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/456427
VOL. 52 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 3, 2015 P81 der hard braking it was obvious that the transition between four-cylinder and twin-cylinder modes had been further refined compared to last time I rode the bike a year ago at Jerez. That's thanks to clever mapping of the differential throttle response by the team's electronics wizard Danilo Cassonato—an element that's at the heart of the Kawasaki's bipo- lar personality. As you back off the throttle and hit the brakes before downshifting a couple of gears, there's quite a bit more engine braking than you'd normally expect from a four-cylinder screamer. That's partly thanks to the way the bike cuts to gruff-sounding twin-cylinder mode earlier than before. Now it does so while you're still in a straight line, braking hard and deep into the turn, as Sykes does. The difference is last year it happened later as you tipped into the corner. The extra engine braking also comes thanks to the Kawasaki's diesel-type exhaust valve closing as you back off the throttle and squeeze the front brake lever hard to access the great stopping power of those big 336mm Brembo discs. The brakes work brilliantly, with lots of feel. And they don't grab. I can't brake as hard as Tom does, but at my speeds there was plenty of feel and loads of stability, without the ZX-10R being as eager to lift the back wheel under heavy braking as before. That's partly thanks to the new 48mm Showa BFT fork introduced for 2014 in response to the 15,000 Euro price cap on the fork introduced for 2014. "Even though this came for price con- scious reasons, probably this fork is the same as in MotoGP," says KHI/Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Superbike Project Director, Ichiro Yoda, with a smile. "Performance is very good indeed, and Showa BFR rear shock is also very good this year, with sophisticated settings for high grip, and much damping control." This extra engine braking is a welcome addi- tion since it helps you stop better but with none of the instability that's usually a by-product of hard stops. Of course, the slipper clutch is also there to eliminate any rear-wheel chatter. After hitting the apex, you open the throttle to initiate the drive out of the corner and there's a much smoother and less abrupt transition on the 2014 Kawasaki from twin-cylinder to four-cylinder mode. Last year it was like flicking a switch, with a fiercer change in mode. This year the system has been refined to be less abrupt and sweeter in switchover from twin to four (whereas from four to twin at the entry to the turn, it's if anything even more pronounced, presumably to help stop the bike). So when you crack open the throttle while still leaned over, just one pair of throttles responds, and you've only got two cylinders being filled with fuel mixture and firing, so it's a twin. This is one reason why Sykes uses practically no traction control—a fact I discovered as I began to build confidence and (Clockwise from far left) No throttle cables here—Ride-By-Wire only, thanks. Upper white button is pit speed limiter, red middle for kill switch, and lower white for traction control and engine braking programs. New Showa forks were brought in for the 2014 season, and at "only" 15,000 Euro, Yoda-san reckons, "Probably this fork is the same as MotoGP." That Kawasaki ZX-10R engine produces an incredible 242hp at the crankshaft. Wow...