2011 Kawasaki Zx-10r

ALTHOUGH THE RAIN HAD MOMENtarily subsided, the road surface retained a glassy sheen as I approached the base of Glendora Mountain Road. This serpentine stretch of sportbike bliss ascending into the hills ahead appeared slick as a snail trail leading to high ground. Historically, when faced with such ominous road conditions, I've slowed to a relative escargot-like pace; but this was a historic moment, as well, being my first ride in the rain aboard a sportbike equipped with electronic traction-control.

Okay, so I've been living under an umbrella these past few years while BMW, following Ducati's lead, beat the Japanese out of the blocks with a production supersport equipped with TC. But until now, the timing of having one of those bikes in our possession has never lent itself to wet-and-greasy-road testing here in mostly sunny SoCal.

Kawasaki is the first of the Japanese Big Four to join in the TC game, and the all-new-for-2011 ZX-10R has upped the performance ante on its predecessor. Not only does the new Ninja offer increased peak power production, it has uncanny poise and controllability that can be credited largely to its MotoGP-derived Sport Kawasaki Traction Control, or S-KTRC. The ability to toggle on-the-fly between a trio of power delivery modes, as well as three levels of traction-control intervention via a rocker switch on the left handlebar, enabled me to gain confidence in the TC system's effectiveness in metered baby steps.

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R

If its power gets you into trouble, its electrons just might bail you out

DON CANET

CYCLE WORLD TEST

Starting out in Low power mode, the 998cc inline-Four's potential 165 peak horsepower output (measured at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno) is dramatically subdued to 112 tame ponies. The mode's much-softer throttle response, along with TC set to level 3 (maximum), transforms the green monster into a pussycat on corner exit. If you didn't know better, you might think the engine had fouled its plugs due to the misfire-like sound of its exhaust note when you're aggressively applying throttle off a slippery corner.

Working the bottom two cogs through much of Glendora's slalom-like switchbacks, I could distinctly hear the TC system cutting spark, thus enabling the rear Bridgestone BT-016 radial to maintain a cat-on-carpet level of adhesion. At speeds above 55 mph or so, the rider can no longer detect the engine 's staccato beat when TC kicks in because wind noise overcomes the sound emitted by the stock exhaust.

After toeing the waters in the higher performance settings intended for dry circuit use, I settled upon a combination of Medium power/TC 2. The M power mode, as indicated on the lOR's LCD dash display, delivers unabated power output, albeit with more forgiving throttle response than the track-focused Full mode. The S-KTRC middle setting also works much closer to the actual traction threshold than the far-moreconservative 3 setting.

Hard on the throttle during uphill corner exits instilled an exhilarating sense of near invulnerability. I say "near," because apart from the obvious need to steer the bike on a proper line, you must still be wary of mid-corner grip at lean; you also have to avoid getting caught out by the bike's enhanced acceleration potential and finding yourself too hot approaching the next bend. For this very reason, I exercised more caution on the return trip off the mountain. The forthcoming Sport ABS-equipped version of the 10R may well prove a wet dream in this regard.

If you haven't already flipped ahead to the specifications page to view the dyno and performance results, now's a good time to do so. As you can see on the dyno curve, peak power of 165.5 hp is realized at 11,800, then tails off rather sharply to about 10 fewer ponies at the 13,500-rpm rev limiter.

If you're a little disappointed in that peak power number, you can thank stateside noise regulations for turning down the power and volume. The ECU on the U.S.-spec 10R has been programmed to notch back the EFI's secondary throttle butterflies and close down the exhaust-system valve at upper revs to pacify The Man. Echoes from abroad indicate the Euro-market ZX10R is good for 10 or more additional peak horsepower. Where are the humanrights activists when needed to thwart such obvious oppression?

Overlaying dyno runs of last year's model and the current bike clearly shows a shift in the powerband. The new model sacrifices midrange grunt for added top-end thrust; it's down by as much as 10 hp throughout the 4000-to9500-rpm rev range before achieving a 6-hp advantage in peak output. A similar comparison to the 2010 BMW S1000RR shows the Beemer holds as much as a 10-hp edge throughout the entire range.

