Specifications
Model Code: ZX1000D6F
Engine Type: 4-Stroke, 4-Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled, DOHC, 4 Valve Cylinder Head
Displacement: 998 cc
Bore & Stroke 76.0 x 55.0 mm
Maximum power: 128.7kW {175 PS} / 11,700 rpm
Maximum power with RAM Air : 135.3 {184 PS} / 11,700 rpm
Maximum Torque: 115 N-m @ 9,500 rpm
Compression Ratio: 12.7:1
Fuel Injection: DFI with Mikuni 43mm Throttle Bodies (4)
Ignition: TCBI with Digital Advance
Transmission: 6-Speed
Final Drive: X-Ring Chain
Dimensions (L x W x H): 2,065 mm x 705 mm x 1,130 mm
Rake/Trail: 24.5° / 102 mm
Front Wheel Travel: 120 mm
Rear Wheel Travel: 125 mm
Front Tire Size: 120/70 ZR17M/C
Rear Tire Size: 190/55 ZR17M/C
Wheelbase: 1,390 mm
Front Suspension: 43mm Inverted Cartridge Fork with Adjustable
Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping
Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak with Adjustable Preload, Stepless
Rebound and Compression Damping, Ride Height
Front Brake Type: Dual Floating 300mm Petal Discs with
4-Piston Radial-Mount Calipers
Rear Brake Type: Single 220mm Petal Disc
Fuel Tank Capacity: 17 liters
Seat Height: 825mm
Dry Weight: 175kgs
Complies to EU emission limit EURO 3
Color: Lime Green/Flat Sonic Black, Ebony, Pearl Solar Yellow
Specifications are wonderful things, but let me put the numbers into real world terms. Just because it’s much more fun.
This machine will go above 150kph, more than the maximum speed limit in many countries, in it’s very first gear. The bike has more horsepower than a Cessna 172R light aircraft. That’s right, something with two seats, doors, levers, wings, and defeats the pull of earths gravity. When a 747 leaves the ground at about 270 kph the 10R will still be accelerating.
You can wheelie in third gear, if you’ve ever wanted to ride a bug eyed green unicycle at 200kph that is.
In the 1930s the Germans produced a 6 ton tank by the name of the “Panzer I”, and the Soviets produced the 9.4 ton “T-26”. These tanks have less torque and horsepower than the ‘06 ZX-10R; combined. Isn’t progress a marvelous thing. Now no doubt right now you’re thinking, "Yeah sure but those tanks are old!". And you’d be right my friends, but consider this, Honda’s Turbo VTX 1800 with a displacement of 1,795cc and a turbo charger produces less power than the 10R.
With the same size as most 600cc bikes handling is nimble, nimble like a young Bruce Lee appointed professor of Spry at Oxford. Fantastic brakes, some have said the best ever, and apparently you need it on this thing given how often you’ll look at the number floating in the speedometer and think to yourself “bugger, that’s illegal��.
It breaks the quarter mile time to under 10 seconds when fully stock from the showroom floor, and damn near breaks through to under 9 with race fuel and a little work to ignition/injection mapping from what I’ve heard, can’t confirm, but would enjoy testing.
A Ferrari Enzo will cost you well over half a million dollars and can’t get below 11, nor can it match the 10R’s 0-100 time. It does have room for golf clubs though.
Apparently Kawasaki is becoming serious about AMA Superbike and so the changes to the 2006 10R model have been made with only one intention, to be the fastest bike on the track while maintaining a road legal status. The 10R has been bred of pure racing stock, wind tunnel testing for optimal aerodynamics led to a new exhaust system and front end with revised ram air duct, the Ohlins race grade steering damper, and much more. It’s the most comprehensive overhaul the bike has seen since it was released in 2004 displacing the much loved ZX-9R.
The 9R had 150 horses and weighed 186kgs provided a power to weight ratio of 0.8 HP/kg, significantly better than the McLaren F1 at 0.6HP / kg, but not even close to the 1.051 HP/kg output from the ZX-10R’s power plant (yes, that means over 1050 bhp per ton).
As it weights in at 175kgs the press release tagline of "More power, less weight" would seem hard to justify as the ‘04/’05 models weighed in at 170kgs and power output has not increased. I’d have to guess it’s because of the increased flywheel mass and possibly the exhaust system. Those things combined provide for better stability and aerodynamics. This means it handles better and theoretically has more power at higher speeds, the new exhaust system is part of the reason mid range power is improved. Not a bad trade off really but once again it shows never believe anything you read in marketing material.
Now, I’ve found during the course of my limited affairs with motorcycles that the same three phases always occur with the arrival of a new bike. And these I’ve known to be true from my 250cc farm bike which caused many of my first manly scars, to the 400cc Suzuki which almost cost me my left testicle, up until my 600cc Kawasaki which gave me my first taste of road-rash.
