All Test Drives – 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Test: Zero Compromise! – Kawasaki’s revenge in 2011?

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2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review: Zero Compromise !

All Test Drives - 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Test: Zero Compromise! - Kawasaki's revenge in 2011?

Lagging behind in the World Superbike but victorious at the 24H Moto du Mans and currently 4th in the French Superbike Championship, the Kawasaki ZX-10R is struggling to impose itself on the sales charts. Why ? Answers with our test of the 2010 model !

Kawasaki’s revenge in 2011 ?

The Kawasaki only accepts to reveal itself fully if it is sufficiently jostled and driven by the stick: its imperturbable front end (thanks to the Ohlins two-tube adjustable steering damper!), Its excellent traction and the breath of its past engine. 6000 rpm then become so many allies to carve the trajectories on the road or bring down the lap times on the track !

The ZX-10R 2011 will nevertheless have to work on its ergonomics (the shape of its fuel tank penalizes both low-speed maneuvers and movements of the pilot in attack) and several other points to finally claim the laurels.

On the road as on the track, the returns of force of the anti-dribble clutch in the left lever are unpleasant. Ditto for the gearbox, which remains gruff despite a new ratchet guide plate, a larger return spring shaft and a new selector shaft bushing to make it smoother. Finally on bumps, the dry reactions of its mono-shock absorber with multiple settings (slow and fast compression, rebound and preload) prove to be penalizing.

Likewise, the Kawasaki ZX-10R may well offer an impressive power curve, the transmission jerks on go-around and the "on-off" side of its revs require a certain skill to try to dominate this. angry "Karrement" motorcycle: if it accepts to resume at 2000 rpm, the "4-legged" does not really express itself until 4000 laps (110 km / h in 6th gear!) before really exploding at 7000.

What is more, like all hypersports with sharp engines, the Zak ‘is too bland in the French version at 106 hp: not very expressive at the bottom and badly amputated from 6000 rpm, the accelerations lack consistency and always encourage drive (too) fast to compensate for the lack of sensations…

Almost unchanged this year due to the crisis (the Japanese manufacturers have decided to extend the renewal cycle for sports cars from two to three years), the ZX-10R should therefore logically undergo profound changes in 2011.

In addition to a cycle part and an engine reworked for easier operation, it is likely that the Greens will use the technologies developed during their presence in MotoGP – such as electronic piloting aids or the engine with stalling. Big Bang – to offer a Hypersport as innovative as it is competitive on the track.

And if the Japanese engineers decided to improve ergonomics and comfort, as well as filling the block at low speeds, the Green could easily claim to overshadow the GSX-R and the CBR on the road !

It remains to be hoped that in the operation, it does not lose one of its appreciable strengths: its price! Displayed at 14,599 euros (excluding promotion in the), the ZX-10R 2010 is indeed among the most affordable of the four Japanese, just behind the GSX-R (14,499 euros) but ahead of the CBR1000RR (15,690 euros) and the R1 (15,999 euros). To be continued … Stay connected !

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