Dialing in an additional quarter turn of high- and low-speed
compression damping, plus a half turn of rebound into the shock, I found the
front end settled down nicely and the issues were cured. Because the bike
pitched less it was less physically demanding to ride, and the front-end push
was gone too. Sweeping through turns the ZX-10R never got out of shape and gave
excellent feedback. What I was left with was a shockingly fast, supremely smooth
and yet easy to ride motorcycle.
On the front straight and optimistically trying to emulate the
MotoGP superstars, I tried to brake at the beginning point of the candy-stripe
curbing. It looks easy on TV, but with almost 180 on the clock and a tight-ish
hairpin turn to follow, I simply could not get my head to follow my heart, even
though the new Tokico brakes with 310mm wave rotors (up from 300mm last year)
worked flawlessly. The new aluminum rotor carriers weigh less, saving critical
unsprung weight. The calipers now use two pads instead of four for increased
initial bite. Applying a healthy handful of braking slowed the 394-pound machine
in time for me to make it into the tight Turn 1. The excellent slipper clutch
gave me plenty of engine braking without causing any chatter or rear-wheel hop
under severe downshifting.Designer Keishi Fukumoto’s angular styling treatments and
high-tail stance give the ZX-10R an aggressive look with an aerodynamic package
that works exceptionally well. In the high-speed windblast, I could easily tuck
in behind the windshield; even Losail’s notorious afternoon crosswind did not
upset the bike.
 The Ninja’s ergonomics also play an integral part in Kawasaki’s
quest to give the rider better feel. With several improved contact points
between the rider and bike, I felt completely comfortable as key touch points on
the gas tank, frame sides and the seat rear combined to give me feedback on how
the machine was behaving. Gripping the tank with my knees under hard braking
into the two hairpin turns was less fatiguing, helped stabilize the machine, and
gave me confidence in what was happening with the front Pirelli. Kawasaki’s efforts to create a controllable precision
instrument with maximum power have clearly paid off. Its outstanding new Ninja
ZX-10R is a compact package with superbike power—a spectacularly capable
motorcycle that I felt at one with. As Pirelli so eloquently say: "Power is
nothing without control." Kawasaki has achieved exactly that. www.kawasaki.com
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