Kawasaki goes green again !
The ZX9R was starting to look like a trestle compared to the surface-to-surface missiles of the competition in the replica category, and seeing the flagship of its range qualified as a sporty roadster must have motivated Kawa to release this new generation Ninja.. Test.
End of the period of lethargy in the offices of the firm Hamamatsu: the ZX9R began to look like an old trestle, compared to the ultra radical surface-to-surface missiles offered by the competition in the replica category.
Suffice to say that seeing the flagship of its range qualified as "sporty road" in specialist reviews has certainly prompted the Kawasaki design offices to offer us this new generation "Ninja". Times change, motorcycles too…
The color of hope
First contact with the ZX-10R in Paris. The editor, who transported the machine from the importer’s site, gives me his first impression: "very impressive, but easier than I thought !"Ah … However, it looks frankly mean, this machine: aggressive lines stretched on the front, inimitable color of the great days of the brand bordering on fluorescent, brake discs chiseled" daisy ", tubes of black treated forks, spartan aspect … Any competition to classify it without hesitation in the clan of indomitable mustangs…
Not to mention these pieces of titanium with shiny welds, brushed aluminum, these rims full of emptiness and this cockpit reduced to its simplest expression … Just to detail the machine, we have them. sliders that grate by themselves with happiness…
The only visible concession: the transponder switch system, which will not be superfluous, given the chronic inability to secure the motorcycle effectively. There are things that you really don’t want to get used to !
With the ignition on, the code bulb goes out on its own, to come back on when the engine is in service. This is what will delight tech aficionados, even if in the end the lighting is a little weak despite the simultaneous operation of the two bulbs in the full headlight position..
Jeannine the Ninja dawdles in town…
No choice, you have to get out of town … Just that thought hurts you in advance because the position is just like the bike: radical. The wrists are sore in less than 10 minutes, the junction between the saddle and the reservoir painfully pinches the inner thighs as the legs unfold at the traffic lights, and city traffic quickly becomes a hassle. However, it is difficult to criticize this precise point, while nothing predisposes the machine to such an exercise! That said, the engine doesn’t seem to overheat and the low-speed handling is just fine. We must not hope to spend the second in town, as the first takes a long time. Too bad, because the cable clutch is soft and dosable.
And then at least, the "show off" operation takes on a significant scale: not a biker who does not eagerly detail the toy in the fire! Obviously, to start the discussion, it’s easy. And just to drive the point home, said discussion often tends to end with a big gas kick in first … Who could indeed resist this temptation to show how rewarding it is to ride on this stick of dynamite ?
Good, but on our roads to us ?
It should be noted from the outset that the motorcycle under test is in a 100 hp version, which amounts to saying that it barely offers a little more than half of its engine potential … As soon as space becomes a little free in front, I dare a good run in second: what an extension, and especially what a chest at mid-speeds! The mechanical noises at low revs fade away, leaving the field open to the manly and husky sound of the original exhaust. On the other hand, inevitably, just as the windmill takes its breath to attack the interesting part of the power curve, the restraint is felt, inevitably frustrating the pilot. But at least the engine continues to rev up and only stops in the red zone. Relative success therefore which does not penalize the motorcycle too much, if not by creating a sort of neutral zone past 8,500 rpm, in which we lose the feeling of the throttle a little..
The gear change indicator lights up very dimly to signal that it is time to shift gear, although in seconds the counter is already showing a strictly shameful value. This is when we realize how much the dashboard is missing: the bargraph tachometer is unreadable, the shift-light is ridiculous and anyway, the instrumentation unit is too low to be consulted without leaving the road of the eyes. Rather annoying on a machine of this caliber.
Anyway, getting back to the gearbox, everything is fine on quiet driving, but as soon as you have to pick up the pace, I have a bit of trouble chaining gears on the fly. The selector is very firm under the toe and the grip / selector timing is quite difficult to find. Incomprehensible, except to wonder if the box is ultimately not optimized for use in the free version, which would explain the difficulty in finding the perfect dosage in the castrated version … The reports are nevertheless very close, which coupled with the big trunk tends to upset the speed benchmarks.
