Kawasaki ZX-10R

10 new things about the zx-10r It’s not a total redesign, but there’s enough happening here to give WSB rivals the willies

With six consecutive World Superbike championships under their big green belt, it’s not surprising Kawasaki’s race team played a central role in most of the updates to this new ZX-10R – either asking for changes they need to win again, or handing over the innovations they employed to keep Mr Rea on top.

But there are a few nods to road riders too – the first three gears are lower to help mask the ZX-10R’S weaker bottom-end thrust compared with rivals, there’s a full colour TFT dash and you even get cruise control as standard. Kawasaki’s Martin Lambert: ‘Apart from the winglets you have to look at the detail to see the changes. That is a typical Kawasaki engineering approach – everything has been proven to work. It hasn’t been devised by a marketing person saying “wouldn’t it be good if we screwed this on”.’ Here are the 10 ZX-10R changes that matter…

1 Aerodynamics

This is important for WSB because Jonathan Rea can’t go sticking wings on his race bike if the stock machine doesn’t have them. But instead of sprouting Ducati V4r-style aerofoils that snag your slacks as you walk by it, the new ZX-10R has done a Fireblade and tucked its winglets away in ducts running inside the fairing. Air enters either side of the new LED headlights. Kawasaki say downforce is 17% greater than the old bike’s but as we never knew what that was it’s tricky to be impressed.

2 Screen

This is a noticeable 40mm taller than the old one, which should let Mr Rea get more comfortable on hauls up the motorway. The tail unit has been reshaped to improve the aero behind the rider, though thankfully Kawasaki decided not to follow Ducati and Yamaha’s route of putting ducts in the tail (muck gets all over your rucksack).

3 Ergonomics

The pegs are 5mm higher, while the bars are wider and further forward because that’s what Jonathan Rea likes – the riding position of the new bike is now almost identical to the WSB bike. ‘Jonathan uses a lot of countersteering,’ says Kawasaki’s Lambert, ‘so he prefers the bars to be further forward, almost like drag bars. The seat is angled up more too, to help the rider get into a more aerodynamic crouch.’

4 Full colour TFT dash

This replaces the bedside clock that the old model relied on. Beside all the usual gadgets there’s even cruise control and optional heated grips – an uncharacteristic nod to practicality on a Kawasaki headbanger. ‘They could be added with no weight penalty or extra complexity, so it seemed like a no-brainer,’ says Lambert. ‘The heated grips were developed for the new Versys and the electronic throttle valves meant there was the capability of having cruise control, so we fitted it. It creates a better overall package for the 10R buyer.’

5 Chassis tweaks

The swingarm is 8mm longer, its pivot point is 1mm lower and there’s 2mm extra fork offset. Kawasaki say that all adds up to more stability and traction. The rear shock has a harder spring, while the forks are softer. Expect the new bike to handle wonderfully on smooth tarmac and painfully everywhere else.

6 Gearing

First, second and third are lower so the ZX-10R feels less flaccid out of slow corners if you haven’t got the motor buzzing.

7 Inlet ports

Fettled to help get new 10R through Euro5 regs. The exhaust is new too. According to type-approval documents power stays at 200bhp and torque at 85 lb.ft. Kawasaki’s dyno chart shows it making marginally more power for most of the rev-range.

8 Oil cooler

This is now a separate air-cooled radiator (rather than the old bike’s heat exchanger that used the bike’s coolant). Oil is now piped from the left lower crankcase, through the oil cooler radiator then returned on the right side. Kawasaki say this boosts performance – the idea was pinched from their WSB bike.

9 Price

It’s now £15,799 (up from £14,645).

10 Newrrtoo

This gets all the stuff serious race teams need as a start point – Marchesini forged wheels, lightweight Pankl con-rods and pistons (for a 400rpm higher top-end) and a £24,799 price tag.

‘Kawasaki’s race team played a central role in the updates’