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Ready To
•
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Kawasaki gives us
everything we asked
for and more
By Biiii
PHoTos
•
CoNNER
COURTESY OF KAwASAKI
et's get straight to the point. The
current generation of the
Kawasaki ZX-IOR fell just short
in our last two Cycle News
Open-class shootouts. Why, you
ask? Well, there are a couple of reasons.
First off, in 2004, the ZX-I OR fell victim to
the Honda CBR IOOORR primarily because
the lOR couldn't lay down its power efficiently. Then, when it did, it shook its head
so badly (with windy testing conditions and
no steering damper) that the lap times and
enjoyment suffered. In this year's shootout,
the bike fell victim to the omnipotent Suzuki GSX-R I000. The lOR simply couldn't
match the raw performance of the Suzuki
on the track, drag strip or dyno.
On the street, it was a different story, as
our testers were split down the middle
between the lOR and the GSX-R. Most of
our testers said they could swing either
way. So, two years in a row, the lOR has
visited the podium without a viCtory. Could
the new 2006 ZX-IOR finally be the bike
we've been collectively waiting for? Here is
a brief rundown of the changes to the bike,
but we'll have to wait until November
before we can throw a leg over it - so stay
tuned.
The ZX-IOR has been Significantly
changed for 2006. The engine, chassis and
aerodynamics have all been updated for
improved performance both on and off the
racetrack.
The motor features a brand-new fuelinjection system with 43mm throttle bodies
The 2006 ZX-l0R.
Kawasaki has moved the exhaust canisters up under the tail
unit and added a second silencer.
..
