My initial impression review of the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10r
One of my passions in life, beyond building websites and running my Internet company, is motorcycles. I’ve been an avid motorcyclist since I was 18 years old, and today I ride on the racetrack, I teach MSF courses at the DMV, I sometimes teach at the Dover Air Force Base, and I also now am certified to teach Riders Edge classes at Mike’s Famous Harley Davidson dealerships. I decided that my blog should be about more of my passions than just web design, so I will enter news, reviews, tips and info on motorcycling that may benefit my friends that ride. My first motocycle-related post will be about the 2011 ZX-10R, a bike that is near the top of the supersport class this year.
I stopped into Diamond Motor Sports in Dover, Delaware to spend my lunch hour checking out the latest bikes that they have, and to talk to the staff at the dealership about some new products. While I was there, they offered to let me take the ZX-10R out for a test drive. Diamond usually doesn’t allow test rides of brand new superbikes by just anyone. I’m lucky because they know that I teach the advanced sportbike classes for MSF, and I have also done some track days at New Jersey Motorsports Park with Stew, the dealership manager. So with a big smile, I took the new black ZX-10R with the optional race ABS out for a quick spin.
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The new 2011 ZX-10R
My old 2004 ZX-10R
I used to own a 2004 ZX-10R, which was the first year that Kawasaki created a modern literbike for the track that was deadly serious. It was a fearsome motorcycle that (after my modifications) laid down 163HP at the rear tire, and it weighed just over 400lbs. It had a very short wheelbase (swingarm was too short), so it would wheelie everywhere. And the engine was so powerful that it had two major hits of power that happened at about 7,000RPM and also at 10,000RPM. This was a serious problem when you were exiting a corner and getting on the gas, because it would want to spin the rear tire and spit you off. The transmission on that ’04 model was also VERY notchy, and it would come out of 4th gear on its own from time to time when ridden very hard. The driveline lash of the 2004 was also something I will never forget, because going on long rides that involved heavy traffic meant that I would be riding a bucking bronco from stoplight to stoplight. That 2004 ZX-10R was a complete handful to ride, and it demanded your full attention all the time or you would get thrown off. I loved it. But I am glad I had not yet gotten serious about track riding at the time that I owned it. One of my online friends took his to the track and ended up with many rods in his hip and his legs. The 2004 was not for the beginning rider. It was a total expert bike that was still a challenge to ride. Kawasaki made the subsequent models longer, heavier, and less powerful. The new 2011 bike is a total redesign from the ground-up to get Kawi back to the razor edge.
The 2004 ZX-10R
My current bike is a 2008 CBR1000RR that is totally setup for the track by Speedwerks, the best local speed shop here in Delaware. The CBR has a full Akrapovic exhaust, a Traxxion Dynamics fork kit with gas cartridges that sells for $2500. It has a K-Tech rear shock on it that sells for $1700. I has a power commander V, with auto-tune and quick shifter. It is a badass track bike. So I have my current bike’s performance and suspension fresh in my mind, and also lots of mileage on the ’04 ZX-10R to compare them both to this new ZX-10R. Roadracing World magazine just did a review of the BMW S1000RR and compared it against the new ZX-10R and the CBR1000RR. The 2011 ZX-10R won. This is a big deal, because the new S1000RR is the top dog superbike for the last two years with the most raw power and top speed available. Here is the cover of the magazine:
So, how does she ride? The answer will probably surprise you as much as it surprised me.
Ergonomics:
The bike looks low and long compared to my CBR1000RR because of the long nose, but the CBR is a very tall and short bike to begin with, which adds to the feeling of this bike being longer. But it isn’t really longer, that is just an illusion. The bar reach and overall feel of the ergos are very nice. I didn’t feel any unwanted weight on my wrists because I am used to supersport bikes and it just felt very natural to me. Most of the top sportbikes are now all very close in ergonomics, so there wasn’t anything that stood out here.
