mode in which, among others, the larger speedo digits are used as a gear position indicator), Team Green hasn’t lost sight of the fact that its litre-class flagship will spend considerable time on public roads. In this role, the ZX10 shows itself to be remarkably easy to ride. With a more linear torque band and noticeably less vibration, the new Ten is a much more refined bike without sacrificing its brawny character.
It is also an extremely deceptive bike. Kawasaki has tweaked its suspension geometry to place more weight over the front wheel, which resulted in a bike so stable that you often find yourself straying into the illegal side of the speed limit without even noticing it. While its predecessors suffered from a disconcerting lightness of the front wheel at speeds on the naughty side of the 200km/h mark, the current iteration doesn’t seem to share that malady.
Throughout the review period, the bike never ceased to impress me with high-speed stability that belied its light weight and short wheelbase.
The stability is not just limited to straight-line riding. In corners, the Ten is equally poised – partly thanks to its race-specification dual-barrel Ohlins steering damper. When I encountered an unexpectedly bumpy corner during the review, the Kawasaki tracked as true as an arrow despite the fact that it was leaning at an acute angle at the time.
THE ANTE IS UPPED
It's one of those rare bikes that you can throw at curves with almost reckless abandon. While it won’t magically turn you into the next Valentino Rossi, it will patiently shrug off the follies of less-experienced riders.
That Kawasaki has upped the ante with this bike is beyond dispute. That the other three Japanese manufacturers will respond in kind sooner rather than later goes without saying. That we await their response with baited breath may well be the understatement of the century.
