Rennie Scaysbrook | December 2, 2016
Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-10R has come under the knife and is now lighter and faster than ever before, and we’re the only publication in the U.S. that’s ridden this brand-new ZX-10RR.
Black beauty: the 2017 ZX-10RR looks stunning in the metal and goes even better.
What wins on Sunday sells on Monday. It’s a racing adage that’s been around as long as production bikes have been flying past checkered flags. That saying is what Superbike racing is built on and Kawasaki thinks you should get a little closer to what actually races on Sunday, so you can buy it on Monday. If you’re one of the lucky ones to get your hands on a 2017 Kawasaki ZX-10RR, that is.
To read this in Cycle News Digital Edition, click HERE
Photography by Graeme Brown
For you and I, the arrival of the RR represents a shift in the thinking of the Japanese manufacturers. For years the special race-homologation model was the domain of the Italians (mainly Ducati but also MV Agusta and to a lesser extent, BMW with the HP4), and this year alone we will see race-orientated specials from Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki to go along with the Yamaha YZF-R1 SP from 2015.
There’s never been a better—or faster—time to get into Superbike racing.
Kawasaki hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the RR, just refined it.
What’s New?
Should you lay down the $18,899 (MSRP) required to buy a 2017 Kawasaki ZX-10RR, this is what you’ll get for your money over the standard ZX-10R. The race-kit ECU and harness are an extra expense, and of course the RR already comes with the six-axis Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit electronics suite to handle traction and wheelie control as well as launch control. The race ECU actually allows you to go in and program your own values for TC, WC and LC, but that requires more dyno and computer time than we had at Aragon.
Engine
The cylinder head has been modified to easily accept the high-lift Kawasaki Racing camshafts that come as part of the kit-parts catalog. Valve tappets feature the Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating that facilitates mid/long-distance engine break-in and also reduces mechanical power losses. The use of DLC makes it easier to get higher horsepower numbers when combined with the race cams. The crankcase has been reinforced to better sustain the high revs and horsepower of a race-tuned engine. The connecting passageways between the cylinders are narrower and the wall thickness has been increased for extra rigidity.
Kawasaki Quickshift System
The RR comes with an up-and-down quickshift system. This is something you can have on the standard ZX-10R, but you need to fit the race ECU/harness if you want it.
Single Seat
No passengers allowed! The removal of the second seat and associated footpegs mean a weight saving of about 2.2 pounds. Winter Test Edition snowflake graphic on the seat is worth at least an extra five-seconds faster per lap!
Marchesini Forged Aluminum Wheels
Kawasaki has fitted these glorious seven-spoke forged alloy wheels to the RR, reducing the gyroscopic mass and increasing side-to-side agility, as well as decreasing the mass that must be accelerated. The moment of inertia is significantly reduced with these wheels thanks to the design that centralizes the mass in the center of the hubs. These gorgeous wheels can be fitted to a standard ZX-10R if you like, but you’ll need new front brake discs and ABS speed sensor ring. The ZX-10RR comes standard with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP rubber (although we tested the bike with Pirelli SuperCorsa SC1 soft race DOT tires fitted for the Aragon circuit), whereas the standard ZX-10R comes with Bridgestone RS10s.
Colors And Badges
The ZX-10RR will come only in the sexy matte black color scheme the Kawasaki Racing Team uses exclusively in the winter testing program. This color option was also available for the standard 2016 model but has since been replaced by a white and light-green color, ensuring the Winter Test color remains only for the highest-spec Ninja. You’ll also get a special RR logo embossed on the right side engine cover and an RR engraved key.
Less inertia equals more speed. Those lighter wheels are awesome.
The Ride
Motorland Aragon in Spain is the country’s newest MotoGP venue and probably its most difficult. Lined with blind corners that have deceiving camber changes, Aragon takes a long time to get even remotely right, and all I had on the RR was four laps to learn the track and try to give the RR a bit of a thrash.
I had a good basis for comparison, though. I’ve spent the last couple of months racing a 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R fitted with many of the special parts the RR at Aragon had, like the race ECU and harness, as well as the Akrapovic titanium exhaust system and stainless steel brake lines.
The test RR had the race ECU/harness fitted for Aragon, with their own maps worked out on the dyno at the workshop.
