|
|
 |
Accelerated Curves
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kawasaki ZX-10
Doug Polen
12/01/2003
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Photograph by Cordero Studios/corderostudios.com
|
A funny thing happened to me on the way to the racetrack, or so it
goes. Recently, on my way to Thunderhill Park Raceway in Northern
California, I decided to visit the Monterey Peninsula and say hello to my friend
Dan Kyle of Kyle Racing Engines. In a conversation about what’s new, Dan showed
me the daily ride he’s using to get back and forth between home and shop. At
first look, in the dark confines of the shop, I thought it was merely a cleaned
up Kawasaki ZX-10. Then the lights turned on and the abundant titanium, carbon
fiber and special parts grabbed my attention. As soon as Dan suggested I take it
to the track and see what it could do, the bike was loaded into the truck and I
was headed north before he even said goodbye.
Photography by Cordero Studios. (Click images to enlarge)
The next morning as I suited up
at Thunderhill, I took a closer look at everything that was changed, added or
removed from the standard Kawasaki ZX-10. First, the parts that Dan used are
equivalent to one and a half times the price of the bike. The BST carbon fiber
wheels and Brembo brakes alone are over $7,000. Suspension is provided by
race-proven Ohlins and engine management is handled by Dynojet with an Arata
Titanium exhaust system. Many other tidbits are used in lieu of the heavier
standard pieces, all the way down to the Sato Titanium side stand.
After a
quick technical once-over on the bike and the rider’s meeting with the Pacific
Track Time staff, I was out on the track, warming up the tires. After a couple
of laps, it was time to put this thing to the test. Engine power was fantastic
and made accelerating from corner to corner a breeze. The best part of liter
horsepower is having a flat torque curve, which translates into strong
acceleration at any rpm. Kyle’s creation produces 165 bhp at the rear wheel
which, remarkably, is over 30 more than my World Championship–winning Superbike
produced back in 1992.
Handling characteristics are top shelf. Kawasaki’s
ZX-10 chassis design is more compact than its little brother, the ZX-6. This
means that stopping, change of direction and the overall feel of the bike is
quick and agile. Dan makes a good situation even better with the use of carbon
fiber wheels. This drastically reduces the gyroscopic inertia of the wheels,
making the change of direction so effortless and fast, I found myself turning
into corners too soon. A couple of laps to adjust for this and I was able to
carve up riders like a razor-sharp snake. Handling this quick requires precise
suspension to limit input into the chassis. The Ohlins suspension is identical
to that used in racing, so the bumps and elevation changes of Thunderhill are
smoothed and controlled perfectly.
Riding around all day on the Dunlop D218s
was consistent no matter what the temperature. I found the limit of the tires
very quickly with the Kyle ZX-10. The stopping power of the Brembo Monoblock
calipers was more than adequate for any amount of braking for which I took
advantage of on many occasions. Just as soon as I passed someone on the brakes
into a corner, the throttle was back on and I was leaving autographs all around
the track. Long, thick, smooth strips of black rubber on the exits of every
corner was evidence that I, and something very special, had been
circulating.
Photograph by Dito Milian.
At the end of the day, I thought to myself, the last time I had
that much fun riding, the FIM was handing me a World Championship Medal. Thanks,
Dan.
831.394.1330 | www.kyleusa.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}