Tipping the CW scales at 412 pounds without fuel, the 1 OR is the new lightweight leader among liter-class inline-Fours. It's 23 pounds lighter than its predecessor, 19 pounds under the BMW and a single pound lighter than the feathery Honda CBR1000RR. This raised our expectations as I headed to the strip to conduct acceleration testing.

The 2600-foot elevation of our Palmdale, California, test venue softens engine performance enough that even a short-wheelbase literbike might get out of the hole without suffering from wheelspin or wild wheelies. Because of the altitude, along with the bike's tall gearing, I found the 1 OR required a fair bit of clutch slip with the revs at or above 10,000 rpm to avoid bogging the motor on the launch. S-KTRC can be switched off while the bike is stationary to allow unfettered delivery on the launch, and consistent with the dyno results, I found that upshifts at 12,000 rpm kept the engine on the boil. While shift action tended to be a bit notchy much of

"It's wickedly fast, exceptionally light, handles remarkably well and incorporates a host of features designed to keep you on the seat instead of on your head."

the time, even when subjected to such vigorous gear-grabbing acceleration, the gearbox never once missed a shift.

For two reasons, I called it a day after a half-dozen passes. First, I wanted to preserve the clutch pack for further street testing; and second, the ZX-10R had already, by the slimmest of margins, set a new CÍE best corrected quartermile ET of 9.73 seconds at 149.41 mph. The previous record had been held by the 2010 Honda CBR1000RR, which turned a 9.74-second, 146.71-mph time

in our July, 2010, "Alternative Energy" Open-class shootout. It's interesting to imagine what the 10R might have done if its top-end power output had not been softened to meet sound requirements.

Additional track testing at Buttonwillow Raceway provided a good follow-up to the hot laps I'd previously put in aboard the 1 OR at its Road Atlanta press introduction last December. That was a positive experience, but I had ridden only a track-dialed chassis setup with supersport race rubber; this time out, we used standard suspension settings and the stock Bridgestone Battlax tires. But even with its street-based setup, the chassis maintained solid composure when ridden at a quicker pace than anyone would likely dare outside of a racetrack.

Logo here

BMW S1000RR

Europe hit back hard with the Bavarian-built über RR; 176 hp and advanced electronics, nice! ABS is optional. $13,950 to $15,880 (w/ABS)

Honda CBR1000RR

Light weight and the last of the "non-electronic" inline-Fours. You want traction control or riding modes? Train your wrist. $13,399 to 14,399 (w/C-ABS)

MV Agusta F4

Europe's other Four just got a facelift a year ago and continues to stomp out serious power from its radial-valve engine. TC and all the goodies.

$18,500

Suzuki GSX-R1000

This perennial powerhouse was the first of the Japanese literbikes to implement electronic intervention with S-DMS. Always a favorite. $13,599

Yamaha YZF-R1

Crossplane-crank engine lays power down politely, but takes no prisoners on-track. Do the names Spies and Hayes mean anything to you? $13,590 to $13,790

I did have one scare, however, when the front wheel tucked at pretty deep lean entering Turn One. I was off the throttle and brakes, carving down toward the apex, when the tire let loose without warning. The slide caused the bike to tip in farther, weighting my knee puck for a couple of skipped heartbeats until the tire regained grip as quickly as it had lost it. Even then, the chassis finished off the corner as though nothing had happened. At that point, I notched it back a bit and rode safely within the stock tire's limits. I was able to maintain a swift track-day pace, with smooth steering input and reduced trail braking made easy by the front brake's superb feel. On the flip side, I had little concern with rear grip as S-KTRC worked its magic, delivering a subtle slip-'n'grip sensation out of corners.

Once back to road riding, my focus switched to assessing the bike's comfort and convenience potential as a daily ride. I found the adjustable footrests a particularly nice feature that allows a 5/8-inch-lower placement for additional legroom. Tall riders will find the smooth contour of the gas tank's side cutouts to their liking, as well. The spacious saddle is kindly padded, and the height and shape of the clear windscreen results in very little wind buffeting at helmet level. Engine vibration is also well subdued, with an uncanny smoothness in the grips and only a hint of buzz felt at the knees above 6000 rpm. A steady 5500 rpm nets a silky-smooth indicated 80-mph freeway cruise.

