Kawasaki Ninja Gets More Power

KAWASAKI HAVE UNVEILED MORE POWERFUL VERSIONS OF THEIR popular litre-class bikes, the ZX-10R and ZX-10RR. Both the bikes have received some serious power update in the form of a new cylinder-head design that features finger-follower valve actuation, which, according to Kawasaki, has helped the company to reduce the overall valve-train mass by a considerable 20 per cent while allowing the engine to rev higher for longer. Valve actuation replaces the traditional tappet-type valves, giving the engine the ability to hold higher revs for a longer time without compromising reliability. This has also increased the power output by three PS; the standard ZX-10R now produces 203 PS without ram-air assistance. The bike also gets a bi-directional quick-shifter for faster gear changes. Design-wise, much of the bike remains unchanged, retaining its aggressive styling.

Along with the standard ZX-10R, Kawasaki also unveiled the ZX-10RR, which is a limited-edition bike that gains one PS more than the standard bike. It features Pankl titanium connecting rods, which has resulted in a weight-saving of 400 grams. This allows the RR to rev 600 rpm more than the standard bike. The RR will be limited to 500 units, as it is a homologation model for WSBK.

Lastly, Kawasaki also showed the ZX-10R SE, which is the top-end version. This variant gets Kawasaki’s Advanced Electronic Suspension (KECS), forged Marchesini wheels, and self-healing paint in certain areas of the bike prone to constant wear and tear.

Kawasaki haven’t revealed neither the prices nor the availability, but we expect them to make an announcement at the forthcoming Intermot Show in Germany or at EICMA in November.