Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/220782
RACER TEST P50 TOM SYKES' KAWASAKI ZX-10R learn new habits and press the handlebar-mounted rear brake lever with your left thumb to keep the front wheel more or less in contact with the ground. After all, there is no foot brake. Sykes apparently wears out rear brake pads very fast – I wonder why! But last year's brutal pickup from a closed throttle has been tamed, yet without sacrificing acceleration, which is still eyewateringly impressive. It's just that you now have the sense that you're in charge of how the engine is going to respond, not the RBW computer. Although having said that, its electronics are responsible for that, of course, via the incredibly clever mapping by the team's electronics wizard Danilo Cassonato of the differential throttle response that is at the heart of the Kawasaki's bipolar personality – and title-winning effectiveness. So as you brake for the bottom gear Curva Dry Sac after screaming down the Jerez back straight in fifth gear – well, just for a moment - you're aware of two unexpected things happening. First, in spite of the KHI rampstyle slipper clutch fitted, there's quite a bit more engine braking than you'd normally expect from a modern four-cylinder screamer, and that's thanks to the dieseltype exhaust valve closing as you back off the throttle and squeeze the front. The 2011 ZX-10R was very eager to lift the back wheel under heavy braking, with a distinct loss of sta- The author rode the bike at the Jerez circuit the day after Sykes wrapped up the World Superbike title. He came away impressed with the changes the team made to the bike since he rode it the season prior. bility entering a turn, last year's bike less so, but that's all history now thanks to the more refined chassis and electronic package that has so transformed the Kawasaki this season. It feels much more balanced at all times – and a lot more effective as a result. For someone like me who spent most of his racing life aboard twins, the extra engine braking is quite welcome. Especially so since there's zero instability. And, of course, the slipper clutch is there to eliminate any rear wheel chatter. Nice – but not half as nice as what happens next. As you trailbrake into the apex of the turn in a poor imitation of the Sykes strategy, then open the throttle to initiate the drive out, suddenly the four-cylinder in-line screamer of a Superbike is transformed into a twin, complete with gruff-sounding soundtrack and heaps of tractability. Where the hell did that come from, you think to yourself? Answer: the wonder of modern electronics, applied via sensors monitoring lean angle, engine rpm, gear selected and throttle potentiometer. And boy, does it work - here's how. As a spinoff benefit of RBW, Kawasaki is able to split the array of four 47mm Keihin throttle bodies into two pairs of two, each operating independently of the other. So when you crack open