New Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R (2016) road test

The new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was introduced on the Grand Prix course of Sepang in Malaysia: In the dead of summer with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. The test runs, however, were hot for different reasons.

Everything is easy in the moments of the utmost concentration. The screaming of the four-cylinder engine of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R tingles on your skin, the track narrows to a braking point and most of the instrument displays in front of you become meaningless. Only the light strip matters, which seconds before was in the red zone and now is flashing urgently. Next gear, already flashing red again, next gear and another and another.

It is astonishing how quickly the new four-cylinder engine catapults through the gears on the two long straights of the Sepang International Circuit. The still tight gradation of the upper gears, the lower flywheel mass of the crankshaft, but above all the power delivery that is strengthened over a wide range play a role here. According to the specifications, the peak power of the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R remains the same compared to the predecessor model. With a wink, project manager Yoshimoto Matsua explains, however, that about four hp were gained here on average.

That may be, but the reworked engine gained the most in the middle from about 6,000 rpm. It is also subjectively stronger than the version built since 2011, admittedly without achieving the power of the BMW drive here. On the race track, this plays a minor role. In Sepang, there is only one uphill left turn in the acceleration zone where you want a little more torque. Just for a brief moment before the tractive power powerfully kicks in. The initial reluctance of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in this passage, however, has to do with the Euro-4 homologation and the traction control, as a drive with a kit motorcycle shows, which was much more energetic here. Read more about this on the article page “Race kit ZX-10R”.

The first laps on an unknown circuit are far from fluid and harmonious. They are an annoying phase of familiarisation that everyone wants to be done with quickly. However, this phase is important for assessing a motorcycle, because it becomes very evident how good it wants to support its error-prone driver while learning. The Kawasaki ZX-10R is very accommodating here. It does not require any extreme sitting posture, the ergonomics allow for a low hanging-off, and the Kawa is also perfectly balanced. The front wheel safely guides you through the vexatious tight double-hook at the end of the home straight with the steeply sloping left bend. On the other side, the inclination change is managed at full acceleration without a particular amount of force just a few seconds later. It is a situation where the machine is rather unwieldy with the full rear wheel load. This accommodation is much appreciated in the prevailing temperatures.

Reacts in intervals of 5 milliseconds

The braking stability of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R deserves a great deal of praise. In the long deceleration phases at the end of both straights, the slipper clutch works fantastically in connection with the drag torque control. Even when easing back the throttle and simultaneously braking in an inclined position, as is needed before the right bend coming into the back straight, the clutch can be easily thrown into gear again without the rear wheel slipping.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R does not behave as accommodatingly when changing loads in the curve apex. Although the throttle valves no longer feel as stuck as with the previous model after longer shifting phases, the new model also permits slight response delays. Which curiously usually leads to severe load changes, because you then instinctively wind up the throttle a little too far. By getting used to the track conditions, the driver’s work on the throttle is refined and then load changes are no longer an issue. The race kit controller is also an improvement here, making the engine respond noticeably faster. A test still has to clarify how the super athlete performs on winding country roads.

Because temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and engine outputs of 197 hp on the race track require special tyres, relatively hard Bridgestone slicks were driven from the second turn with the ABS switched off. It could therefore not be felt out how well the system and integrated Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) from Bosch work. Instead, there was a heaping portion of grip on the front and rear wheel so that the traction control did not have much to do. In the long right curve at the start of the lap, which is to be taken at full acceleration, it could be felt how it reduced the throttle valve opening a little, probably also in the aforementioned uphill left turn. But it always worked so smoothly that it was barely noticed. An indication of how accurately the algorithms are now adapted to the respective driving situations. When it comes to the informational material, i.e. the measured values provided by the sensors, the new ZX-10R detects more than just the wheel and engine speeds, throttle valve angle and gear ratios, just like the predecessor. It has the latest sensor box from Bosch and therefore knows the inclination position, any drift approaches, starting wheelies and stoppies and responds in intervals of five milliseconds.

Simple and easy-to-read display instrument

Head developer Matsuda even talked about how his new software is in the transition from the reactive to the so-called predictive system, i.e. it can respond in an anticipatory capacity and therefore is able to control closer to the limit. The slogan of the new sporty bike is thus: “Get closer”. Namely closer to the limit. “The tyres constantly provide us with information about their condition. This creates the high quality of control”, says Matsuda. However, he does not want to reveal how he and his colleagues get the tyres to speak. This sounds mysterious and exciting and absolutely calls for a systematic test. For now, the statement must suffice that there was no need in any phase of the driving day to change anything on the traction control.

