By Bill Hunter.
Kawasaki is one of the paramount manufacturers regarding retro-styled motorcycles. Its recent addition of the z650RS added spice to the superb z900RS which, in my mind, is still the best retro-styled bike on the market, not only to look at but also to ride. Oh, not forgetting its ‘proper’ retro classic, another I’d like sitting in my garage, the timeless ‘60s replica W800 parallel-twin with the overhead gear driven cam cylinder head – a lovely machine on all counts!
Well now Kawasaki has decided to head up a slightly different avenue and release the extremely good looking 40th Anniversary Edition of the current Ninja ZX-10R. The idea is to celebrate the beginning of the iconic Ninja name, born in the 80s, 40 years ago to be exact, obviously. Do you know what the first ‘genuine’ big Ninja motorcycle was? Well it was the GPz 900R Ninja released in 1984, obviously. The same one Tom Cruise rode to fame, and used to try and get under the skirt of Kelly McGillis, eventually doing so after his vigorous riding antics! Interestingly I did an article on this Top Gun bike in the late 90s, when I worked in the UK, and found out it was actually a GPz 750R used in the film, but it looks the same, so who cares.
So back to this resplendent ZX-10R, in its Anniversary colours. This distinctive and highly recognizable Kawasaki paint scheme isn’t really from the 80s though, it originates from the early 1990s (1992 mainly), and found on the ZX-7R, just thought I’d pass that on. Either way the new 2024 Ninja ZX-10R deserves to be painted this way, right?
To own this spectacular motorcycle will cost you R389,995, a lot of money for sure, but what do you get for this besides the 40th Anniversary tag? Well a World-beating Superbike for one! Kawasaki is the only one of the four Japanese manufacturers that can boast race success on a World level with an in-line, four-cylinder, 1000, winning six World titles in the World SBK series; none of the ‘others’ come close to that accolade. 
The heart of the ZX-10R is the 998cc, 16-valve, engine with fancy ‘finger-followers’ operating the camshafts found inside the cylinder head, to assist with high rpm performance. Feeding the ‘head are four ride-by-wire 47mm throttle bodies with variable inlet air-intakes. They have two positions where they can separate from a short length to a longer length when closed. However this operation is only available on the RR model using a different ECU. The idea behind the longer length it to improve midrange drive around a racetrack, this R model leaves them open so only the short intake is used. Nevermind because Kawasaki claim 205hp@14,000rpm (215hp with ram-air assistance), and 115Nm@11,700rpm of torque. More than enough for any speed junky that wants to go to the far side of 320km/h.
This current Ninja ZX-10R model has been around for a few years already and enjoys a wealth of electronic aids to make your ride softer, or insane, depending on your mood and/or environment. The 5-axis IMU provides cornering traction control information to aid slip movement as well as exit control (five levels), and similar actions for the ABS system. Four ride modes offer Sport, Road, Rain and Rider (where you can set all the parameters to suit your own style). Engine braking can be altered for track applications and there’s wheelie control for quick starts. On the road, if you want to give your wrists a rest, there’s cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity for your phone and the like. All of this is displayed and relayed on the 4.3-inch TFT, clear to read display, which is basically the same one used on the Supercharged H2 models. And, to keep things more stable when accelerating hard, there’s an electronic Ohlins steering damper, a handy addition with 200hp+ for sure.
Being a race-winning Superbike the Ninja ZX-10R is riddled with some of the best suspension components on the market – being top-end Showa. The Balance Free forks have high and low speed compression damping and stepless rebound facilitation, as does the similar high quality rear shock. With race derived components like these you’ll also need to stop the bike aggressively, so Brembo also come to the party with four-piston M50 ‘WSB like’ callipers, a radial master cylinder pump, clamping on massive 330mm discs.
So, with all this track focussed equipment is the Ninja ZX-10R too much for road use? Well no is the direct answer, after all it does have indicators, lights, mirrors and a pillion seat, albeit for very small bottoms, certainly not Kelly’s anymore, he, he. Yes, of course, it can be a bit tiring on my aging neck and wrists, something that won’t concern a younger and more flexible rider, if you know what I mean? The 835mm high seat was well padded and quite comfortable and once I entered into higher speeds the effective high bubble screen (some of the other brands are useless) worked well, and so does the bike.
It just loves to be revved and picks up so quickly you can’t believe some of the numbers seen on the TFT display. Extremely exciting is the correct term and the quick-shifter is one of the best out there, specially on the downshift when the auto-blip generates a delightful sound back through the air box. In fact the stock pipe sounds so good I wouldn’t change it at all, it looks good too in stock trim. 
The handling goes without saying due to its credentials. With a wet weight of 207kg, including the 17-litres of fuel, it’s light and fun to throw around. Yes, the suspension is set a bit on the stiff side, predictably, but that can all be easily changed with the vast array of suspension settings on offer. As for the straight-line performance – well what do you think with over 200hp? By the time you rip towards the 14k red-line in third gear you’re already way past the 200km/h mark, hanging on to your license will be harder than hanging onto the wide clip-on ‘bars.
So what’s my conclusion of the Ninja ZX-10R 40th Anniversary Edition? Ok, this bike is one of the best Superbikes money can buy for track action. So I can’t blame you if you want one just for that. But please just go and buy the plain green or black option, not this one. It deserves to live in someone’s bar, or the like, and just be brought out for a Sunday ride, once in while, it’s just too gorgeous for track-like abuse don’t you agree? A tribute to the Ninja heritage couldn’t be more perfect on all counts, I’d say.
Images: Sudoku and BB.
Visit: www.kawasaki.co.za for more technical information and dealer locations in SA.
And finally, what better way to sign off than with one of the greatest hits from 1984, besides the Ninja name, – “Wake me up before you Go-Go” by Wham! 
24 September 2024
