Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R 30th Anniversary Edition review

 We all know that superbikes such as the ZX-10R are speed demons on the track from their many outings in racing series around the world. But how does such a bike handle the mundane and everyday commute? With no track access to speak of, that was the plan for my week long ownership of the 30th Anniversary Edition of the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.

On tap from the 998cc inline four is a slightly insane max power of 154.4kW (207Hp) with 114.3 Nm of torque, enough to propel the ZX-10R to warp speed in less time than it takes to blink.

Transferring that astonishing amount of power to the rear wheel is Kawasaki’s fantastic cassette style gearbox. While not matched with a quick shifter from the factory like newer bikes in the class, the 6-speed ‘box is quick to shift  and clutchless shifts are incredibly smooth when gripping the clutch gets tiring after sitting in traffic too long.

Helping to control all that power and keep the rubber on the road is three power maps and Kawasaki’s brilliant K-TRC traction control.

On the dull commute up and down the motorway I naturally selected the low power map to ensure if I sneezed I wouldn’t accidentally shoot myself into somebody’s rear bumper. In low power mode throttle control becomes easier to modulate, while peak power is lowered to approximately 60% of total peak power - that’s still nothing to sneeze at as it is still well over the 100 Hp mark.

Also making sure the ZX-10R makes it around corners without flying off the edge is a host of updated parts. Starting with the aluminium twin-spar frame - which consists of only 7 pieces for fewer welds and greater stiffness - Kawasaki has reconfigured geometry so the center of gravity has been lowered 4mm while a steeper rake of 25 degrees and shorter trail contribute to more flickable handling.

Forks are 43mm Big Piston (BPF) units supplied by Showa with rebound and compression damping, and spring preload adjustability, while out back bumps are absorbed by a fully adjustable monoshock with external reservoir. There’s also an updated Ohlins electronic steering damper to prevent buttock clenching tank slappers on rough Kiwi roads.

In an effort to improve unsprung weight Kawasaki has fitted the ZX-10R with lightweight 17 inch wheels and wrapped them in Bridgestone hypersport tyres. Combined with the well sorted suspension and frame this makes the ZX-10R an incredibly nimble machine to swing through corners with capabilities far in excess of the average rider.

Stopping the ZX-10 are four piston Tokiko pistons clamping down on huge 310mm petal discs up front with a single piston unit gripping a 210mm disk at the rear. While the majority of bikes imported by Kawasaki NZ aren’t equipped with ABS, the ZX-10R can be optioned with ABS if desired.  

Having sorted out the performance side of things Kawasaki has also revised the bodywork of the ZX-10 Ninja, using curved rather than edged surfaces. Coloured and black pieces work together to create a sharp, aggressive image resembling a sleek fish rather than a blocky Michael Bay inspired transformer like the competition.

While it may look like a hard as nails racer, perhaps the biggest surprise of the ZX-10R is just how comfortable it is to ride for prolonged periods.

Swinging a leg over the ZX-10R the first thing you notice is the size of the cockpit. With the appearance that it is wider than its 715mm and spacious proportions for an average sized rider such as myself, the rider’s seat isn’t a painful place to find yourself.

In the immediate field of view is the compact, yet feature filled dash unit. Until now I’ve not been a huge fan of digital tachometers, preferring to watch a needle fly up and down the gauge. The ZX-10R’s LED backlit bar-graph tachometer however gives you a brilliant light show to match revs reading from 1,000rpm all the way to the screaming 14,000rpm redline.

The dash unit also has switchable display modes, with the speedo becoming the gear position indicator when the switch is made from standard to race modes.

Ensuring you can read the digital readout at a glance, a light sensor built in to the instrument panel which adjusts the LED and LCD brightness automatically for best visibility.

The only real downside to using this track bred beast on the daily commute is of course fuel economy, but with a healthy 17-litre fuel tank and a handy little economical Riding Indicator that appears on the LCD screen to indicate good fuel consumption riders can be assured they’re at least getting the most for the pump dollars.

After surviving the commute and weekend rides I’ve got to say the ZX-10R is more than the crazed track machine it appears. That said for commuter I’d probably choose the new, and much better suited Ninja 300 ABS. I do like my licence after all...

PROS AND CONS - KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-10R 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

ENGINE: 998cc 4-cylinder - 154.4Kw @ 13,000RPM

PRICE: $20,995 +orc

PROS: Surprisingly easy to ride, plenty of torque, comfortable, Immobiliser standard

CONS: Just a twist of the throttle away from jail