Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

New Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R fits this description, just like it did as a 2009 model year, but doesn’t raise the stake much higher. The engine is the same 998cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, DOHC with four valves per cylinder and it puts down an impressive 200bhp (with ram air intake). You can now see more of the consecrated powerplant thanks to the redesigned fairing (more on that later) and the redesigned blacked-out exhaust might look like the final touch at the end of a serious revision, but the fact is that there is no fund behind shape.

Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline-four
Displacement: 998cc
Bore x Stroke: 76.0 x 55.0mm
Compression Ratio: 12.9:1
Fuel System: DFI with four 43mm Keihin throttle bodies with oval sub-throttles, two injectors per cylinder
Ignition: TCBI with digital advance and Kawasaki Ignition Management System (KIMS)
Transmission: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain

Rake / Trail: 25.5 degrees / 4.3 in.
Front Tire: 120/70 ZR17
Rear Tire: 190/55 ZR17
Wheelbase: 55.7 in.
Front Suspension / Wheel Travel: 43mm inverted fork with DLC coating, adjustable rebound and compression damping, spring preload adjustability and top-out springs / 4.7 in.
Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel: UNI-TRAK with top-out spring, stepless, dual-range (low-/high-speed) compression damping, stepless rebound damping, fully adjustable spring preload / 4.9 in.
Front Brakes: Dual semi-floating 310mm petal discs with dual four-piston radial-mount calipers
Rear Brakes: Single 220mm petal disc with aluminum single-piston caliper
Overall Length: 83.1 in.
Overall Width: 28.0 in.
Overall Height: 44.7 in.
Seat Height: 32.7 in.
Curb Weight: 458.6 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal.

With subtle technical tweaks and a refreshed look, Kawasaki calls their Ninja ZX-10R a 2010 model year and we’re left with waiting until next year to start talking about this model turning into the truly strong liter class competitor we were expecting this year.

Power continues building well past 12,000 rpm before tailing off just a bit before the rev limiter cuts the party right at the 13,000-rpm redline.

The improved handling characteristics are apparent from the first time the bike is tipped into a turn. It is very easy to go fast on the ZX-10R, exactly the opposite of what it used to be. Lap after lap as the speeds picked up, the times went down.