In the cockpit, not only is the instrument cluster functionally rich, it's a visual treat. The sweeping, LED bar-graph tachometer is quite easy to read under any lighting conditions, since its brightness is adjusted automatically according to ambient conditions. Borrowing from the Concours 14, the ZX-10R's instrumentation includes mpg and fuel-consumption displays—although each mode must be reset individually to acquire data relative to the current fuel load.

In my relentless attempt to be the thorough tester I aspire to become {ahem!), I ran the tank dry on the freeway and pushed it to the pump for a 4.4-gallon top-off that jibed perfectly with the fuel-consumption number on the dashboard display. And while on the dyno, I observed that the tachometer also is dead-nuts accurate, a rare exception in our experience.

So, rain or shine, track or street, the new ZX-10R leads the way in what will surely be the next wave in the sportbike electronic revolution. It's wickedly fast, exceptionally light, handles remarkably well and incorporates a host of features designed to keep you on the seat instead of on your head. With Kawasaki's long-standing reputation as a company committed to the pursuit of ever-higher performance, it's no surprise to find Team Green riding the crest of the impending tsunami. □

cycleworld.com/zx1 Or Test

EDITORS' NOTES

This bike reminds me of the old Triumph Spitfire commercial wherein we see the car hurtling toward a brick wall back when "crash testing" became mandatory. Just at what should be the moment of impact, the car drives right past the end of the wall and the narrator says, "In England, we strive to avoid the wall."

I'm glad the ZX-10R has all the anticrack-up countermeasures, but I'm so conditioned to not yank the throttle open on bikes like this, it's hard to see how it will ever benefit me. Canet says you learn to trust it, and I'm sure he's right. Let's just pray, given my electronic acumen, that the first time I fully place my trust in S-KTRC won't be the time I have inadvertently set TC to Off. Beyond all that, the words "ZX-f 0" and "refined" have always been contradictory. Not this time. So smooth.

So not uncomfortable. So uncheap-looking. All in all, a neater, nicer package than the S1000RR, even if it is down 10 horsepower. Two green thumbs up. —John Bums, Feature Editor

I've been fortunate to have logged far more seat time aboard the new Ninja than anyone else on staff. Having attended the bike's press intro at Road Atlanta and living with the green machine these past few weeks commuting and gathering road-test data, I was beginning to feel a bit guilty.

But what I really feel is a need to test it back-to-back with its liter-class peers.

Only through same-day comparative testing under identical climatic conditions will we know for certain how this e-Ninja, with its advanced electronics, impressive weight loss and improved peak power performance, stacks up. For the time being, the prospects are looking favorable for a very green spring testing season.

It will be interesting to learn if the Kawi's refinement can overcome the BMW's raw performance or the seasoned expertise Ducati continues to deliver. In the meantime, I'll be playing in the April showers, as there's no need for a rain check when S-KTRC is footing the bill. —Don Canet, Road Test Editor

I finally got the green light to ride the new ZX-10R, and rolling down the street while adjusting the mirrors for the first time, I could still see behind me—a rare commodity on a purposeful superbike.

Its combined mirrors/turn indicators also work nicely as an apex-aiming device at intersections.

In the Kawasaki's as-delivered setup, the steering felt kind of heavy around town and even at respectable canyon speeds. I hope to sample its fully adjustable chassis—which includes rear ride-height—at a racetrack sometime in the near future. The shifting was a little reluctant, too, but better in my Sidi Vertigo boots than it was in the sneakers I had previously worn in a once-around-the-block outing.

Since the 10R will post an indicated 132 mph in second gear, you don't have to shift much if you don't want to. But even with that kind of rampant acceleration on tap, the ZX-1 OR wasn't at all wheelie-prone. I must not have been trying hard enough.

—Mark Cernicky, Associate Editor

KAWASAKI

NINJA ZX-10R

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL

List price $13,799