Kawasaki ZX-10R

Kawasaki’s ZX-10R evokes thoughts of rip-roaring power and handling best suited to race circuits. While that may have been the case of the original 2004 model, subsequent models have been diluted to the point where ZX-10R is regarded as a decent on the road superbike but not quite in touch with the competition of the latest Blade, techno-laden R1 and BMW’s S1000RR.
The 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R is the bike to change this. It is the first of the Japanese bikes to come out fighting against the storming BMW and, based on MCN’s first ride (at Qatar’s Losail circuit), the Kawasaki’s superb blend of handling, braking, usable power and decent suspension will make it a better road bike than the BMW. As for track use? At 198kg fully gassed, the ZX-10R has the best power to weight ratio, and it isn’t as intense to ride as the BMW and so will suit a lot more riders. Good one, Kawasaki.

Engine

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Kawasaki claims the new ZX-10R produces 197.3bhp at the crankshaft from 82.7ftlb of torque, with a linear delivery of both to the rear wheel. And that’s exactly how it feels to ride. It is very tractable from low rpm, pulling cleanly and without any fuss. And on the track there’s plenty of go in the upper rev ceiling. It’s the bit in between that buyers will use more for road riding and from what can be gleaned from circuit laps the ZX-10R doesn’t lack anything here.
As expected, the motor’s an all new lump, with taller stacked gearbox to reduce size and maximise mass centralisation, and the cylinders are offset by 2mm to the crank to reduce thrust forces and enable shorter, lighter pistons to be used. A secondary balancer shaft keeps vibes to a minimum until near peak revs. Bigger dual-butterfly injectors ensure the bike keeps pulling at high rpm at speed. And for factory produced exhaust downpipes they are stunning to view (build quality) and only need a decent aftermarket end can and link pipe to extract more lunacy. 

Ride and Handling

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Up front is a pair of Showa 43mm USD Big Piston Front fork. For get the technical advantages but be aware these beauties allow big braking action while retaining the ability to soak up roads and deliver bags of feedback. At the back is a decent ‘horizontally’ mounted single shock. It’s not quite flat as the horizon but it and the linkages are mounted above the swingarm. Clever system and it works – minimal changes to the shock’s settings were made for track abuse.
The end result is a bike whose handling harks back to early 90s ZX and ZX-R 750cc WSB bikes where front end stability and feel is top notch and the bike is effortless at being hauled around.

Equipment

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The decent ‘horizontally’ mounted single shock: tick. Showa BPF forks: tick. LED bar graph tachometer: tick. Dash that switches to race-like info for track use: tick. Sports ABS on the ABS (doh!) version: big tick. Powerful but usable engine: tick. Wavy discs: tick. Adjustable footrest height: tick: Traction control: big thick tick x 3.
Kawasaki’s traction control system is stunning. It relies on front and rear wheel speeds matched to rpm, throttle position, gear selected and other sensors to predict tyre slippage and alter ignition/fuel settings to balance acceleration against loss of traction. Switchable power modes are via a bar mounted button, but greater power delivery can be instantly accessed according to throttle position i.e. fully open.

Quality and Reliability

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Even on the pre-production bikes the panels all fitted perfectly. And the support-less fairing screen is a touch of genius – albeit a bit short for taller riders. Everything worked fine, too. Even the front brake refused to fade after repeated 170mph braking – something early ZX-10R owners will appreciate.

Value

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The ZX-10R’s price drops it neatly behind the BMW by £1. Yep, a whole quid. And if it runs the BMW as close as we think it will, then it is good value. Granted £11,699 is a lot of money – and another £1000 for the ABS version (which adds 3kg) – but this is the price we are going have to pay for the elite of motorcycling. Kawasaki summed it up neatly by saying the ZX-10R features ‘trickle technology’, whereby new technology (sports ABS, revised cylinder mounting etc) will ‘trickle’ down to other models at lower costs.

Insurance

Insurance group: 17

Model History

2004-2006: intro of ZX-10R C1H
2006-2008: revised model ZX-10R D6F
2008-2010: revised model ZX-10R E8F
2011: all new model

Other Versions

2011: ZX-10R ABS, ABS version of 2011 model (£12,962)

Specifications

Top speed	184.34mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Power	197.3bhp
Torque	82.7ftlb
Weight	198kg
Seat height	813mm
Fuel capacity	17 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Insurance group	17

Engine size	998cc
Engine specification	Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16v four-stroke in-line four. Six gears
Frame	Cast ally beam frame and swingarm
Front suspension adjustment	Fully adjustable
Rear suspension adjustment	Fully adjustable
Front brakes	310mm petal discs with 4-piston calipers
Rear brake	240mm disc with single-piston caliper
Front tyre size	120/70 x 17
Rear tyre size	190/55 x 17

Kawasaki Z750R

Kawasaki say they’re gunning for the Street Triple R with the new Z750R, but it ultimately lacks excitement and you don’t get the kind of performance you want from a 750 or an ‘R’ tagged bike. It seems the marketing men have gone a bit giddy with that badge. If you’re expecting a smaller version of the excellent new Z1000, you’re going to be disappointed.