Phase I; when I sit on a bike and I know I need to treat it with a combination of respect, and mortal fear. Simply placing the key in the ignition forces the question, "You sure about this?". Partly the fear I have stems from a paranoid anxiety about accidentally giving it too much power and having the bike come out from under me, and partly I’m terrified of doing something stupid like dropping my brand new bike at the lights while a bunch of on-lookers stare and laugh at me. Sort of like those dreams where you turn up to work with no pants.
Phase II; when I’m comfortable with the bike, "comfortable" being the best word to describe it. This happens anywhere from a month to a year after I’ve been riding it and I’m happy the horn button doesn’t blow it sky high and that leaning over a bit doesn’t result in all our nuclear war. Comfortable means I’m happy I can push it and if it tries to bite me I can control it. It’s normally at some point into this phase that I feel the need for a new bike, something with a little more poke. This phase took a while going from a 250 dirt bike to my first 400cc road bike. But the move to the 600 was only fraught with a couple of weeks of feeling awkward.
Phase III; Mastering the bike, you can ride anywhere including the track with confidence, you can push it to the limits without fear, and with control. Now maybe it’s because I am impatient, or perhaps just circumstance, but I never make it into this phase.
At the 1000cc level I would hope this should be where my childish desire for more power wains, and a devotion to improving my skill so as to correctly wield the available power overtakes.
Today I called my dealer, he told me my bike had arrived. I had to leave work early and go down to see them. After handing in my old bike and signing the paper work I made sure to get full insurance before even sitting on it. I’ve been waiting so long for this moment and I would just die if anything happened to her.
The dealer took me outside to explain a few things about the new bike, and while he’s telling me things like "there is no reserve switch because it’s automatic", I was more concerned with just starting it up and hearing it. When he hit the ignition switch my first thought was it sounded a lot like my friend’s Ducati 999, the second being, "heheh cooool". Yes, ever so childish, but you have to understand that this moment was akin to all my Christmases from age 9-14 coming at once. A lovely chunky growl, not overly loud when idling, just wreaking of potential. I walked around the back and put my hand over the exhaust, I could feel the pulsing of the hot air from the twin exhausts pushing at my hand like the breath of a panting wolf out for a kill.. Time to get on..
While I was pulling out onto the road the final word of advice from the dealer was, "the tires are new and slippery, be careful! I pulled into the traffic and took off very gingerly.
I didn’t breath for the next 38 seconds. And I only started again because I knew passing out would mean large amounts of damage to the bike. I also didn’t manage to turn for about three kilometers missing my turn in the process because I was just too scared of hitting something. Lots of traffic and I wasn’t sure how steep she pulls yet. Eventually I just decided what I needed to do in order to be comfortable was make friends with my new bike. I heard she likes to go fast, and that she loves to corner, so I started with the straight line. I did not break 6,000 rpm, not because I wanted to take it easy, but because that was enough to break the speed limit in a few seconds. At this rate the bike was smoothly pulling me along at a greater pace than my trusty ‘01 6R ever had. How smooth is it? Well, think of the Teflon coated silk stomach lining of the great African Velvet beast having itself a soapy bath.
The next part of our little discourse was the cornering, into our first corner and it was the most natural feeling. Perfectly smooth, she just leaned over calmly, took the mild bend, then sat herself back up before I even realized I had asked her to do so. Then I found myself knowingly chuckling maniacally inside my helmet at the next lights as I prepped for take off.
I rode home, not because I wanted to but because I needed to swap out the passenger seat with the rear cowl I picked up. It had previously been taped to the back of the bike, and whilst having a medium sized cardboard box on the back made me look like the coolest courier in town, I didn’t feel it helped me get a good feel for her. After the cowl was firmly attached I fed the dog… Then I sat down for roughly 11 seconds before making up an excuse to go back out. My siren was calling to me.
I spent a couple of hours making my way indiscriminately through the streets of Tokyo looking for corners, and things to overtake. I did not change out of first gear the entire time because, well, I thought going three times the speed limit in heavy traffic was pushing it a bit.
I ate sections of road between lights, I rumbled past flowing traffic as if they were parked. I was the road runner, only meaner, and way more green.
When the evening Tokyo traffic was too congested to have any real fun, and the heavy clutch was causing pain in my left wrist I called it a day. This wrist problem wasn’t a fault of the bike though, I damaged my wrist a couple of years back and have never had it properly seen to.
Tomorrow I shall be up early to take her to the office, there is a nice corner at an intersection called kokkai ( 国会 ), it’s near the emperors palace and is a fast sweeping right hander. At said corner I have come very close to breaking 100kph on my 6R a few times and feel I’m improving. Knowing how much more confident I am on the new 10R it should, with any luck, bring me a new record.
I’ll need to wait until the rain ends and it would be a smart idea to wear in the new tires first…..
