SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

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SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

13 photos

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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PS Jonathan Reas was allowed to whip the winning Kawasaki ZX-10R exclusively over the slopes in Aragon. It’s just stupid that the route is extremely demanding and almost unknown to the tester. Must also …

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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The chassis is also relative at the rear "soft" coordinated, and Uwe can pull the cable more resolutely in every lap despite driving errors.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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Automatic switch with blipper function. Fast, decisive impulses are important in both directions.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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The Showa gas pressure fork is amazingly gentle on Rea.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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Johnny Rea has a disdainful serial brake at the back, which he only uses for a wheelie. Wheelie control takes care of gears one and two, otherwise he doesn’t need it.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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The buttons on the right: Kill, Start, Pitlimiter, select TC / Engine Break. Left: Plus / Minus TC / Engine Break, mapping, rear light for rain.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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The fact that the engine is so smooth and almost unspectacular can be explained by the skills of the Kawasaki squad and the Superbike regulations for 2015. Even the works teams are now prohibited from making major changes to the crankshafts. The pistons including the rings and the valves must also correspond to the series, and the connecting rods must not be lighter than any standard Kawasaki ZX-10R. In addition, there are a few restrictions that prevent the Kawa from overshooting 220 hp at the transmission output.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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Of course, after a few laps, you shoot a little cocky into the sometimes extremely narrow and also blind corners of the Spanish race track. But even that forgives this motorcycle. The Kawasaki ZX-10R doesn’t stand up a bit, delays as desired and then storms resolutely out of the corners.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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The first impressions on the out lap are sheer astonishment. The Kawasaki ZX-10R has pressure like a punch from Wladimir Klitschko, but in contrast to his hard right hook, the punch from the four-cylinder World Cup never comes under sneaky. The ride-by-wire works flawlessly even in the show-where-it-is-going mode, the 10er takes the gas really gently and turns absolutely predictable and surprisingly evenly until the shift lightning at 15,000 rpm. The engine doesn’t even know about vibrations.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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One of them, PS boss Uwe Seitz, who got a few tips shortly before the start: "Do not pull the clutch when downshifting, otherwise the engine brake will no longer work. Hands off the buttons – enjoy it!" – those were Jonathan Rea’s words.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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One time full service like a world champion: Only ten people worldwide received an invitation from Kawasaki to test drive the ZX-10R.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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… the factory Kawasaki ZX-10R will be a phenomenal weapon. Which of course triggers a rollercoaster of emotions for a test editor who is about to ride this racing motorcycle. To the unbridled joy of having received one of these rare invitations, skepticism is mixed about being able to move such a motorcycle with dignity at least to some extent.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
Kawasaki

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After seven laps, Uwe Seitz tells team boss Riba: “The bike is so incredibly smooth and looks so tame.” His answer: “Only if you ride like you, Uwe!” Well then.

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

How does a world champion bike ride??

Content of

The gold-highlighted one on the fairing is the unmistakable sign: This is the world champion’s superbike. PS Jonathan Reas was allowed to whip the winning Kawasaki ZX-10R exclusively over the slopes in Aragon.

A.In the end, Jonathan Rea was just four points short of Colin Edwards’ Superbike points record from 2002 with 548 points. But 23 podiums in 26 races, 14 wins with eleven fastest laps alone speak for themselves: The factory Kawasaki ZX- 10R has to be a phenomenal weapon. Which of course triggers a rollercoaster of emotions for a test editor who is about to ride this racing motorcycle. To the unbridled joy of having received one of these rare invitations, skepticism is mixed about being able to move such a motorcycle with dignity at least to some extent. 

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SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report

SBK-Kawasaki ZX-10R in the PS driving report
How does a world champion bike ride??

