Looks pretty much the same as the current bike, but dig deeper and you’ll see it’s far, far removed from the 2011-2015 ZX-10R.
Two WSBK titles in three years, God-knows how many national and international Superstock titles and acres of happy Ninja riders across the planet, it’s safe to say the 2011-2015 Kawasaki ZX-10R was a success.
But it’s become dated in the face of the Euro superbike onslaught. Now is the age of big power and big electronics, and with Japan returning to the fray this year with the new YZF-R1, now it’s Kawasaki’s turn.
The 2016 998cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder Ninja ZX-10R is claimed to produce 200hp (207hp with ram air) at 13,000rpm, with torque a claimed 83lb-ft at 11,500rpm. The extra ponies come via a plethora of changes including a lighter crankshaft, a redesigned cylinder head and camshafts and a massive new airbox.
But aside from the engine, where the biggest gains have been found are from the chassis. The ZX-10R’s steering head pipe now sits 7.5mm closer to the rider to put more weight on the front, while the braced swingarm has been lengthened 15.8mm.
Showa have come to the party as well, gracing the Ninja with their all-new Balance Free Fork. The main feature of the Showa BFF is that the design of the hydraulic system eliminates pressure balance fluctuations. With the BFF, the damping valves are located in one place – outside the fork legs in the damping force chamber. This allows the entire surface of the fork pistons to push the hydraulic fluid toward the valves in the damping force chamber, with nitrogen gas in the compression chamber pushing back against the oil, helping to maintain the balanced pressure inside the fork tube.
The shock is Showa’s Balance Free Rear Cushion (BFRC) unit, which houses a separate damping force chamber for compression and rebound damping.
The ZX-10R now gets the same brakes as Ducati’s Panigale in the Brembo M50 monobloc calipers biting 330mm discs up front, with ABS as an optional extra.
The 10R also gets the five-axis Bosch IMU (same as the YZF-R1), S-KTRC Sport Kawasaki TRraction Control, KIBS Kawasaki Intelligent Braking System (ABS models only), Cornering Management Function (ECU modulates brake pressure according to lean angle, ABS models only), Kawasaki Engine Braking Control, and three variable power modes.
The 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R will come with an MSRP of $15,999, with a special edition KRT model (different graphics) for $16,299.
Want to look faster? The KRT edition will cost you an extra $300, but it’s just graphics…