Unlike other manufacturers such as Ducati or Yamaha, Kawasaki also installs a simple, although easy to read instrument display in the new generation of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Product planners prefer to invest the money saved with this detail in high-quality suspension elements. Both the fork as well as the strut have been built pursuant to the principles of the Twin Tube technology, which was invented by Öhlins and developed further by Showa for the Kawasaki and therefore mass production. This development above all affects the double-walled expansion tank. According to the information of a Showa technician, at extremely high pressures it discharges oil from the actually closed damper system in the space between the walls, thus reducing the load on the seals and extending its lifetime. However, this detail has nothing to do with the Twin Tube technology. It is called this, because a closed damper oil circuit is created in an inner and outer tube (also not the same as a stand or sliding tube). In this way, an even oil flow without cavitation (formation of voids in the oil) or the formation of air bubbles occurs and therefore constant damping.

At least that’s the theory. In practice, the suspension elements were able to satisfy completely. Only a few testers made corrections to the setting and if they did, they were only minor changes. It was noticeable that already a few clicks either way caused a tangible change. When it came to the suspension elements working when driving, it was thus noted that nothing negative occurred. Problem areas on the track could be noted, such as a bumpy braking zone or some bumps in a quick left-right combination. But no overloading responses, no pumping when accelerating, no buckling when changing an inclined position under load, no struggling when braking. Everything is pretty good, also considering the heat There is the small caveat that the Sepang circuit is generally not very bumpy. So it remains to be clarified in one more test how the Showa suspension elements of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R gets along with rougher asphalt tracks.

Braking decelerates immediately, but not too virulently

The heat has been mentioned now several times and the issue moves into the foreground once again when it comes to the brakes. Kawasaki invested a great deal of money in this area as well and installed Brembo monoblock type M 50s in combination with 330-series discs that are 5.5 mm thick. Those who know Sepang from the GP TV shows know that both long straights run almost parallel here, only separated by a long drawn turn. Acceleration occurs here twice in quick succession up to the fifth, sometimes even the sixth, gear and then deceleration occurs again until you need the first gear. More is not needed to test a brake or prove its durability. The Brembo system from Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was stable, even in the blazing heat. It is also well-calibrated in its response behaviour, decelerates immediately, but without being too toxic.

When the MOTORRAD tester had gotten used to the motorcycle, tyres and track in the afternoon, he took a quick look at the temperature gauge at the end of the home straight: At the highest load and RPM, the source of the power was still working at 98 degrees Celsius coolant temperature. And that was pretty cool given the circumstances.

Race kit Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

Not all kit parts were installed, only the controller and an Akrapovic racing exhaust silencer. The mirrors were removed and the rear was slightly raised. The difference from the stock bikes is nevertheless striking. This is ensured by the blipper function of the kit controller alone, which allows for down-shifting without the clutch. In addition, around ten more hp catapult the Kawasaki ZX-10R even more explosively over the entire range than before.

The load changes were easier to control than with the stock bike. With the raised rear, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was greedier in the curves and held a tight line even better when accelerating. The machine, however, reacted ticklish to driving errors with slight front wheel chattering, such as when leaving off the throttle in an inclined position from too optimistic of a speed.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R – Technical Data

Technical Data	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
Model year	2016
Motor
Number of cylinders, design	4, in-line engine
Bore / stroke	76.0 / 55.0 mm
Displacement	998 cm³
Valves per cylinder	Four valves per cylinder
Compression	13.0
Output	147.0 kW (197 HP) at 13,000 rpm
Max. torque	113 Nm
Number of gears	Six-speed gearbox
Rear-wheel drive	O-ring chain
Chassis, wheels, brakes
Frame	Bridge frame
Front/rear spring deflection	120 mm / 114 mm
Tyres	120/70 ZR 17, 190/55 ZR 17
Front/rear brake	330 mm four-piston fixed callipers / 220 mm single-piston floating calliper
ABS	Yes
Dimensions and weights
Wheel base	1440 mm
Steering head angle	65.0 °
Trail	107 mm
Dead weight with a full tank of petrol	n/a
Seat height	835 mm
Permissible total weight	386 kg
Maximum speed	298 km/h
Price
New price	EUR 17,195