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A bit of history has passed since Maverick (Top Gun) screwed up in his F-14. Today, an instructor-pilot at Miramar, we can still imagine him hitting the red zone of his Kawa. But did he keep his GPZ or was he charmed by the brand new ZX-10 Tomcat ?
This is the beautiful story, the one we imagine after watching the film. In reality, Maverick does not exist but the ZX-10 does; and he would certainly have flown it happily when descending from his supersonic. Why Tomcat as a nickname? In reference to the American air fighter, and surely because the film made a great advertisement for Kawasaki and his Ninja (Tom Cruise, a chick, a fighter plane, a motorcycle – what a poster!). This fat sportswoman is none other than the daughter of the 1000 RX and the descendant of the 900 Ninja. A profound evolution which makes her a muscular, respectable machine, a bit bourgeois and very attached to performance. Its design is wiser than that of the sulphurous Suzuki GSX-R 1100, Kawa targeting a wider clientele and more extensive skills..
From the RX, the Tomcat takes only a few elements. Much and almost everything has been changed or modified. Consider that between the two motorcycles, the weight dropped by 16 kilos. Engineers lost no less than 4 kilograms on the engine. How? ‘Or’ What ? Thanks to a new cylinder head, lighter and more compact, a lighter vilo, revised moving parts, a distribution which loses grams, etc, etc … There is enough to write a book. Which brings us to the number 12; the gain in power of the boiler – it develops 137 hp – and less weight on the cycle part and the trim. The perimeter frame is of a design relatively close to that of the RX but it now uses aluminum. The manufacturer has long preferred steel and is here taking a new step in the development of its models. The oscillating arm with eccentric adjustment is also made of aluminum.. 
But performance does not mean excessive sacrifice. Thus, the new fairing is a winner on all fronts. Not content with enhancing the elegance of the ZX-10, it improves both air penetration and pilot protection. Complete, it drops below the 8 kg mark.
Slimmer on paper, the Tomcat is not necessarily a refined 600. Its forms are generous, its ass wide, and its rear tire of very beautiful section (a radial low size of 160 mm, excuse a little ..!). The bike has received a lot of attention, is more rewarding but has lost some aggressiveness. This beautiful lady no longer has the viper side born of the 900 Ninja. To everyone’s appreciation ….
Sporty at heart, the ZX-10 is also welcoming, teeming with little touches that we will appreciate quickly or immediately. In the right plate of the frame is housed an ultra simple and accessible adjustment wheel for the rear shock absorber. We have never done better (and even afterwards, there aren’t many models who have done better). As on the RX, it is possible to adjust the passenger handle. On the other hand, the anti-dive has disappeared, the front wheel goes to 17 “, the indicators are recalled by push-button, each control lever is adjusted in spacing … and there also the retractable hooks inlaid in the rear shell , and a 4 piston caliper brake system with big discs, and worse too … Yeah, well, we roll ?!?
The engine breath works to deliver a beefy load of performance, allowing you to wind without getting bored thanks to its big torque. This is one of the big strengths of the Tomcat. Very powerful, the boiler is also expressed by a thrust which quickly becomes impressive. The needles do not calm down and the bike passes into another dimension. It goes fast, very fast, and as long as you have enough straight line (and no caps around), the ZX-10 allows you to get to know the 270 km / h CHRONO. Mind-blowing! Respect seems in order.
The machine doesn’t just boast about supersonic acceleration. It also takes care of putting the pilot at ease when it comes to speed. Too much even! Benefiting from excellent protection, the motorcycle allows you to spin at very good speed without you really realizing it..
As long as we move on a large tongue of asphalt, the suspensions and the pilot are understood without problems. But to ensure in road qualities, depreciation is planned firm. It can be felt on bumpy roads, especially when attacking, but this stiffness remains within acceptable limits. Rather manoeuvrable and easy in standard and sporty use, the Tomcat becomes less pleasant in town. Nothing insurmountable, but in the evolutions at low speed, the average agility is not helped by the reduced turning radius. The motorbike still requires a bit of effort to slip into town and be taken on the mountain roads..
In short, the ZX-10 does not really like more “rolling” speeds. The Tomcat is like fighter planes. Superb in combat flight, impressive in take-off and high-speed flight; and the F-14’s aero-brakes are sure to envy the ZX’s braking. 
It is no longer the violence of that of the RX but a powerful brake, enduring, and much more pleasant to use.
From the first Ninja, Kawasaki knew how to refine, optimize, civilize its big sports cars. The spirit becoming more “samurai”, the ZX-10 Tomcat appears as a clever mix of performance, sporty elegance and road vessel. It thus rubs against the CBR 1000 for an almost identical price. The nastiness has softened but the optimization makes the Kawasaki Tomcat an excellent very fast road.
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Model marketed in
1988
1989
1990
Performances
-
Max speed:
268 km / h -
Acceleration
0 to 100: 3.60 s -
Consumption
medium: 8.50 l
The technical aspect
Kawasaki ZX-10 1000 TOMCAT 1988
- Frame
- Frame: E-box type in aluminum
- Tank: 22 liters
- Seat height: 790 mm
- Wheelbase: 1490 mm
- Dry weight: 222 kg
- Weight in running order: 260 kg
- Train before
- Telehydraulic fork Ø 41 mm, deb: 135 mm
- 2 discs Ø 300mm, 2 piston calipers
- Front wheel:
120/70
– 17
- Transmission
- 6-speed gearbox
- Secondary chain transmission
- Rear axle
- Mono-shock absorber, deb: 135 mm
- 1 disc Ø 250 mm, 2 piston caliper
- Rear wheel:
160/60
– 18
- Motor
- 4 Cylinders
in line
, 4 stroke - Cooling: Liquid cooling
- 4 carburettors Ø 36 mm
- 2 ACT
- 4 valves per cylinder
-
997 cc
(74 x 58 mm) -
137
ch
at 10,000 rpm -
10.50 mkg
at 9000 rpm - Weight ratio /
power
: 1.62
kg / hp - Compression: 11: 1
- Crit’air:
Detached pieces
exhaust
motor
fluid
electricity
filtration
braking
chain kit
Competitors
Suzuki 1100 GSX-R 1988
BMW 1000 K1 1988
Gallery
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