Overview
Kawasaki has intentionally added visual bulk to this bike to make it look
premium and aggressive.
The front end styling of this bike wins your heart at first sight. The
twin extended headlights are separated by a false air-inlet which makes
this bike looks extremely sharp when seen from the front. The dual
colored front fairing also sports its black colored rear view mirrors
integrated with LED indicators. The up-raised transparent visor of this
bike complements the front styling of ZX-10R. The short front fender has
noticeable lines on it and looks edgy with its extended sides. The
black colored three spoke alloy wheels looks sporty with racing strips
and big disc plates. Move to the side of this bike and you will notice
great combination of colors. The dual colored fuel tank and side fairing
gels well with each other. The mounted bolts and racy decals on the
side fairing looks extremely sporty while air-outlets and integrated
engine cowl indicates towards the aerodynamic styling. The combined twin
mufflers and up-swept rear cowl further enhances the visual appearance
of this bike. The bike features split seats on the top of its rear cowl
which also houses its LED tail light at the back. The gap between the
rear tyre and cowl looks naked while its compact rear fender carries the
number plate and side indicators of ZX-10R.
Instrument Console
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R features a
fully digital instrument console.
It has an angular bar type LED tachometer which is positioned just
above the multifunction LCD which displays its digital speedometer,
odometer, clock, trip meter and fuel gauge. It’s a two way adjustable
LCD with blue back lit which also displays gear position indicator, fuel
consumption and power mode indicator. All essential LED indicators are
also placed in this instrument console.
Engine and Gearbox
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R uses a four cylinder,
4-stroke 998cc engine. This liquid-cooled, DOHC engine pumps out a
massive power output of 197 bhp at 13000 rpm.
The utmost torque output of this 16 valves engine is of 113.5 Nm which
arrives at 11500 rpm. This engine is served with a six-speed manual
gearbox with one gear down and five gears up-shift pattern.
Acceleration and Performance
The light weight of this bike helps it to achieve the class leading
power to weight ratio which is also evident in its performance. The bike
reaches 0-100km/hr in 3 seconds and does 0-160km/hr in less than 6
seconds. The bike gets off to a flying start and without any effort can
cross the speed mark of 100km/hr in its first gear. It’s a
highly refined DOHC engine with
an air intake which reduces the noise and improves it high speed
performance. If you want to push this bike to its limits then it can
reach the speed of 280-290km/hr. The immediate throttle response of
ZX-10R amazes you on highways. The engine lacks any kind of refinement
issues and performs brilliantly. The tall gear ratios help you to get
maximum power out of this engine. The heavy amount of torque plays a
vital role at slow speeds and gives early momentum to this bike. The
light clutch and gearbox of ZX-10R also requires least effort from your
side and gives you stress free rides.
Mileage
This high speed performance bike only manages to return you a
mileage of around 10km/ltr.
Comfort while Driving
The low positioned handle bar of ZX-10R requires you to bend in an
aerodynamic position
to grab it. The steering damper also takes away your stress and gives
you proper feedback. This vibration less handlebar offers you firm palm
grip. You can also adjust the foot-pegs of this bike to get optimum
comfort. Its well-padded seat feels best for long journeys as Kawasaki
has stuffed this seat with high quality of fabrics. The curvy fuel tank
offers proper space to your inner thighs to stick around it which is
very useful when you drive this bike around corners.
Storage Space and Safety Features
Don’t look for any kind of storage space in this bike. Its
powerful headlight, pass button and radial mounted brake callipers are some of its vital safety features.
Suspension and Brakes
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R has
inverted 41mm telescopic forks
at its front which are fully adjustable while it features horizontal
back-link with gas charged, adjustable mono shock at the back. The bike
features petal disc brakes on its both wheels. The front wheel has
dual disc brakes of 330mm and it has a rear disc brake of 220mm. The bike also features an adjustable ABS for precise braking.
Ride and Handling
The bike has a ground clearance of 145mm which improves the
aerodynamics of this bike at high speeds and enables it to turn easily
at slow speeds. The wheelbase of 1440mm makes it stable at extremely
high speeds while you are changing lanes frequently. The bike never
loses road grip thanks to its wide tyres and
3-way adjustable Kawasaki advanced traction control system.
The adjustable suspension system performs as per requirement and gives
you confident and comfortable rides. The electronic steering makes it
easy to handle this bike accurately at the speed of 280km/hr thanks to
the steering damper which also affects its handling at slow speeds. The
braking system ensures safe and precise braking at high speeds. The bike
is quite confident and responsive in this department.
Tyre Size, Shades and Variants
The front and rear tyre size of ZX-10R is
120/70 R17 and 190/55 R17 respectively. Kawasaki may launch two variants of Ninja ZX-10R in two dual tone colors.
Verdict
It’s a premium sports bike which features one of the
best engineered 1000cc engines available worldwide.
Kawasaki has launched the bike in India with a price tag of INR 16.40
lakhs, which definitely makes it a complete value for money bike.
Moreover, the list of premium features proves to be an additional
advantage for this bike.
