KAWASAKI ZX-10RR
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Getting the lube out.”
As the first Euro 4 superbike to make an appearance, the ZX-10R received some unnecessary flack upon its release. Yes, it needs revving on the road and doesn’t make sense until 8,000rpm, but everything before is usable and works smoothly in everyday environments. That said, it gets whooped by fresher rivals from lower down the rev range and can become hard work when keeping up with your mates, and this obviously counts for the ZX-10RR, too - so I’ve been experimenting this month.
Regulars will know I’ve had an Akrapovic system waiting in the pipeline. But being a penny-pinching muthafunka, I decided to take BJ’s advice and fit a Pipe Werx can and link pipe that had been sitting at HQ since Rootsy (remember him?) left. He found great gains on his Ninja last year, as the setup eliminates that nasty power-sapping cat.
The stock exhaust is fairly easy to remove and, not surprisingly, weighs a ton. The only fiddly aspect was removing the exhaust valve and consequent cables, as even my stumpy digits struggled to dissect the congested routing. Having never previously worked on the latest gen ZX-10s, I also struggled with figuring how to remove the seat. It took me a good 20 minutes of swearing before one of the JHS Racing techs intervened and saved any more expletives. A minor faff, it involves removing the seat unit cover and baring the seat bolts beneath. Anyway, I digress…
Annoyingly, I didn’t take the two models into consideration, and the RR’s stock hanger is very different to the base model’s, which uses the pillion pegs – something the RR doesn’t wear. Okay, it’s no Akrapovic when it comes to quality, but then again, the PipeWerx is a fraction of the cost and we all know power gains come easier than Tori Black, and I’ll get round to dyno numbers next month.
I’ve also got my hands on some Team Green care products, and this month I’ve been testing the Hi-Speed Chain Lube. Given the state of this country’s weather and roads, and although tedious, chain maintenance is an essential part of living with the bike. Produced by the fine folk at 6t9, I’m pleased to report this stuff is a winner – there’s nothing worse than having to vigorously scrub lube from the swingarm, wheel and underneath the seat unit, but the Team Green lube really works. It’s extremely tacky to the touch and a pain to wash off your hands, but well worth it… So now you know. Get lubing people.