For the rest, the cycle part is really impressive ease and neutrality. The suspension adjustment perfectly addresses the imperfections of the road and provides a perfect compromise between rigor and flexibility. The saddle contributes to overall comfort by also offering good cushioning. But beware, we are talking about an extreme sportswoman here! This comment must therefore be placed in its context and the term "comfort" adapted to the category..
And above all, which rail: impossible to put anything at fault on the chassis. High-speed angle changes, cleat acceleration, asphalt connections, late and angle braking, nothing interferes with the stability of the ZX-10R. One glance, and the whole is placed immediately without any difficulty. Even the big 190 Dunlop D 208 rear doesn’t seem to affect handling.
The price to pay – because there is one – is this feeling of always being able to do faster, stronger, more beautiful, which inevitably pushes you to drive much too fast on the road. A word of advice: never look at the meter because there is really a way to frighten yourself when you realize how quickly you let yourself get on board…
The only flaw noted, a matter of taste: the brake lever does not provide feedback to match the rest and the attack of the lever lacks bite despite the presence of radial calipers. On a motorcycle of this caliber, no braided hose or radial master cylinder still represents an incomprehensible saving of candle. But let’s be careful, because like any recent sportswoman, she brakes hard. As for the range, it is around 180 km before the small reserve light comes on. Classic for the category.
The temptation was too strong !
Impossible to resist, you really have to go and test the toy’s abilities on the track. Direction the Carole circuit, in optimal climatic conditions. Pre-grid, rebelote: all eyes are fixed on the machine. Big pressure on the pilot, who will have to be at the height of his mount…
Note that I have never ridden on a motorcycle like this, more used than I am to 50 horsepower and the out-of-age cycle part of Team Moto-Net’s single-cylinder SZR (read). Little experience of the track, none of the engine architecture: the best conditions are met to judge the ease of handling the machine !
From the first laps, everything becomes clear: my meter seventy-five fits perfectly into the saddle / footrest / bracelets triangle, the tank receives support from the outside leg and arm and the hips are done naturally.
All the impressions felt on the road are confirmed: a glance and the front wheel will automatically seek the vibrator. The Parabolic is engulfed without the slightest start of parasitic movement, despite the few bumps it contains. Just during the warm-up lap, the sliders surf the asphalt without batting an eyelid.
The pace gradually increases until the box picks up its own. For once, impossible to pass the reports properly. I have no timing and my left toe hangs painfully. In addition, there is no need to try to disengage to facilitate the gear change, because the front then sheds dangerously when changing the load, causing a few chills down the spine. Ditto for deceleration: the reports do not fall cleanly despite the insistent gas shots supposed to make the synchro. Suddenly, we get lost very quickly in the count and we mix brushes unnecessarily. Pity ! But I have more and more the feeling that it is this very fuzzy clamping zone that spoils the picture, breaking the engine / gearbox harmony provided for in the full power version…
No need to rely on the on-board stopwatch: the buttons are badly placed, the times written in very small characters and, to make matters worse, it is impossible to find the time reminder function afterwards without the instructions !
After a few laps, the brakes start to get spongy from the flexible hoses. Even more than on the road, we start to regret the lack of feeling when taking the lever. But the surprise stopwatch of one minute fifteen will surprise me, so much I had the impression of riding below the capacities of the monster … With an unknown motorcycle, in stock version one hundred horsepower that it is absolutely out of the question to put in the pile, a pilot’s angina, a stubborn gearbox and a circuit packed, we clearly did not expect so much, even though the potential of the machine as it is probably located ten seconds faster! But how easy … You get the feeling that you just need to get into fourth gear and swallow a lap without ever touching the gearbox, the engine is so long.
The green dragon allowed himself to be ridden very obediently, showing on this occasion how rigor and performance can motivate a pilot no more experienced than average.
Too bad not to have had the free version, even if the idea seems scary as the cycle part shows good will.