From an engine point of view, the RR feels crisper than the ZX-10R I having been racing, although not much—if at all—more powerful. Kawasaki was coy on the power figures, so I can’t tell you what rear-wheel horsepower numbers were, but the mapping done by Kawasaki Europe was spot-on; on the side of the tire the RR was noticeably smoother from a closed throttle, spinning up fast and delivering serious grunt to the rear Pirelli SC1 without a single hint of fueling snatch or dip in the power curve.
The addition of the up-and-down quickshifter has given a touch of extra stability during braking. This is something we experimented with on our Cycle News project racer and makes a huge difference, cutting down the time it takes for a downshift and allowing the chassis to remain settled for corner entry.
Kawasaki had also fettled with the suspension for my four Aragon laps by slightly softening the fork action, making the shock a touch harder, and increasing the rear ride height by 1mm. Little changes that enabled the RR to work better between the twisty back sections at Aragon, but the biggest difference between this bike and the standard ZX-10R came down to those beautiful Marchesini forged-aluminum wheels.
Braking stability on the RR is excellent—as is that wall for awesome photography!
For me, the fitment of those wheels transformed the RR from a great-looking and -sounding bike to one that was genuinely a bike that could challenge for Superstock podiums straight out of the box. Barreling into turn one at Aragon, the ZX-10RR went from bolt upright to on its ear almost instantly, far faster than a standard ZX-10R. And it did it so fluidly—the greater turn speed did not sacrifice any stability and even reduced the effort of riding. The back section of Aragon is similar in some ways to Chuckwalla in Southern California (a track I’m well familiar with), and flicking the RR from side to side was much easier than even my 2016 racer that had been stripped down to the bare minimum. Taking weight off any moving part is a good thing, but taking a considerable (Kawasaki won’t say exactly how much) amount of weight off the wheels makes a huge difference to how the bike handles at speed.
The ZX-10RR is not substantially different to a standard ZX-10R, but feels like everything is ratcheted up a few notches. The power delivery is on point, the brakes and suspension (both of which are the same as the standard ZX-10R) are excellent in how they operate but the fitment of the Marchesini wheels is the cherry on the matte-black sundae.
This is a great bike. Welcome back to the race homologation life, Kawasaki. CN
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SPECIFICATIONS: 2017 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR
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Engine:
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Four-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve, liquid-cooled four-stroke
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Displacement:
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998cc
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Bore x Stroke:
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76.0 x 55.0mm
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Compression ratio:
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13.0:1
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Fuel System:
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4 x 47mm Mikuni throttle bodies with oval sub-throttles, two injectors
per cylinder
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Ignition:
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TCBI with digital advance and Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC)
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Transmission:
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6-speed, return quickshift
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Electronic Rider Aids:
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Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM), Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock
Brake System (KIBS), Kawasaki Sport Traction Control (S-KTRC), Kawasaki Engine Braking Control, Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS) (upshift & downshift), Kawasaki Corner Management Function (KCMF)
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Chassis:
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Aluminum twin-spar frame
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Front Suspension:
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43mm inverted Showa Balance Free Fork, adjustable stepless rebound
and compression damping, spring preload adjustability, 4.7 in. wheel travel
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Rear Suspension:
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Horizontal back-link with Balance Free gas-charged shock, stepless,
dual-range (low-/high-speed) compression damping, stepless rebound damping, fully adjustable spring preload, 4.5 in. wheel travel
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Front Tire:
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120/70 ZR17
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Rear Tire:
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190/55 ZR17
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Front Brakes:
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KIBS, Brembo dual semi-floating 330mm discs with dual radial mounted
Monobloc M50 4-piston calipers
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Rear Brakes:
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KIBS-controlled, single 220mm disc with aluminum single-piston caliper
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Rake:
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25.0°
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Trail:
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4.2 in.
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Overall Length:
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82.3 in.
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Overall Width:
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29.1 in.
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Overall Height:
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45.1 in.
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Ground Clearance:
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5.7 in.
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Seat Height:
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32.9 in.
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Curb Weight:
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454.2 lbs. (claimed, curb)
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Fuel Capacity:
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4.5 gal.
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Wheelbase:
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56.7 in.
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Color:
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Flat Ebony
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Warranty:
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12-Month Limited Warranty
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Kawasaki Protection Plus
(optional):
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12, 24, 36 or 48 months
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To read this in Cycle News Digital Edition, click HERE
For more Kawasaki motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
For more Cycle News Sport Bike motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
