Ride and Handling
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is the first superbike to sport Showa’s much-touted big piston forks upfront, something that debuted on the smaller ZX-6R. It essentially means that these forks have a piston almost twice the size of conventional cartridge forks. This translates into better stability, less stiction, lighter weight and enhanced damping performance on both compression and rebound circuits. It also imparts the rider more control and better feedback, with minimal front end dive under braking.
At the rear, suspension duties are handled by a Showa monoshock with a horizontal back-link that helps make the damping action smooth and linear. With a piggyback reservoir, it offers the full gamut of adjustment with rebound, preload and low-and-high speed compression. Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sports, 120/70 -17 at the front, and 190/55-17 at the rear.
All these, and that reasonably well-padded seat, makes the ZX-10R a surprisingly comfortable machine to ride. Even at factory settings, the bike soaks up small potholes and uneven surfaces with aplomb. It would of course, had gotten even better if we had tinkered with the suspension a bit more for our roads, but with the default settings this good, I didn’t even bother. Instead, I did what anyone would have done when handed a superbike’s keys for a few days. I rode it as much as I could.
There’s an oft-overused idiom in motoring parlance. It goes something like, “corners as if on rails.” I’m afraid, I’m going to have to resort to that in this case, just to convey how the Kwacker handles. But really, what else can you expect? This is one of the sharpest handling superbikes from a Japanese manufacturer noted for its sharp superbikes. It’s a total no-brainer, this.
Technology has now progressed to the point that it all comes down to the rider to truly explore the outer limits of tyre adhesion and chassis stability for newer superbikes. The ZX-10R is no exception. With its 812mm of seat height, it is easy even for shorter riders like me to get on and get moving. It is the same thing in corners. That wide fuel tank with contoured recesses makes it easy to grab onto with your thighs and the low ‘bars make it a breeze to tip into corners. With a chassis this good, you don’t even need to set up corners well in advance. Just pick the correct line and gear, and the bike will sort out the rest.
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