KAWASAKI ZX-10R

THE GREEN MACHINE
The Kawasaki ZX-10R has matured. If you take that to mean it's gone a little soft, succumbed to a bit of middle-aged spread maybe, it's time to think again. Whereas the 2005 ZX-10R was crushingly quick but never less than a handful demanding 100 per cent of your concentration at all times, even when you didn't always feel like putting in the effort, the latest model aims to offer a more rounded and polished skill set.
This is a bike that tips the scales at just 175kg yet cranks out an awesome 152bhp, and is targeted unerringly at Suzuki's GSX-R1000, a bike which, according to Kawasaki, has had its own way in this country for a little too long. If there's one complaint about the latest ZX, it's that it's not perhaps as distinguished from a styling point-of-view as bikes which have really ruled the litre class before it; models such as the Suzuki, the Yamaha R1 and before that, Honda's Fireblade. Most riders, however, won't care about its rather generic silhouette when they get on board and ride it. Suzuki should be worried.
* What Does It Cost?
With a sticker price of £8,800 for the ZX-10R, Kawasaki aren't taking too many chances, pitching it a single quid above its Suzuki rival and Honda's Fireblade. Yamaha ask a hefty £8,999 for their YZF-R1, one of the reasons why its sales have stalled of late.
The detailing of the ZX-10R makes that asking price seem well worthwhile. The rather naff LCD tacho of the 2005 bike has been replaced by a big analogue dial that's easy to read at speed. It features a digital speed readout in the middle with auxiliary info also appearing on the same digital screen. The typical bane of digital readouts is that they're often either too bright or too dim to be read easily but the ZX-10R's screen can even be adjusted to suit ambient light conditions. Neat.
* How Does It Handle?
Talk bikes in the pub with a bunch of mates and sooner or later the old nugget that Kawasakis are quick but don't handle is sure to emerge. Like many such chestnuts, there's a grain of truth there insofar as Kawasaki's Akashi plant had a 1km straight that for many years acted as their test track. Small wonder that handling was secondary to outright welly. Kawasaki realised this and bought the amazing Autopolis test facility in Spring 2005: the results are immediately evident.
The ZX-10R feels like a bike that's going to destroy your personal best lap times. It's still a fairly edgy thing but increased front end bite, less nervous steering, a stiffer frame and a throttle that's been remapped to allow the rider to apply power more smoothly as they exit a corner has transformed this bike's handling. Downsides? A small 17-litre fuel tank, an annoying vibration at typical UK motorway speeds and footpegs that touch down a little too easily for more extreme tastes are about all you can mark it down for.
* Verdict
Right at this precise moment, the ZX-10R represents the new class standard. It's as simple as that.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
BIKE: Kawasaki ZX-10R
PRICE: £8,800
ENGINE: 998cc 16v liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke
WEIGHT: 175kg
INSURANCE GROUP: 17
POWER: 152bhp
TANK SIZE: 17 litres
18th April 2008