2008 – 2010 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-10R
s introductions to litre bikes go the ZX-10R probably wasn’t the wisest of choices to plonk a naive, weedy youngster on, but that’s what happened and it will forever be the first (and scariest) big bike I ever rode. Back in ’09 this green meanie had a bit of a reputation for being a brute… and it didn’t disappoint. My most vivid memories are of crazy speeds, unprompted wheelies and its tendency to cause skid marks on and off the track. I remember it being an animal, and 11 years later I was gagging to see if it still felt as audacious and exciting as my mind had registered it. I’ve ridden countless bikes since I raced this Kwacker, some much more potent, yet I approached this reader’s immaculate machine with an air of concern, which stayed with me as I clambered on board its gangly seat and scanned
