Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

less weight, without changing the overall chassis dimensions. The frame is built from sheet aluminum, stamped and welded in labor-intensive, racebike style. The diameter of the main beam is up 5mm, to 40mm; the steering head pipe is increased 17mm, to 89mm. The swingarm pivot is now hollow, rather than solid. All together, Kawasaki claims a 30-percent increase in torsional rigidity, with a 2.2-pound reduction in frame weight. The front fork continues to be an upside-down, male slider, but for 1996 the ize is up from 41mrn to 43mm. This increase in size allowed Kawasaki to slightly decrease fork leg thickness, lowering weight while still improving rigidity. The forks are held by stronger triple ing some range of mobility so the rider isn't locked into a particular position. Our six-foot tester found the reach to the ,bars ideal, although some shorter riders found it a bit of a stretch. Cornering revealed that the latest inja possesses the same neutral, relatively high-input steering that was evident on previous models. The steering isn't too heavy, it just takes more effort than some similar machines: for instance, the Yamaha YZF750. The upside to the ZX-7R's relatively conservative 25 degree/99mm rake and trail numbers is obvious: The Kawasaki (Above) The ZX-7R gets a new exhaust system for 1996 aimed at broadening its power delivery (Above) The Kawasaki u_ six-piston Toklco calipers, replacing the four-piston units from last season. (Left) The upper fairing Is the resUlt of extensive wlndtunnel testing. clamps, and for the first time the front fork offers compression-damping adjustment as well as rebound-settings choice. The new rear shock has a piggyback reservoir, whereas the 1995 shock had none. Cooling capacity for the shock is improved, while cylinder size inside the shock is increased 4mrn, to 44mrn. The rear compression damping is now adjustable, while on previous versions only rebound was variable. A threaded collar on the top shock mount allows for ride-height adjustment. In the stopping department, the front calipers are now six-piston Tokico units, replacing the previous four-piston offering. While the front rotors still measure 320mm, the effective diameter is increased from 285mm, to 293mm. Brake-pad area is also increased by almost 20 percent. Front-wheel width remains unchanged at 3.5 inches, bu t the rear is now six inches wide, allowing for the use of a 190/50ZR17 Dunlop Sportrnax II tire. The Sportrnax radials on the new Kawasaki are actually a second-generation tire, wi th an increased number of grooves and deeper groove cuts. Dunlop's Stephen Male, on hand to brief journalists on the revised product (and do a few tire-scrubbing laps himself), explained that the Sportmax II front-tire shape is also slightly changeq. Construction and compounding remain the same, and all Sportmax II tires will soon be the same as those sold on the new Kawasaki, once the molds are modified to the new design. Only the new Suzuki GSXR750, Honda RC45 and 1996 Ninja's have rims for this rubber, and the tire was developed on the ZX-7R, since "the RC45 isn't a consumer's bike." Although visually similar to previous models, the new Ninja under"went extensive wind-tunnel work to offer what Kawasaki claims is the lowest coefficient of drag in the class. Changes in the upper fairing, front fender and tail section are subtle, yet reportedly effective. Also new for 1996 are the paired, "cats eyes" headlights, improved, easier-to-read instrumentation, and a change to lightweight 525 X-ring drive chain from the previous model's 530 sizing. A storage compartment under the seat will now accept a V-lock, the front and rear wiring harnesses are separate for easier maintenance, and cast-aluminum grab rails for passenger use are now standard. Also part of the ZX-7R kit is a tool for adjusting the rear-spring preload, an addition likely to save hammers, screwdrivers and knuckJes everywhere. On the chassis side, the RR model gets a host of track-oriented features not available on the base R version. The lightweight, solo-seat-holding ubframe is suitable for racing, the suspension front and rear offers more adjustment settings and the rear-suspension linkage ratio is revised for racing use. Optional kit parts for the RR alJow for both the steering-head position and swingarm-pivot placement to be adjusted. Extra gussets are mounted between the main beams and the cross-pipe to increase rigidity, while the cross-pipe can now be used as an engine-oil catch tank. The front-fork, inner-tube surfaces on the RR are polished, to decrease stiction, while compression-damping adjustment range is increased. The overaIJ fork stroke is increased, while two sets of outer-tube bushings maintain improved fork clearance throughout the stroke. The rear swingarrn is also strengthened. The rear shock on the RR has a lowspeed compression valve, with rebound damping adjustment increased from eight positions, to 28. The rear-shock cylinder is hard-anodized for increased durability, while both cylinder and rod are increased in size compared to the ZX-7R. For the '96 ZX-7RR, six-piston Nissin brakes offer track-ready stopping power, and wheel rims are equipped with softer, GP-spec Dunlop Sportrnax II rubber. A lighter battery is also fitted, an 8AH model replacing the 10AH power supply used on the 1996 Kawasaki ZX-7R. ow that we have covered the technical highlights, let us tum our attention to actually riding the ZX-7R. Our first impression, after a couple of laps of th.e race track, was clear: the new bike has considerably better midrange performance than it's predecessor. Not only is there more power on tap in the mid-rpm area, but that power is more usable: Gone is the midrange hesitation of previous ZX-7s. This makes the 1996 bike a better machine for learning unfarniIiar Spanish race tracks, but more importantly should offer improved street performance. While track tests tend to be biased to aIJ-out riding, around town you Simply won't be able to spend much time at the ZX-7R's 12,500-rpm redline. More midrange will provide the average street enthusiast with more fun, be it stoplight to stoplight or tum to tum. Another aspect of the new machine that drew praise, right out of the box, was the seating position. The rear section of the tank is better shaped for sliding forward while cornering. also offer- is ultra-stable, not in the lea t twitchy, regardless of cornering posture or road conditions. On the street, bikes that handle too rapidly can become tiring to ride, especially in a crosswind or on bumpy roads. Our wet and breezy mountainpass road-riding session on the ZX-7R proved that the bike could handle extreme road riding with confident ease. However, traction on some of the Spanish "B road" paveinent wasn't the best with unscrubbed, low profile, track-oriented tires! While we're talking about street riding, the seating position on the 1996 Ninja ZX-7R doesn't offer the most comfortable perch in motorcycling. True, the seat is fairly wide, well-padded and offers some stretching potential. But the ergonomics still place too much weight on the rider's wrists, due to the dropand-tuck, racing-type handlebars. This is still an improvement over the '95 ZX7 as well as recent Suzuki 7505. From 80 mph, however, the wind blast is strong enough on your torso to take the weight off your arms. This wind blast becomes a factor quickJy, since the only way to keep the breeze off your body is to stay in a fullon racing tuck at all times. As with most modern sportbikes, the low (and no doubt aerodynamically efficient) fairing screen on the ZX-7R barely protects the instruments, and sends tRe blast of air right at your upper chest, neck and helmet. Ear pi ugs are a must for long trips, and owners can expect to clean bugs off their chest, not just their face shields. As far as other road-riding features go, the adjustable levers are great, and the cockpit gauges are straightforward and easy to read. The ZX-7R offers a good amount of handlebar lock compared to many of its Supersport-class rivals, so turning around in parking lots' and ide streets isn't as scary as it can sometimes be. One area where the ZX-7R fits in nicely with it's competition is in the mirror department. In any regular riding

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