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Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja SE

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

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.