VOLUME 58 ISSUE 24 JUNE 15, 2021 P99
under full throttle. If I backed
the revs down 1000 rpm or so I
could grab the next gear easily,
but then I missed out on the top-
end power offered in the lower
gears. I will attribute this mainly
to rider error, though I will add
that I've ridden plenty of super-
bikes at Fontana and never had
this problem before.
An area of the new 10R that I
really got on with was the new
ergonomics. I remember noting
on my 2016 ZX-10R test that the
bike would be a struggle to fit if
you were above 6'2," but this is
not an issue with the new itera-
tion. The fitment is perfect for my
6'1" frame, allowing me plenty of
movement on the chassis while
being able to comfortably tuck in
down the sixth-gear straight.
The extra range of movement
allowed me to hold a better posi-
tion under braking where I was
not climbing all over the front-
end like the old bike trying to get
comfortable. This allowed me
to load up the front Bridgestone
better, hold a more correct line
through the corner, and get on
the gas harder on exit.
Although the electronics are
still relatively basic in compari-
son to the Panigale and RSV4,
they are all you need with the
10R. Regular readers will know
I am not a fan of combined
wheelie and traction control
systems, but Kawasaki's made
a good fist of it. Hammering the
throttle out of the super-tight
turn-10 hairpin down the back
straight with TC on level one saw
the front stay light but planted,
letting the green girl eat as the
revs and speed shot up in equal
measure.
Simple tweaks have made
for a superb package in the
2021 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R,
and all for well under $17K.
