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/634995
2016 KAWASAKI ZX-10R FIRST RIDE P90 Regardless of the gearing, with the revs up the 10R is a rocket – same as always. But this engine spins up faster than before, and once it's past 9500 rpm you better hold on, because the red zone will flash up on the dash extremely quickly as you click up the now quickshifter- equipped gearbox through second, third and fourth gears that are now closer together than before. But on the side of the tire in slow-speed corners, the 10R suffers from a slightly abrupt throttle response from closed, the same as the Yamaha YZF- R1 does. And like the Yamaha, it does get better the higher the revs. This is largely down to EFI emissions control of the now Euro 4 engine, but you can get around this by fitting the race ECU that comes with a differ- ent fuel map. Or so I'm told. As I was all set to ride the race-kitted bike, Malaysia decided to drop its lunch and downpour the entire facility – so no race kit for Rennie. The throttle is linked directly to the now five-stage traction control system, which, in reality, is what all the fancy IMU gizmos are trying to make the most out of. I really was not a fan of the 2011 TC system – thankfully this new system is miles better than that one. After three sessions I devised my best traction con- trol number was 2, which gave about the same level of slip as 1 did on the 2011 bike but without the harshness on the cut-out. Level 1 lets you really hang the 10R out, however, this map is only for the very advanced riders out there, and it caught me out a couple of times when I got too greedy with the throttle. It saved me, but brutally. "Thank God for electronics," I kept saying in my lid. Kawasaki's made a ZX-10R that is, without question, miles better than the previous model. Far and away the number one feature for my book is the way the new Showa suspension combines with the revamped chassis to create a bike that turns the way it always should have. That already makes this bike a massive improve- ment, and that's without taking the electronics or engine changes into consideration. Plus, the incredibly advanced electronics now mean the 10R is equal to anything on offer from Japan or Europe, whereas it was not before. The engine's lack of low down torque is a bit of a letdown, but that trademark Ninja appetite for revs is still there. That's what makes a Kawasaki superbike – big revs, a banshee wail from the exhaust and now, a chassis that works with you rather than against. It's still a bike that will require a certain riding style to get the most out of, but it's now a bike that'll work for a much broader range of riders – from World Superbike to the Sunday scratcher – than the old bike could ever hope to. CN Sepang's fast turn 3 really lets the chassis show off its newfound stability.