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Driving report new Kawasaki ZX-9R
Change on the fly
Not even two years on the market, Kawasaki is pushing a completely renovated version of the top-selling ZX-9R. What is it about the new powerhouse?
Turning a heap of trash into a decent motorcycle is not a huge task. But to go one step further with the multiple test winner and much sought-after audience favorite, the Kawasaki ZX-9R, that requires more than a new coat of paint and gentle retouching for the brochure. Given the flood of brand new super athletes from the enemy camp, the Kawasaki engineers had no choice but to flee forward. Revised down to the last detail (see box on page 24), the new Kawasaki should brave the onslaught of Fireblade and the like.
The new look is determined by the distinctive suction throat on the fairing nose, which is supposed to efficiently shovel fresh air into the ram-air system. Above that, dangerously slanted headlight eyes flash, leaving no doubt as to who the ZX-9R would like to stir up the most: exactly, the Yamaha R1. Therefore, the handlebars were clamped a thumb’s width lower, the aerodynamics improved and the engine was taught a more even power development by optimizing channel shapes and timing. Says the prospectus.
Rolled enough paper, let’s roll. It’s great that the engine has been given the typically hoarse intake snorkeling. It doesn’t bring any plus points in the A-rating, but it’s good fun. In gear – great, because the switch box can be jogged through the six levels almost noiselessly and crisply.
The dresser seat behind the wide paneling window – casual, but beautifully compact and gathered – harmonises perfectly with the relaxed triangle made up of seat / handlebars / notches. Despite the lower aluminum stub, young and old alike feel in good hands. The best conditions for the first ride on Italian country roads around the Misano race course.
Handling is very important here, even if at first glance you don’t believe the wide 190 mm roller is. The secret lies in the distinctly pointed contour of the Michelin Pilot Sport tires, which can be sloped down to the ear flaps without great resistance and with reliable grip. Longitudinal grooves, bumps in motocross format, worst patches, the new ZX-9R sails over them as if nothing was.
Unfortunately, the 120/70 rubber on the front wheel disrupts the playful cornering pleasure when braking in an inclined position and stands up with a hard jolt. Getting used to, of course – but not necessarily nice. Not nice either: that the front section vibrates noticeably when you brake. Feels like juddering the brakes, but does not always occur and therefore cannot be correctly diagnosed on the first few kilometers of rural roads.
Still first class: the playful handling of the powerful and cultivated engine, which pushes its power smoothly and without annoying load change jolts onto the asphalt.
Whether the four-cylinder produces even more torque, as promised, cannot be reliably answered without a test bench, because even the previous model was in no way lacking in thrust or power.
Next stop: the tricky Misano race course. Wavy like a washboard, with insidious chicanery and wondrous curve radii. Here joy turns into perplexity. Little feeling for the front wheel when turning, slight swaying when accelerating out and a sometimes headstrong choice of lines require all the concentration in the world to lay a clean line on the slope. Once the Pilot Sport, who are no longer dew-fresh and rubbish from fast laps, are really warmed up and filled with a little more air on the front wheel (2.5 instead of 2.3 bar), the cornering behavior of the handy Kawasaki, which can be steered with little steering force, clearly stabilizes but still far from the desired perfection.
And so the day of testing slips away with the eager search for a harmonious coordination. Fully adjustable spring elements and a threaded spindle to change the level at the rear of the frame allow countless variations, but unfortunately the resounding success does not materialize, at least on the maiden voyage with the ZX-9R.
Und so deep worry lines furrow the German Kawasaki technicians. Because in addition to the not exactly impressive cornering behavior on the race track, the slight fork flutter in the country road test increases to extremely annoying resonance vibrations, which occur to almost the same extent in almost all braking zones and with all six test machines. A problem that is not necessarily new to the Kawasaki ZX series. The first ZX-6R struggled with it, the 1998 ZX-9R was infected – and now the Millennium model as well. That is why the German Kawasaki importer will have to roll up their sleeves again and work out a solid solution before the final start of series production. The final judgment is therefore postponed, MOTORRAD stays tuned and will put this first driving report to the test as soon as possible. Then it will also be clarified whether the millennium model of the proven 1999 ZX-9R actually overtakes the rank.
The changes in detail –
Engine: o Aluminum cylinder with coated raceway and narrower piston running clearance o Compression increased from 11.5 to 12.2. o Modified intake ports and valve timing for more torque o Easier clutch spur gear. o Ignition coils integrated in the spark plug connector o New 40 mm Keihin carburettors with revised Ram Air system o Modified ignition rotor and throttle valve sensor o Modified shift claws and shift drum for more precise gear changes o Available for the German market only with catalytic converter. Chassis: Reinforced steering head lengthened by 12 mm, rear frame bolted o Caster lengthened from 93 to 97 mm o Ball bearings instead of tapered roller bearings in the steering head o Rear, upper motor suspension elastically mounted o Reinforced aluminum profile of the box rocker o Deflection lever provided with a lubricating nipple o Suspension strut with height adjustment o Brake disc diameter increased from 296 to 310 mm o Rear wheel rim extended from 5.5 inches to 6.0 inches with 190 mm tires o Wheel and swing arm axles reinforced from 20 to 25 mm diameter.
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