New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000 !
Rather than simply grafting an engine and a hypersport cycle part on its third Z1000 of the name, Kawasaki returns to the fundamentals of the genre: a catchy face, an efficient chassis without being radical and an explosive engine… Test !
Z1000 2010: a real new motorcycle !
As a prelude to the presentation of the new 2010 Z1000, it’s hard not to suppress a slight smile when Kawasaki announces that "Until now, Super Naked models have mostly boiled down to Supersports devoid of fairings"…
And to continue by emphasizing that with the level of performance of the cycle parts and engines of said sports cars, "the number of riders who have the capacity to really enjoy them on the road is really limited". The reflection is however unstoppable … but rather ironic on the part of a manufacturer engaged in the Japanese arms race for more than 30 years !
Besides, doubt – and a smile! – subsist by discovering the cycle part of this third generation of Z1000: the aluminum chassis with shapes modeled on those of the last ZX-10R, the radial calipers and the fully adjustable inverted fork all the same embellish sport! Just like the new four-cylinder in-line cubing 90 cc more (or 1,043 cc) and developing 138 cannons and 110 Nm of torque in full !
Features that add up to a loss of 10 kg (218 kg fully loaded) to suggest that the 2010 model Z1000 has nothing – but then nothing at all! – a nice roadster that can be used by the first comer … or even the second! However, and this is a real good surprise in an increasingly standardized motorcycle production, Kawasaki has really come out of the ranks by sending to the nettles the hunt for "always more sporty" to emphasize the driving sensations and the ‘usability.
Starting with the cycle part: undoubtedly, the aluminum spars which pass above the engine to contain the width are inspired by the brand’s hypersport. But the stiffness of the five-piece frame does not equal that of the sulphurous "10R", as the switch from steel to aluminum sheds precious four pounds and torsional strength increases by about "30%", estimates the Kawasaki technical staff.
Above all, this modernized chassis – where the engine contributes to rigidity via four mounts against three previously – gave Kawasaki more freedom to refine the refocusing of the masses and adapt it to the needs of a roadster.
The big "Zed" would gain in handling, ease of handling, stability and even accessibility since the removal of side covers made it possible to lower the saddle height (815 mm against 820 mm in 2007).
A big four legs or nothing !
By mixing parts of the four-cylinder of the late ZX-9R and the current ZX-10R while increasing the displacement to 1,043 cc, the Greens have not strictly speaking revolutionized the guns of the genre..
But the important stroke (56 mm, or 5.1 mm more than the block of the Z1000 2007 and 1 mm more than the ZX-10R) thanks to a crankshaft placed lower and the long intake ducts – ducts courts favoring performance at high revs – suggest a search for hairy revival and not the quest for the last horse.
Likewise, the reverse injection bodies 38 mm in diameter (36 mm in 2007) and their oval secondary butterflies would help to improve pick-up and driving pleasure. And the icing on the sushi: this large block compressed at 11.8: 1 and decked out with two prominent fresh air supplies – and not forced – would not take more space than the old 953 cc of the 2007 model (read our).
Finally, Kawasaki has thought of the music lover who sleeps in most of us: a resonator placed in the air box muzzles the song of the 4-legged at low revs and accentuates it in the towers! A delicate attention to which is added the placement of the air ducts near the pilot to allow him "to appreciate the sound of the air intake when opening the throttle ", explains Nobumasu Taniguchi, Project leader of the Z1000 2010 !
Related articles
-
All Tests – New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000! – Look: plastic dress but steel chest!
New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000 ! Rather than simply grafting an engine and a hypersport cycle part on its third Z1000 of the name,…
-
New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000 ! Rather than simply grafting an engine and a hypersport cycle part on its third Z1000 of the name,…
-
New Kawasaki Z1000 2010 test: the Zed power 1000 ! Rather than simply grafting an engine and a hypersport cycle part on its third Z1000 of the name,…
-
All Tests – Versys 1000 test: the Kawasaki trail almost on target! – A Versys XL for 2012
Versys 1000 test: the Kawasaki trail almost on target ! Derived from the fierce Z1000, the maxi trail Versys 1000 radicalizes the concept of the Versys…
-
2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review: Zero Compromise ! Lagging behind in the World Superbike but victorious at the 24H Moto du Mans and currently 4th in the…
-
2015 Versys 1000 test: Kawasaki does an about-face In 2012, Kawasaki launched a surprising Versys 1000 with its trail-izing cycle part and its large…
-
Trail – 2010 Versys test: Kawasaki corrects its aim – A fun and practical motorcycle
2010 Versys test: Kawasaki corrects its aim Launched at the end of 2006, the Versys did not meet the expected success. For 2010, Kawasaki has therefore…
-
Which A2 motorcycle to choose from Kawasaki? Test of Z900 70 kW, Ninja 400 and company… In 2018, Kawasaki launches two new motorcycles compatible with…
-
2015 Versys 1000 test: Kawasaki does an about-face In 2012, Kawasaki launched a surprising Versys 1000 with its trail-izing cycle part and its large…
-
2015 Versys 1000 test: Kawasaki does an about-face In 2012, Kawasaki launched a surprising Versys 1000 with its trail-izing cycle part and its large…