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Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja SE

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Make Model

Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja SE

Year

2018

Engine

Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.

Capacity

998 cc / 60.9 cu-in
Bore x Stroke 76 x 55 mm
Compression Ratio 13.0:1
Cooling System Liquid cooled
Lubrication Forced lubrication, wet sump with oil cooler

Induction

Fuel injection φ47 mm x 4 with dual injection

Ignition 

TCBI with digital advance and Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC)  
Starting Electric

Max Power

146 kW / 200 hp @ 13000 rpm

Max Power Ram Air

154.5 kW / 210 hp @ 13000 rpm

Max Torque

113.5 Nm / 83.7 lb-ft @ 11600 rpm

Electronic Rider Aids Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM), Sport Kawasaki TRaction Control (S-KTRC), Kawasaki Engine Braking Control, Electronic Throttle Valve (ETV) and Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS)
Clutch Wet multi-disc, manual

Transmission 

6 Speed 
Final Drive Sealed Chain
Primary Reduction Ratio 1.556 (84/54)
Gear Ratio 1st 2.611(47/18)  2nd 1.947 (37/19) 3rd 1.545 (34/22)  4th 1.333 (32/24) 5th 1.154 (30/26) 6th 1.036 (29/28)
Final Reduction Ratio 2.471 (42/17)
Frame Aluminum perimeter

Front Suspension

43 mm inverted Balance Free Front Fork with external compression chamber, KECS-controlled compression and rebound damping, manual spring preload adjustability, and top-out springs
Front Wheel Travel 120 mm / 4.7 in

Rear Suspension

Horizontal Back-link, BFRC lite gas-charged shock with piggyback reservoir, KECS-controlled compression and rebound damping, manual spring preload adjustability, and top-out spring

Rear Wheel Travel  114.5 mm / 4.5 in

Front Brakes

2x 330 mm floating discs, dual radial-mounted  4-piston callipers

Rear Brakes

Single 220mm disc with aluminum single-piston caliper

Front Tyre

120/70ZR17M/C (58W)

Rear Tyre

190/55ZR17M/C (75W)
Rake 25°
Trail 106.68 mm / 4.2 in
Dimensions Length 2090 mm  /  82.3 in
Width   739 mm  / 29.1 in
Height  1145 mm  / 45.1 in
Wheelbase 1440 mm / 56.7 in
Ground Clearance 144 mm  / 5.7 in
Seat Height 835 mm / 32.9 in

Wet Weight 

208 kg / 458 lbs 

Fuel Capacity 

17 Litres /  4.5 gal
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Kawasaki ZX-10R SE gets semi-active suspension

Despite another incredible year with Johnny Rea taking his third WSB title aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R in 2017,  Kawasaki are hoping this new version will imbue it with some extra pub-bragging kudos.

If you want to ride the road-going equivalent of Kawasaki’s multi-championship-winning ZX-10R there’s already a multitude of choices. There’s the basic Ninja ZX-10R, the Akrapovic-equipped ZX-10R Performance, the race-coloured ZX-10R KRT Replica or the ultimate homologation-special version, the Ninja ZX-10RR. And for 2018 there’s yet another option – the new Ninja ZX-10R SE.

And while the RR model is the basis of the WSB race bike, with engine changes to allow more tuning potential, the new SE promises to be the ultimate road-going version of the ZX-10R.

It gets a brand new acronym: KECS. That stands for Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension and it’s a system jointly developed by the firm and Showa, adding semi-active ride to the ZX-10R for the first time.

Add a classy-looking black and green paint scheme, the same lightweight Marchesini wheels used on the ZX-10RR and that bike’s up-and-down quick-shifter into the mix, and it looks like the ZX-10R SE will be the version to have in 2018. Performance is unchanged, with the same 200PS power claim as the other ZX-10R models. Weight is increased on the SE, but only fractionally; its curb mass is 208kg compared to 206kg for the normal ZX-10R.

 The semi-active suspension is, of course, the headline technology of the ZX-10R SE. It’s the first time we’ve seen Showa’s take on the idea, which has been pioneered by the likes of Ohlins and WP.

Unlike rivals that use stepper motors to adjust their damping settings on the fly, the Showa system is based on a direct-acting solenoid. The firm claims it’s faster to respond than other arrangements, with a reaction time of just one millisecond.

It takes its information from stroke sensors on both the front and rear, which tell the computer what direction the suspension is moving, and how fast, 1000 times per second. The bike’s inertial measurement unit and fuel injection computer add more information 100 times per second, letting the KECS computer decide how to adjust the damping.

As the rider, the changes should be seamless and undetectable, although you’re also given the choice of three modes – road, track or manual. Road is softer, track is harder and manual allows personalised base settings from 15 steps compression and rebound.

 All this kit has been bolted to the high-spec suspension components from the ZX-10RR – Showa’s Balance Free Front Fork and Balance Free Rear Cushion lite – so even before the electronics get involved it’s some impressive kit.