It didn’t take long for Kawasaki’s original Ninja ZX-10R sportbike to earn a reputation for dominating horsepower and excellent handling. The second generation ZX-10R continues that domination, featuring a racetrack-focused chassis and more horsepower than any other open-class supersport. Street riders and backroad enthusiasts will also appreciate the ZX-10R’s solid stability and predictable handling, thanks to its superb engineering.
At its core, the Ninja ZX-10R is a motorcycle built for the accomplished rider who can fully appreciate its capabilities—whether put to the test at a racetrack, or merely the focus of bench-racing conversation. It is, by all standards, the embodiment of the ultimate superbike.
Key Features
• Incredible Power-to-Weight Ratio
• Race-Oriented Performance
• Track-Tuned Handling
• Aggressive Aerodynamic Styling
998cc Four-Cylinder, DOHC Engine
• Very compact, narrow and lightweight design
• The upper crankcase and cylinder are a one-piece casting, which is more than two pounds lighter than using a separate cylinder and offers increased rigidity. A slanted casting process rotates the piece during casting to eliminate imperfections and excess casting material
• Channels in the case mounting surfaces route oil to various parts of the engine, eliminating oil lines and saving weight
• Crank axis, input shaft and output shaft create a stacked triangular layout that reduces engine length and lowers the center of gravity
• Narrow engine design allows excellent ground clearance for 52 degrees of lean angle
• Round (not cam-shaped) throttle pulley provides low throttle resistance and combines with revised ECU mapping to provide linear transitional power characteristics when the rider gets back on the gas coming out of a turn. Ultra-fine atomizing fuel injectors aid combustion efficiency and power output
• Lightweight Denso radiator has tightly packed cores for optimum cooling
• A high-efficiency, liquid-cooled aluminum oil cooler uses specially designed internal fins to dissipate heat and cool the oil
Four-Valve Cylinder Head
• Compact valve train reduces cylinder head height
• Intake ports and coolant passages developed using flow analysis for efficient cylinder filling and more power, and maximum cooling efficiency
• Camshafts are carved from forged chromoly billet, which is more than one-half pound lighter than cast cams. The cams and tappets are treated with soft nitriding to prevent galling and seizing with the aggressive, high lift profiles
• Single valve springs with oval cross sections are light and lower to reduce overall cylinder head height
• Forged sintered aluminum spring retainers are half the weight of steel retainers and allow higher rpm
Forged Pistons
• Forged pistons are lighter, stronger and more heat resistant than cast versions. Flat-top design matches the compact combustion chamber and improves combustion efficiency
Ram Air Induction
• Central ram air duct produces a straighter path to the airbox for maximum intake efficiency and provides the mounting surface for the instrument panel, eliminating brackets and weight
• Flow analysis used to design efficient ducts to the airbox that also prevent water from reaching the air filter
• Compact airbox and air cleaner are highly efficient and contribute to the compact riding position
TCBI Ignition with Digital Advance
• High-speed 32-bit ECU processor provides precise engine management
• Spark plug-mounted ignition coils are compact and help reduce weight
Titanium Exhaust with Butterfly Valve
• All-titanium system provides the ultimate light weight exhaust
• Butterfly valve, located before the exhaust splits to the mufflers, is controlled by rpm, throttle position and gear position to improve low-end response and help smooth overall power. Optimum exhaust tuning is attained at all engine speeds to prevent blowback that can occur with high speed overlapping valve timing
Six-Speed Transmission
• The splines on the transmission shafts are barrel ground so the gears slide smoothly for improved shift action
• Close ratio transmission increases circuit performance
• A back-torque limiting clutch automatically disengages the clutch under hard braking and deceleration to prevent rear wheel hop during corner entry. Optional springs, spring retainers and shims are available to fine-tune the clutch for specific conditions
Aluminum Twin Spar Backbone Frame
• Combination of pressed and cast aluminum components are welded to form the twin-spar backbone-type frame. • By combining cast and pressed pieces frame weight is kept to a minimum while still providing high strength and stability with responsive handling
• Twin-spar backbone design provides 600cc class width
• Die-cast, one-piece subframe is strong and light
• Chassis features optimum center of gravity for easy roll response, this is particularly important when riding through a series of esses or returning to vertical as the rider exits a corner
Uni-Trak Rear Suspension
• Short, compact frame allows the swingarm to be longer, which makes it easier to control rear wheel powerslides
• Rear shock is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping. Ride height can be adjusted by adding/removing optional 1mm shims at the upper shock mount
• Equipped with top-out spring that allows the rear wheel to better follow the road surface when the rear end is light due to hard braking
• Small piggyback shock reservoir is designed to save weight
43mm Inverted Cartridge Front Fork
• Kayaba 43mm inverted cartridge fork provides exceptional rigidity
• Equipped with top-out springs which allow the front wheel to better follow the road surface when the front end is light due to hard acceleration
• Stiff settings suitable for track use
• Fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping
Aluminum Wheels
• Six-spoke cast aluminum wheels are practically as light as race-specific wheels. The six-spoke design requires much less material between spokes so that rim thickness is thinner and lighter