Kawasaki ZX-10R – an ex-MotoGP rider and an ex-Supersport world champion. You can be sure that you are driving with the original mapping, but you also feel the pressure not to fail. Then the time has come. The team removes the tire warmers and Johnny Rea’s mechanic briefly explains the special features: “Don’t pull the clutch when downshifting, otherwise the engine brake will no longer work. Hands off the buttons – enjoy it! “

Pressure like a punch from Klitschko

The first impressions on the out lap are sheer astonishment. The Kawasaki ZX-10R has pressure like a punch from Wladimir Klitschko, but in contrast to his hard right hook, the punch from the four-cylinder World Cup never comes under sneaky. The ride-by-wire works flawlessly even in the show-where-it-is-going operation, the 10er takes the gas really gently and turns absolutely predictable and surprisingly evenly until the shift light at 15,000 rpm. The engine doesn’t even know vibrations.

Brilliant, because that calms you down, and so I dare to accelerate more from the first lap. The Kawasaki ZX-10R is extremely agile, its weight with water and oil, but without fuel, should be exactly 170 kg – two kilos above the minimum. In the first meandering after the start-finish, the very powerful Rea-Kawa turns out to be an extremely agile racer who can be easily thrown from one side to the other. Initially, of course, hardly a line is right here, but with this “gentle” motor the corrections don’t cost you any nerves. Close the gas, straighten up again, slowly open the gas – continue!

Wheelie inclination is minimal

Of course you shoot a little cocky into the sometimes extremely narrow and blind corners of the Spanish race track. But even that forgives this motorcycle. The Kawasaki ZX-10R doesn’t stand up a bit, delays as desired and then storms resolutely out of the corners. The wheelie tendency is minimal, Rea uses the electronics against the rising front wheel only in first and second gear. On the one hand this is extremely cool, on the other hand she doesn’t give you any excuse for your own bungling. The kawa constantly seems to whisper to me: “It’s okay, you poor sausage.”

The fact that the engine is so smooth and almost unspectacular can be explained by the skills of the Kawasaki squad and the Superbike regulations for 2015. Even the works teams are now prohibited from making major changes to the crankshafts. The pistons including the rings and the valves must also correspond to the series, and the connecting rods must not be lighter than any standard Kawasaki ZX-10R. In addition, there are a few restrictions that prevent the Kawa from overshooting 220 hp at the transmission output.


Kawasaki

The buttons on the right: Kill, Start, Pitlimiter, select TC / Engine Break. Left: Plus / Minus TC / Engine Break, mapping, rear light for rain.

The focus is on a completely linear performance curve. “With the regulations, it is not even possible that the engine turns up so abruptly and seems to explode in terms of performance,” explains team boss Perre Riba. “Johnny can use that perfectly, because he drives extremely smoothly at high cornering speed. Team-mate Sykes has more of the typical Superbike style with insane braking and relentless acceleration at corner exit. ”That is probably why Tom had his difficulties at the beginning of the season.

Rea’s suspension is appropriately “soft”, so I can pull the cable with more determination in every lap, even with my countless mistakes. I’ve seen more merciless IDM setups. At a certain point, however, the Kawasaki ZX-10R begins to wag its rear end – especially in the super-fast left parabolic after the cork screw. But maybe I’m just not fast enough for Rea’s setup? Kawasaki test driver Tobias Schading later confirms my assumption when, after a few turns, he realizes that the faster it goes forward, the Kawa becomes more and more stable in this corner.

Stoppie at its finest with what feels like 200 things

On the other hand, the front in connection with the brake in the hard braking zone after the fast start-finish straight triggers astonishment. The stoppers are incredibly finely progressive and require real instinct, because the brake bites harder with every effort in the fingers. When I feel safer two or three laps later and hit the iron after the bridge, I suddenly realize how fast this 10 is. A little panicked, I grab my irons more resolutely. The Kawasaki ZX-10R nods even deeper forward, climbs up behind, and I do a stoppie of the finest at what feels like 200 things. The Kawa also seems a bit nervous in the further course of hard braking attacks at the rear.

With a weight distribution from the front 56 percent to 44 percent behind, no real miracle. The only astonishing thing is that Rea doesn’t brake at all at the back and can still decelerate so damn hard and with pinpoint accuracy. The data recording attests that he has 14 bar brake pressure! Amazed by the nature of this World Cup rocket, I return the bike after seven laps. It’s not that difficult to ride Johnny Rea’s motorcycle. This Kawasaki ZX-10R has only one secret: you have to be a tough, fast and precise driving guy – then you will become world champion with it!

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