I’ve changed my mind about 1000cc sports bikes. Of late my view has been jaded, musing about the virtues of having a machine that is effectively too powerful to use anywhere near the limit, concluding that whilst they are not exactly pointless (there are still homologation issues for racing) they are not at all practical for the average punter seeking day to day usage. They can get you into trouble if you are not totally focussed and they leave you wishing you could have got more out of them. However having ridden the latest ZX10R, I’ve been forced to re-evaluate my views; it’s a mad and bad piece of kit, a very naughty pleasure.
I thought the Fireblade was quick (and it is), but the Ten seems to up the ante, it feels devastatingly quick. It’s not that it is much quicker, it’s just the way that you get there I think is the difference. Whereas the Honda will do anything you wish it to, it doesn’t stroke your misplaced ego into pushing and pushing. If you wanna go slowly, the Honda will go slow and remain tight lipped, it doesn’t goad you into a rev hungry wanderlust. It has manners and subtlety. The Kawasaki ZX-10R however though a similar machine on paper is a relentless and urgent device of exotic metals and sleek plastic with a harsh voice and mischievous throttle.
I read somewhere that a road tester in one of the mainstream mags likened it to a 500GP bike he had ridden from a few short years ago. He reckoned the ZX10R was very close to the 500 mark. Having never ridden a 500GP stroker (I do not move in such esteemed circles), I can’t say if I agree or not, but what I do know is that this bike could very easily become habit forming, riding it was addictive, and I only covered 170 miles in 24 hours, but what a 170 miles.
Apparently, this bike is a meld of it’s direct predecessors best traits. The first ‘C’ model was a bloody handful, it was the new loony toons for the early 21st century motorcyclist, those who wanted thrills and didn’t mind the odd heart stopping moment punctuating the aggressive style you tended to adopt whilst onboard this little number.
I can’t lie despite my fondness for the marque the twin piper ‘D’ model, looked in my opinion rubbish, with the wheelbarrow-esque mufflers and the odd looking front end, it was however apparently a much easier bike to ride at hoon levels than the ‘C’ models. I’m not sure that it sold at all well in comparison to it’s peers, so Kawasaki as it appears is the way with the Japanese factories, refreshed the Ten for 2008 once again.
They got the power right, and the handling right and the looks pretty bang on to my mind; it was just the power delivery that they had to work on to feed the lascivious habits of the Kawasakisti. And that they got that bang on also.
It’s hard to describe the way this bike makes you feel when riding. Like you know you are on a proper 'f*ck off', take no prisoners sports bike. The bike though conforming to Euro emissions crazy law whatever it is growls with intent. All you see is time and speed melting otherwise perfect roadside detail into smears of history. Look down for a brief second, just to check I’m within the speed limits
The top yoke is chiselled, the fork tops are fat, the numbers just build in their floating digi inset panel, as the needle winds up the tricolour rev counter, the neck muscles take a battering, ensconced firmly in a positive crouch, more of the same drug. Wind it up, lean it in like you’re riding on the shoulders of a giant with seven league boots on.
It’s not the light hearted grin of a ride on a street fighter that you’ve thrashed senseless around the lanes this is more a tight lipped race track last lap in the lead smile, 'I’ll save the grinning broadly for when I pass the finish line'.
The job at hand is 'more revs, more urgency, more, more, give me more'.
I honestly think this is the fastest sports bike I have ever ridden. It’s addictive, and, naturally I want one. A green and black one. Wonder what can I sell to junkie fix getting one?
I’m no expert however and thankfully the little voice in the back of my head keeps the worst excess’s of wanton hedonism at bay.
Surely this is just enthusiastic purple prose? Well the salesman did listen patiently for at least five minutes whilst I raved about the grip, the handling the urgency etc, but finally I had to gasp for air which is when he interjected and told me to stop shouting and give him the keys back, grinning broadly and reminding me that he had told me so.
Whilst filling up on both separate occasions, I was approached by the curious, one of whom professed to own a ‘C’ model, but was tempted to purchase the new model, firing questions at me showing an unconscious commitment to go and purchase one. I also told a pal who owns two ‘C’ models who I believe was genuinely interested to hear of my experiences, (he’d drunk a quantity of wine so was feeling laid back). His bikes were getting a little tired after repeated track day abuse including a large rebuild bill after one particular episode at Silverstone and lengthy road riding of his other one which by his own admission needed a bit of a ‘lamb up’ so he thought he might check the new one out, apparently he rung the salesman later that afternoon.
Good boy Turps, you know it makes absolute sense. Errm… Oh yes I was trying to be constructive and not witter on.
Well it’s not just a ravenous lime road eating giant veloceraptor of a motorcycle; it has all the technical stuff to back up the purple words.
