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/547248
IN THE WIND P28 NEW ZX-10R COMING FOR 2016 T he current Kawasaki ZX-10R will be mothballed at the conclusion of 2015 to make way for the next itera- tion of the Ninja saga. The new-for-2016 ZX-10R was con- firmed recently by Kawasaki's World Superbike team manager Guim Roda during an interview the Spaniard gave to Germany's Speedweek publication. "We will have a new Kawasaki ZX-10R in 2016. The concept will be the same but, with some details and changes, it will be even more com- petitive. Given that the current (World Superbike) rules are very restricted, the motorbikes have to be developed with an eye on the sport. We are heading on a path that Aprilia, Ducati and BMW have already taken for this year by bring- ing out new bikes," Guim told Speedweek. The new machine will likely have a much up- dated electronics package (Kawasaki was the first of the Japanese big four to bring traction control to the masses with the current ZX-10R, released in 2011), more power to bring it into line with the BMW S 1000 RR and Ducati 1299 Panigale and an all-new chassis. This will ensure the competitive- ness of the machine at both the World Superbike level and on the street. It also marks a deviation from past Japanese design philosophies that saw companies like Kawasaki make lower-spec ma- chines for street use that were then transformed into racers via a plethora of exotic parts. Kawasaki has yet to give any formal details of the new ZX-10R, but the smart money is betting on the Intermot Show in Cologne, Germany, October 5-9 being the stage for release. Rennie Scaysbrook SCTA CANCELS SPEEDWEEK F or the second year in a row, the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) has cancelled its Bonneville Speed Week due to wet and dangerous conditions on the salt. The announcement was made via the SCTA's website, with the release stating that, "The most that the SCTA President/Race Director Bill Lattin & the BNI Chairman Roy Creel could find was 2 1/4 miles of salt suitable for a safe race course. The rest of the salt flats are either wet, or wet and muddy. If the wet salt gets dry, future events could be possible." Sadly, the announcement means there will be no attempt on the World Land Speed Re- cord for Motorcycles (which currently stands at 376.363 mph) by Guy Martin and the Castrol Triumph team, who were planning on running two methanol-burning, turbocharged, Rocket III 2300cc three cylinder engines in a custom- made streamliner at the August 8-14 event. CN The 2011-2015 Kawasaki ZX-10R is at the end of its life—bring on 2016!