2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R Quick Review: A Date with the Green Goblin

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY: NITIN GUPTA. THANKS TO NITESH JAIN- THE PROUD OWNER FOR PROVIDING US WITH THE ZX10R

Green isn’t for ENVY anymore, it spells GORGEOUS and we’d say DROP DEAD GORGEOUS! Such is the aura of the 2013 Kawasaki ZX10R that it’s only seconds later you’d realize your wide open salivating mouth needs shutting. The ZX 10R would appear doing 200 kph even while standing still. But then the stunning design of the new litre class Ninja is only half of its equation. With a colossal 197 horses (207 bhp with ram air) at your wrist’s disposal, it’s relatively easy to assume the punch Green Goblin packs in. It was decided to put the figures from the spec chart to the real world and experience Kawasaki’s most powerful litre production bike yet. So here we go with our 2013 Kawasaki ZX10R review- rather our encounter with the devil dressed in green.

STYLING AND FEATURES: If looks could kill

The 2013 Kawasaki ZX10R is undoubtedly the meanest looking Ninja ever and looks a world apart from its older version. The angular streamlined body design with a pointy snout housing the ram-air duct graced by integrated LED line-beam headlights on either side is further complemented by the new mirror merged LED turn signals. A contrasting colour scheme of green and black with curves around the edges reek of a sharp and aggressive image. A short tucked away exhaust with an abbreviated tail is bound to take an eye and in every sense gestures that the slick new ZX10R means outright business.

The instrumentation incorporates an LED backlit multi-feature LCD screen with various data panels. From a bar-graph tachometer above the LCD to data generated by the speedometer, odometer, dual trip meters and indicators for fuel consumption, low fuel, coolant temperature, Power Mode and S-KTRC level etc provide necessary information to the rider. The instrument panel is obviously the finest I have seen, you may take a while to get accustomed to the all digital console and red and orange lights of the RPM lights, which are initially yellowish orange and turn to RED once past the 7,000 RPM mark. The LCD screen during track days can be set to “RACE” mode where the gear display gets highlighted to the centre of the screen.

Despite Kawasaki’s focus of a race-replica while designing the new ZX10R, it renders better ergonomics to the rider than its predecessors- thanks to a lower seating position on a 32-inch saddle with adjustable footpegs and clip-ons.

The 2013 Kawasaki ZX10R has managed to shed weight and is now 9 kgs lighter than the earlier variant- all thanks to a new lighter set of three spoke design cast aluminium wheels that replaces the earlier 5 spoke design along with a seven-piece lightweight aluminum twin-spar frame further contributing towards weight saving. The high-visibility LED tail light is mounted over the rear fender which along with the mirrors can be easily detached during track days.

The ZX10R comes seriously equipped with new electronics. MotoGP derived Traction control, Ohlins equipped steering damper controlled by a dedicated ECU located under the tank, about which we shall talk in detail later in the review, and K.I.B.S (Kawasaki Intelligent braking System) for which you can pay a few extra thousands. Kawasaki terms it as KIBS, not just for name sake, but maybe because it is the smallest and lightest ABS unit ever made for motorcycles

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