Engine

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The 105bhp, liquid-cooled, 16v, inline-four cylinder 748cc motor is unchanged from the standard Z750’s. It’s fun enough when you’re in the mood, but you have to scream it for best results, as there’s little grunt to speak of. Overall, the motor feels flat, bland and breathless, more like a 600 than what you’d expect from a 750. Top speed is restricted by the size of your neck muscles. In the real world, that’s around 90mph.To put that into perspective, it’s a massive 45bhp down on a GSX-R750 and lacks the Suzuki’s midrange too. OK, it’s not fair to compare a budget middleweight (although costing seven grand  it’s not that budget) with one of the best sports bikes on the planet, but the Z750R shouldn’t be that far off, especially when you consider the Street Triple R has similar power to the Daytona 675.  

Ride and Handling

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The Z750R features new forks (taken from the ’09 Z1000), rear shock, wheels, a lighter aluminium swingarm and radial Nissin four-piston front calipers. These new parts should offer a slight improvement in handling and braking over the standard Z750, but we haven’t ridden the two models back-to-back. What makes the riding experience so uninspiring is the Z750R’s weight. The non-ABS version, which we get in the UK, is 224kg wet, that’s 6kg more than the Z1000 and only 5kg lighter than a fully-fuelled BMW R1200GS. 

Equipment

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Chassis-mods aside, the Z750R is quite basic and doesn’t even come with fully-adjustable suspension, which is something you’d expect from an ‘R’ model. It does get a new dash and nose fairing, though.

Quality and Reliability

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There’s no reason to doubt the Z750R will go on-and-on, but the sheer weight of the machine suggests it’s not exactly made from the best components and materials money can buy.

Value

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The Z750R is £500 more than the base model, but for newbie Kawasaki fans, you’re best heading for the brilliant ER-6N, which is lighter, has more character, is much more fun, no slower in the real world and a useful £1500 cheaper.  If you’re more experienced and want more big bang for your buck and smiles aplenty, the similarly-priced Triumph Street Triple R is still the Daddy.

Insurance

Insurance group: 11

Model History

Model introduced in 2011

Other Versions

Kawasaki Z750

Specifications

Top speed	130mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Power	105bhp
Torque	58ftlb
Weight	224kg
Seat height	825mm
Fuel capacity	18.5 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Insurance group	11

Engine size	748cc
Engine specification	16v, inline-four-cylinder
Frame	Tubular steel frame
Front suspension adjustment	41mm forks, rebound and preload adjustable
Rear suspension adjustment	Single shock, rebound and preload adjustable
Front brakes	2 x 300mm petal discs with Nissin four-piston radial calipers
Rear brake	250mm single petal disc with single-piston caliper.
Front tyre size	120/70 x 17
Rear tyre size	180/55 x 17

kawasaki w800

Our first test of Kawasaki’s new W800 suggests that Britain’s own Triumph, after for five years having things all its own way in the ‘retro roadster’ class, has a new, real rival on its hands. Not only is the Kawasaki W800 cheaper and better specced than its closest Bonneville rival, the Kawasaki’s uprated engine means there’s now no discernible performance difference either.

Engine

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The two biggest updates to the Kawasaki W800 are the growth in capacity and switch to fuel injection. The Kawasaki W800’s five-mill overbore takes it up from 676cc to 773cc, and is thrummingly pleasant: brisk enough for this kind of bike and happy to cruise along at 80-90.
Think ‘middling car performance’ but with a bit of extra pep away from the lights and you won’t be far wrong. The Kawasaki W800’s new fuel-injection helps in this and is faultless: crisp, instant throttle response with nary a glitch or hiccup anywhere in its revs. There’s not much point wringing its neck, mind, as things start to tail off and get a bit breathless above 5000rpm or so.
The only other slight criticisms are that, if anything, it’s a little bit TOO civilised: a touch too soft, smooth and quiet. It really is crying out for a set of rortier pipes with which to bounce decibels off some village cottages. Overall, though, the new W800’s performance is not just adequate, it’s amazingly user-friendly both for retro fans and novices alike. 

