KAWASAKI ZX-10RR
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN…
Iwas hoping to bring you something rather special this month. Instead, I’ll have to witter a little. I was supposed to be riding Luke Mossey’s JG Speedfit Kawasaki ZX-10RR, a British Superbike championship-leading RR at that. But thanks to the UK summer, which left Silverstone under water, we’ve had to shelve the project for at least another month. Timing is everything: the BSB calendar is relentless at this time of year with just a fortnight between races to allow for essential bike prep and other necessities, not counting some morbidly obese journo swinging a leg over the bike – and this is the very reason why I’ve neglected to fit an exhaust to the RR before Silverstone, as noise is becoming an ever-growing issue.
Anyway, during these past few weeks, I really feel like our relationship has blossomed. Living with a bike for this amount of time gives you the chance to gel, a chance to figure its foibles and truly indulge in its character. Unless your name is Michael Dunlop, I’m struggling to think of a reason why you’d want more from the RR as a fast road bike. My arse didn’t agree, given the discomfort on long hauls.
As I’ve been banging on for months now, I finally got the chance to fit a 16T front sprocket recently. It’s something that many internet überlords have suggested will work for the Kawasaki but there are many ill-advised internet überlords. Armed with nothing but my RR and a Talon sprocket, I headed to JHS Racing for some workbench time and set about whipping off the OE 17T sprocket, which thankfully is an easy task on the ZX-10. Unlike many bikes, the cover is easily accessible and takes seconds to remove. Kawasaki still utilise a rather crude metal backing plate which folds over a flat of the sprocket nut, and that’s about as tricky as it gets. As you can see, the stock sprocket houses a rubber grommet, which basically acts as a shock absorber. There’s none of that with the Talon – just gold 16T goodness.
There’s always a fear that changing sprockets – at either end – can alter wheelbase to an extent where the grinder has to make an appearance. Thankfully, we’ve just had to lengthen the wheelbase a smidgen, and the axle is still very much in the centre of the adjusters – which hasn’t affected handling in the slightest.
Out on the road, there’s no doubt that losing a tooth has livened the delivery and made the RR far more rideable at legal speeds, not to mention more exciting past those speeds. Without internal (or ECU) tweaks, you’ll never achieve serious gains, although the engine now spins quicker and revs build with more venom – and all for a measly sum of money. In terms of bang for buck, the Talon wins.
You know what else I’ve learnt this month? Due to a slight miscalculation and previously open petrol stations being shut, I had a squeaky bum moment when the fuel light came on and nursed her home after 18 miles of illumination. Just the five-mile trip to fill up tomorrow morning…