Balance sheet
Of course, we will note a few flaws, the most crippling of which is this damn gearbox. But for the rest, it is impossible to find fault with the feeling of under-exploiting a perfect machine. Would it be commonplace to say that this ZX-10R has no place on the open road? Yes, probably. Especially since there is a biker population who will know how to make the most of the extraordinary capabilities of this large caliber, and above all, derive immense pleasure from it. However, it seems impossible to do so within the limits of legality (even if everyone works out as they wish) and, above all, of endangerment (and there, on the other hand)…
Suddenly, the evidence is obvious: after the period of road bikes replicas of track bikes, we are entering the reverse period, that of free-sale sports cars who are in fact approved trackers, not even disguised. … With all that that involves constraints on a daily basis. The enthusiasts – and there are some! – will therefore necessarily find their account. It is up to them to use a Category 1 weapon wisely … Anyway, the Ninja line is not extinct, far from it. !
| Technical sheet (manufacturer data) | |
| Engine | |
| Type | Liquid-cooled 4-stroke in-line 4 cylinders |
| Displacement | 998 cm3 |
| Bore x Stroke | 76.0 x 55.0 mm |
| Compression ratio | 12.7 to 1 |
| Distribution | 2 ACT, 16 valves |
| Feeding system | Fuel injection: ø 43 mm x 4 (Mikuni) |
| Ignition | Electronic |
| Getting started | Electric starter |
| Lubrication | Pressurized, wet sump with oil cooler |
| Transmissions | |
| Gearbox | 6 reports |
| Final drive | Riveted chain |
| Primary report | 1,611 (87/54) |
| Multiplication | |
| 1st: | 2.533 (38/15) |
| 2nd: | 2,053 (39/19) |
| 3rd: | 1.737 (33/19) |
| 4th: | 1.524 (32/21) |
| 5th: | 1,381 (29/21) |
| 6th: | 1,304 (30/23) |
| Final report | 2.294 (39/17) |
| Clutch | Multidisc in oil bath, manually operated |
| Cycle part | |
| Type | Aluminum, double backbone beam (Mixed pressed / cast structure) |
| Front travel | 120 mm |
| AR travel | 125 mm |
| Front tire | 120 / 70ZR17M / C (58W) |
| Rear tire | 190 / 50ZR17M / C (73W) |
| Caster angle | 24 ° |
| Ground offset | 102 mm |
| Steering angle (left / right) | 27 ° / 27 ° |
| Suspensions | |
| Before | Type: 43mm inverted fork with top-out springs |
| Compression adjustment: 16 positions | |
| Rebound adjustment: 16 positions | |
| Spring preload: fully adjustable | |
| Back | Type: Unitrak system with gas shock absorber and top-out spring |
| Compression adjustment: progressive | |
| Rebound adjustment: progressive | |
| Spring preload: fully adjustable | |
| Brakes | |
| Before | Type: two semi-floating 300 mm petal discs |
| Caliper: two opposing 4-piston calipers. Radial mounting. 4 independent plates | |
| Back | Type: single 220 mm petal disc |
| Caliper: single piston | |
| Dimensions | |
| Overall length | 2,045 mm |
| Overall width | 705 mm |
| Overall height | 1115 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1385 mm |
| Ground clearance | 125 mm |
| Saddle height | 825 mm |
| Dry weight | 170 kg |
| Tank capacity | 17 liters |
| Performances | |
| Max power | 175 hp (128.4 kW) at 11,700 rpm 106 hp (78.2 kW) at 11,500 rpm (FRA) |
| Max power with Ram Air system | 184 hp (135.3 kW) at 11,700 rpm |
| Max torque | 115 Nm (11.7 kgf / m) at 9500 rpm 88 Nm (9.0 kgf / m) at 6,700 rpm (FRA) |
| Commercial information | |
| Colors | Lime Green / Metallic Flat Stoic Black Candy Thunder Blue / Metallic Flat Stoic Black Metallic Spark Black / Metallic Flat Stoic Black |
| Price | 13,699 euros |
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