Ride and Handling

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The Kawasaki W800’s handling compliments that perfectly. Its old school, upright riding position, cute, slim proportions and wide-ish bars blend seamlessly with the responsive but soft delivery to make the W800 ridiculously easy to just get on and ride.
Only when you start to push silly-hard does the single front disc start to seem inadequate (but the rear drum is sensitive and useful), the forks seem boingingly oversoft, the big 19-inch front wheel and chunky, deep-treaded, period-style Dunlop tyre seem to under-steer and scrabble a little for grip. The rest of the time it’s fine.

Equipment

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The old W650 was generally considered an authentic and classily-detailed ‘reproduction’ thanks to its great-looking engine, alloy-rimmed wire wheels, proper chrome mudguards, retro-style twin dials, kickstart, knee pads etc. But the new Kawasaki W800 takes things up another level. There’s a new, more ‘ribbed’ seat and lower handlebars.
The engine’s cylinders, rear hub/drum and fork sliders are now alloy finished instead of black and there are new, improved mirrors, exhaust heat shields, a different tank badge and more. It all adds up to a gorgeously – yes really – complete and authentic machine which is simply leagues above, say, Triumph’s Bonneville.

Quality and Reliability

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The Kawasaki W800 doesn’t just have the authentic specification, it’s beautifully and classily done, too: the two-tone paint is deep, the chrome good, the alloy finishes beautiful. It’s too early to pronounce on reliability yet, but on the strength of how it’s built and put together the W800 is a pretty classy act.

Value

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On face value the new Kawasaki W800, seems pricey compared to the base Triumph Bonneville. But that’s not comparing like with like. In truth, the closest rival to the W800, with its wire wheels, twin dials, two-tone paint, fork gaiters and so on, is the Bonneville T100 which is actually £100 MORE and still not as well specced. On that basis, the Kawasaki W800 is decent value. Triumph should be worried.

Insurance

Insurance group: n/a

Model History

2011: Model launched

Other Versions

None

Specifications

Top speed	110mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Power	bhp
Torque	ftlb
Weight	216kg
Seat height	790mm
Fuel capacity	14 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Insurance group

Engine size	773cc
Engine specification	4v air-cooled parallel twin, six gears
Frame	Tubular steel double cradle
Front suspension adjustment	39mm telescopic forks, no adjust
Rear suspension adjustment	Twin shocks, preload adjust
Front brakes	300mm disc, twin piston caliper
Rear brake	160mm drum
Front tyre size	100/90 x 19
Rear tyre size	130/80 x 18

Kawasaki VN1700

On the back of the American trend to cut down large custom touring bikes into ‘baggers’, Kawasaki has launched the Voyager Custom – a scaled down version of their full-dressed Voyager. Meaner, sleeker and £1500 cheaper than the big Voyager, the huge 1700cc engine remains, as does the side panniers but far less bling and chrome makes it more manly and gives the impression of a lighter more manageable bike. It’s a good looking, cheaper alternative to the American competition but let down by huge bulk and the need to change down for fast acceleration.

Engine

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At the heart of the Voyager sleeps a mighty, liquid-cooled 1700cc V-twin – despite at first appearing air-cooled. The huge 8 v motor throws out a respectable70bhp with a huge 100ftlb of torque. However, due to the massive weight and tall top gear, overdrive, you still need to cog down for quick overtakes. Fuel consumption at quick touring speed is also rather poor, less than 35mpg if pushed hard.

Ride and Handling

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Despite not appearing as large as the full dressed Voyager, at 382kg the new Classic is far from light – that’s close to 60 stone in old money. Obviously trying to make 60 stone handle is not going to be easy and if you start to have fun with the motor it’s easy to find the handling limitations of the big girl: the foot boards will soon start to drag alarmingly. The brakes aren’t bad, far from it, and it’s not a nightmare, but similar bikes in this class out-handle the big Kawasaki.

Equipment

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Even though the Classic is a scaled-down version, it’s littered with goodies and extras. A twin 40w speaker stereo comes as standard, complete with an Ipod connection. On the right bar is a cruise control for those longer journeys. At the rear, there are side bags, an LED rear light and twin exhausts. There’s a small fly screen to add a little comfort and, for safety, ABS as standard.

Quality and Reliability

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The low-revving engine should be bullet proof and the shaft drive means maintenance should be minimal – reliability isn’t going to be an issue as it’s a proven engine. However there are a few niggling faults. There’s an annoying bit of plastic over the petrol tank which vibrates, and the clocks don’t fit flush in the large dash. This means at night, the dash lights light up not only the clocks but the rider too.