The transmission – best I have ever ridden
The thing that stood out right away that had me saying “wow” in my helmet was not the power, electronics, handling or anything like that. It was the TRANSMISSION. All that nasty notchy feeling of the 2004 was completely gone. Gear shifts were short-throw, positive clicks that went right into gear with little effort. Kawasaki engineers must have spent a lot of time undercutting the gears and designing this transmission to be the best one out there – and it is. The bike shifts better than my CBR1000RR, which is saying a LOT and this is a huge compliment. Hondas have always been known for their smooth shifting transmissions and Kawasakis have been known for their strong motors and notchy transmissions. This transmission is other worldly and I can’t say enough about it. I was stunned at how good it is. It was a disappointment to go back to the CBR and shift it compared to this bike.
Driveline Lash
All of that terrible slop in the drivetrain that plagued by 2004 was COMPLETELY gone. Some of that might be the fact that it was prepped with the chain that is setup just a little too taught (because they stretch and the bike is new), but the transmission gear slop and the rear wheel cush drive slop is not there. It is simply built much better than the 2004. Shifting in traffic was more enjoyable that it is on my CBR. I also forgot how nice it is to have that “positive neutral finder” feature that Kawi has on all their sportbikes – you click her down into 1st gear, and then a hard pull up won’t go past neutral into 2nd. It just goes right into neutral, which is great.
The power
The bike is very strong, and I had it into triple digits pretty quickly on a deserted back road to see what she could do. The delivery of the power is very different from other bikes that I have riden. The power delivery is so flat, and so linear, that it is almost boring. If a 180HP superbike’s power can be called “boring”, that is a pretty bold statement. So let me clarify that statement.. There is no “hit” with the power. It is a steady climb that pulls predictably hard and reliably all the way up to redline. And guess what? When you are shopping for a bike for the track, that is EXACTLY what you want. You want to be able to roll on the throttle leaving turns without upsetting the chassis or introducing too much wheelspin. I had the power mode set to “F” for full power, but there are two other modes for low and medium power that are useful in wet conditions.
Traction Control
One of the coolest features of this bike is a race-oriented traction control system that can potentially let you spin the rear tire a bit leaving turns, without as much worry of high-siding yourself into the weeds. I had the traction control set to “1″, which is the least amount of traction control you can set it for without turning the TC off entirely. I didn’t have a chance to push it to the point where I could feel it kick in. Perhaps if I get a chance to ride this bike on the track I will be able to say more about the TC, but I would have to buy it first. 
The handling
Another major leap forward. The geometry of the front of the bike is extremely well developed. The bars are very neutral and there is little to no bar pressure required to change directions. It actually flicks from side to side faster and with less effort than my CBR. It is pretty dramatic, and I think part of that has to do with the fact that the ZX-10R has been prepped with street pressures in the tires (35-36psi), whereas my CBR is setup with about 30psi rear and 32 front for agressive riding. That little bit of a pressure change can make a big difference in turn-in feel, but the neutral bar pressure and speed at which it flicks from side to side are incredible. So the feel of countersteering through a fast turn was effortless and a joy.
Uncorking the Genie
It isn’t fair to compare the roll-on midrange power of my current CBR to the ZX-10R because my CBR has a full race exhaust, PCV, and auto-tune with an oxygen sensor. However, it is clear that the potential for this new ZX-10R bike is truly immense, when you consider that an updated fuel map and a slip-on pipe will yield as much as 18 additional horsepower. You can read about that here: http://blogs.superstreetbike.com/6731637/motorcycle-reviews/2011-kawasaki-zx-10r/index.html. There are reports of 2011 ZX-10Rs on the various Ninja forums online stating that they are achieving 200HP at the rear wheel without major engine modifications.
Conclusion
With advanced electronics that include wheelie control, traction control, three power modes, with race ABS brakes, with its 180HP and fantastic transmission, the razor sharp handling, and the overall platform for building an amazing track weapon, this bike is extremely impressive. The price is also very competitive when compared with the BMW S1000RR, Ducati 1098SE, the Aprilia RSV4, the KTM RC8R, and other top superbikes. Kawasaki’s world superbike team has a paultry budget when compared to companies such as Honda and BMW, so race results only tell part of the story. This motorcycle represents a major leap for Kawasaki and also the technology of the top superbikes in its class. A big thank you to Diamond Motor Sports for trusting me with a test ride on this beautiful bike.
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