Up front very cool 43mm black nitrided upside downers (or the new nomenclature DLC –diamond like carbon) with incredible amounts of adjustment that I didn’t have the time to absorb, but the standard set up was certainly firm (remarkably so more than the Blade I thought) for a middle aged git approaching 14 stone. Black mono bloc calipers gripped now standard fare petal discs containing dual opposed pads (as opposed to individual ones) set on slender spoked, fat rimmed gloss black wheels factory trimmed with green coach lines. None of your pony aftermarket stuff for a fiver and put on cackhandedly with a chisel, the wheels are definitely a visible feature and a focal point.
The chassis is matt black and as muscular and purposeful looking as previous models, fat at the points where your knees grip and augmented by some hard wearing grip pads tapering to the swing arm pivot which then draws your eyes to the girt swing arm itself in matching matt black, its subtle in colour only, the actual unit is large and purposeful. The engineers have even managed to build some flex into the whole construction apparentley I had no issue with the chassis or the suspension, it felt firm and I’m sure would have really come into its own had I ripped up the envelope as opposed to merely pushing it.
The standard Ohlins damper tells its own story, without one it would no doubt have been an even wilder animal. The rear shocker is adjustable for low and high speed, which I’m told is a first for a road bike. Combine all these high spec bitz with Pirelli Diablo Corsa tyres and if you’re not having fun, then you definitely have no soul, passion or trying remotely hard enough. This bike isn’t for you. Don’t buy one until you’ve passed your hooligan exams!
The grip was phenomenal for road riding and like the Honda it went where you thought it. Leaving more time to twist the throttle.
Unlike the Fireblade, the front profile of the ten is positively aquiline and hawk like, the shape is sculpted, the whole of the bodywork is much more defined than the smooth lined Honda which was most pleasing to the eye and I have to say made the bike look more diminutive and sleeker than the Ten, just different.
Whereas the Honda I rode was almost executive in its rich metallic Ruby livery, the Ten was bright neon green and black, it was not subtle.
There are a few bits I don’t like on the ZX-10, the mirrors and front indicators are pig ugly and something needs to be said. Why can they design some much svelter units as an aftermarket accessory when the mere adoption of these units would hugely enhance the face of the bike? The upside is that you can actually see out of them. It may be fancy, but have the manufacturers been addressing this 'can’t see Jack behind me except my shoulders' issue?
I don’t know why they bother with pillion seats on these bikes; I can’t remember the last time I saw a passenger being carried on a bike of this extreme nature, other than a popular video clip viral of fat bottomed girls with nothing but a short skirt around their ribs to hide any modesty they thought they had. Only in Americ!
I mean would you choose to travel any length of time three and a half feet off the ground with a poor excuse for a seat pad stuck up your rear cleft and kneecaps scraping the wax from your ears, what do you cling onto for gods sake other than dear life as the pilot momentarily forgets he’s got a passenger and violently attacks his favourite corner? Anyway it is the rider’s duty to dissuade everybody and anybody to accompany him on his solo voyages. And his first purchase should be a colour matched solo seat cowl.
The exhaust muffler is also pretty standard, generally on any bike of this ilk, it’s pretty much all you see of the exhaust system, the manifold hides behind a huge radiator and the mid section sits behind the belly pan, so why not make it attractive? The Ten’s muffler doesn’t quite look part of the design, it has a cheap looking shield and really is the only thing other than the mirrors that I don’t like, unlike the Fireblade’s exquisitely engineered outlet which melds with the overall lines of the bike.
I could fill the article with serious commentary on the flat type fuel pump which has allowed fuel tank capacity to remain unchanged, an increased litrage for the airbox, a straighter path for the rammed air either side of the headstock, new two piece frame construction, new shock mounting linkage, Titanium valves and reshaped intake ports for high revving ability. The Back-torque slipper clutch for harder downshifts through the revised gearbox, tweaked electronics for even sharper throttle control, it even features apparently a rib under the throttle grip for enhanced feel, but all the tech spec would take ages to repeat and to explain and the salient features are available elsewhere.
The main objective was rider feedback and enhanced performance that would be agreeable to further tune if taken on track. That objective I would say has been achieved.
Word of warning, small objects may oscillate on mantelpieces as you pass, small birds and young chillun may get sucked into the ram air mouthpiece passing through the frame to be torn apart in the maelstrom of the airbox before being vaporised and spat out as carbon particulate several miles behind. You may have to buy several pairs of tyres and brake pads every other month, the local garage community will undoubtedly thrive on your petroleum buying habits, you may wish to consider a more pleasing muffler adorned with well known monikers from WSB, you will undoubtedly be a mass murderer of insect life, so renounce Buddhism immediately, there is no room onboard for frippery and luxury, buy your lunch at your destination, there’s no room for a pack of sarnies. You may find yourself talking uncontrollably down the pub, your friends may leave you as the habit takes hold, however to indulge in some light hearted shadenfreude it’s probably cheaper to run than an Italian bike….!
Huge thanx to Mickman and Alfred for the opportunity Check ‘em out here www.alfsmotorcycles.co.uk Doby Trutcenden 12.5.08