Value

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This is an area where the Kawasaki scores highly. It’s considerably cheaper than Harley-Davidson equivalent, the Street Glide, and even cheaper than the Victory Cross Country. In fact the Kawasaki appears to be somewhat of a bargain. With the money saved over the competition you could easily accessorise and personalise the bike adding character and still save money over the American competition.

Insurance

Insurance group: 16

Model History

Kawasaki VN1700 Voyager, Classic and Classic Tourer (launched 2009).

Other Versions

Kawasaki VN1700 Voyager, Classic and Classic Tourer

Specifications

Top speed	115mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Power	70bhp
Torque	100ftlb
Weight	382kg
Seat height	720mm
Fuel capacity	20 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Insurance group	16

Engine size	1700cc
Engine specification	1700cc, 8v 102x104mm, 6 gears
Frame	Double cradle steel frame
Front suspension adjustment	45mm non adjustable
Rear suspension adjustment	Twin shock, rebound only
Front brakes	Dual 300mm discs, 4-piston caliper
Rear brake	Single 300mm disc twin-piston caliper
Front tyre size	130/90x16
Rear tyre size	170/70x16

BMW G650GS

The GS650GS is BMW’s entry-level adventure bike and successor to the old G650 and F650GS single. Because it’s essentially a tweaked version of those, development costs have been low, making it not just the cheapest BMW you can buy but one of the cheapest big bikes. It’s competent on trails, but with a low seat height and exactly 47bhp on tap, it’s also ideal as a first big bike for novices. From 2013, 47bhp is set to replace 33bhp as the power limit for newly qualified riders, so the G650GS should prove tempting to many. New bodywork similar to its bigger brother, the R1200GS, should add appeal. 

Engine

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The G650GS’s single-cylinder lump pulls from virtually no rpm. Off-road, in a low gear, it can be barely turning faster than tick-over and a snap of the throttle will still pull you up hills. On road it offers a good, linear power curve with the slightest of fade in mid-range. It’s a tweaked version of the engine that powered the old G650 and the F650GS before that, and as such is a well-proven. At 47bhp, it makes 3bhp less than its predecessor. BMW says this is down to a bigger alternator needed for optional ABS and heated grips but it’s almost certainly no coincidence that 47bhp is to replace 33bhp as the limit for newly qualified riders from 2013.

Ride and Handling

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Despite the tall suspension and ample ground clearance, the G650GS has a remarkably low seat-height, further positioning it as novice-friendly. There are three options: 750mm, 780mm or 820mm. To put that in perspective, a Kawasaki Ninja 250R’s seat height is 790mm. But don’t let the G650GS’ novice credentials put you off – it’s also a more than capable middle-weight adventure bike. Off-road the new Sachs suspension and 19-inch front wheel soak up rocks. On road it feels deceptively light and balanced, and almost as comfortable as its bigger brother, the R1200GS.   

Equipment

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You don’t get much as standard – there’s no fuel gauge, for example – but there’s plenty on offer if you don’t mind paying for it. Optional extras include heated grips, ABS, a power socket, centre stand and top box and panniers.

Quality and Reliability

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Despite a few well-publicised quality control concerns, BMW has retained its reputation for reliability and there’s nothing to indicate the G650GS won’t live up to it. It’s worth noting that six-time Paris Dakar legend Simon Pavey used a single F650 engine – the predecessor to the G650GS’ - in two of the gruelling rallies. Production has switched from Austria’s Rotax to a factory in China to save cost, but BMW is adamant that quality and tolerances have not been compromised.

Value

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This is where the G650GS really comes into its own. At £4920, it’s not just the cheapest BMW you can buy – it’s one of the cheapest big bikes you can buy, undercutting even Suzuki’s budget SV650 at £4975. For less you can have a Honda CBR250R, Kawasaki Ninja 250R or KLX250, a Yamaha YBR250 and, unless you want a 125, not much else. None of those makes close to the GS650GS’s power – and try doing the Paris Dakar on one.

Insurance

Insurance group: n/a

Model History

2011: Model introduced

Other Versions

Specifications

Top speed	105mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Power	47bhp
Torque	44ftlb
Weight	192kg
Seat height	780mm
Fuel capacity	14 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Insurance group

Engine size	652cc
Engine specification	4 valve, single-cylinder, liquid cooled, 5 gears
Frame	Steel cradle
Front suspension adjustment	41mm telescopic forks/none
Rear suspension adjustment	Monoshock/none
Front brakes	300mm disc, 2-piston caliper
Rear brake	240mm disc, 1-piston caliper
Front tyre size	190/90m R19
Rear tyre size	140/80 R17