Open class sportbikes are all about power, and the 2010 Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R continues to set the pace, on track and off. The formula is simple, but the execution is critical: The ZX-10R offers tremendous horsepower, but delivers it with refined controllability through a highly evolved aluminum frame rolling on top-shelf components developed on the track and refined for the street.

When You’re Ready to Get Serious, We’ve Got Your Motorcycle

Open class sportbikes are all about power, and the 2010 Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R continues to set the pace, on track and off. The formula is simple, but the execution is critical: The ZX-10R offers tremendous horsepower, but delivers it with refined controllability through a highly evolved aluminum frame rolling on top-shelf components developed on the track and refined for the street.

The 10R returns with a host of refinements for 2010. New more aerodynamic bodywork is designed to slice through the atmosphere cleanly at speed, and to look even better doing it. A new fairing with a stronger family resemblance to its ZX-6R sibling leads the way for the rest of the minimalist new plastic, and a new, dark gray embossed coating on the bike’s titanium muffler carries the light, slick theme rearward. Inside the cockpit, new inner covers reflect the high quality and performance of the rest of the ZX-10R package.

All that power needs to be kept in check, of course, and rider feedback has led to the fitment of a new, premium 18-position Öhlins steering damper. The new damper uses sophisticated internal circuitry, including pistons and springs, to keep the Ninja tracking straight and true under the most challenging conditions.

Putting that power to asphalt is also critical, and significant upgrades to the six-speed transmission’s shift mechanism handle that task with even greater efficiency. Changes to the guide hole plate, shift shaft, return and set springs and shift collar all collaborate to reduce clearances at the pivot — resulting in more precise, positive gear changes every time. Smooth downshifts are enhanced by a standard, back-torque limiting clutch.

The Ninja’s 998cc, four-cylinder engine continues to crank out the kind of straight-shortening power that leaves other liter bikes in its wake. Fed by a bank of four 43mm Keihin throttle bodies with two injectors per cylinder and bristling with 16 titanium valves, the ZX-10R uses a highly advanced Kawasaki Ignition Management System (KIMS) to dole out all that power with maximum control. KIMS monitors all standard fuel injection input data (engine speed, throttle position, vehicle speed, gear position and feedback from intake air temperature, intake air pressure, engine temperature and O2 sensors), but adds one more crucial wrinkle by checking for sudden changes in rpm every 0.02 seconds. Highly sophisticated, KIMS is programmed to leave control in the rider’s hands, but will retard ignition when a sudden increase in engine rpm exceeds programmed parameters.

A track-oriented fully adjustable 43mm inverted fork and advanced rear suspension are designed to work with the ZX-10R’s carefully tuned aluminum frame for unparalleled feel and feedback. Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coating on the fork tubes reduces stiction for precise action. A four-way adjustable rear shock includes low and high-speed compression damping, and controls the pressed aluminum swingarm via the latest UNI-TRAK® linkage design.

Light and stiff squeeze-cast wheels keep unsprung weight down and suspension performance high; their reduced rotational inertia further enhances the 10R’s quick steering and acceleration. Radial-mounted Tokico brake calipers controlled by a radial master cylinder squeeze 310mm petal discs up front with maximum sensitivity, while the rear 220mm petal disc is stopped by a single-piston caliper.

Wrap it all in that sleek new bodywork, add fuel, and you’re looking at an even more beautiful version of the most highly advanced, high-performance Kawasaki sportbike ever.

Authentic Kawasaki Accessories are available through Kawasaki dealers.