KAWASAKI ZX-10R

ou see a fair variety of asphalt-assaulting motorbikes on the average UK trackday, ranging from two-stroke oil spillers to the ex-Superbike, laptop-powered money pits of machines. By far and wide though, one of the most common 1000cc weapons we see out and about has to be the ZX-10R, irrelevant of its generation. Kawasaki is synonymous with racing, and with Mr Rea (Jonny, not Chris) showing the rest of the thoroughbred WSBK field his Irish derriere almost every weekend. There must be a blend within the ZX-10R on track that the rest of the manufacturers haven’t yet quite caught up to and perfected. We know that although being a very competent contender overall, for the average road rider the ZX-10R struggles to keep pace in terms of performance, delivery, comfort and feel compared with for a set of CRC fairings. “There are loads of options for fairing kits on the market, and I’ve tried most. The CRC brand always delivers a slightly superior fit compared to most which takes a lot of hassle out of fitting them, which can }) be a massive pain in the arse of a job!” The next thing you want to do when taking a ZX-10R or any bike to the track is replace the rearsets. Standard pegs as a general rule (unless it’s the new ’Blade!) don’t give you enough ground clearance to be able to ride at a decent enough pace. But primarily, they don’t have the ease of replacement built in. So if you are unfortunate enough to slip off, you can just replace the broken item on a set of aftermarket rearsets, as opposed to replacing the whole unit as standard. Dave’s gone for Lightech rearsets, alongside a specific conversion kit just for the ZX-10R which is £105 from reactiveparts to enable you to use race shift which again, on track, is a relatively vital choice. “Other systems are available but they run too close to the frame,” Dave tells me. The fanciest bit of kit Dave’s thrown at the ZX-10R has to be the AIM MXK10 dash purchased from Parkitt Racing: “It’s the dash the ZX-10R should have come with instead of the disappointing 1970s one you get as standard. I think Aim have done it almost to demonstrate what could and should have been done, so here’s hoping the future models incorporate something similar.” Other than being a nice bit of bling, the functionality and visual aid is the main reason to go for the Aim, it allows you to choose what to display while riding and log almost every aspect, while utilising the stock switchgear. It was fitted at Parkitt Racing, where the bike was also run on their dyno and mapped to a healthy 195bhp. They also flashed in Woolich race tools, which enable an auto warm-up function (which sounds very MotoGP-esque), pit lane limiter and launch control for when Dave decides to start riding competitively again! Add-on extras-wise, the ZX-10R has an Akropovic de-cat link pipe and end can fitted, lithium battery, ASV levers and lever guards, Samco hoses, Lightech rear wheel adjusters and a Diamond quick-release fuel cap. Another essential modification to any track bike is a 520 chain and sprocket conversion, and the common solution is Renthal Ultralight with a Tsubaki Pro Race chain. The main thing to ensure when changing the chain is that what you’re replacing it with is capable of providing enough tensile strength to cope with the bhp of the bike you’re putting it on; the Pro-Race is rated to near 230bhp, so more than capable of coping with a Superstock bike. The only thing Dave’s currently waiting for is a Mupo steering damper to replace the standard electronic one, which is another element he struggles to get on with. Apparently, the standard damper gives inconsistent feel and at times, not enough damping power to control the peaky, raughty engine! One of the main advantages of choosing the ZX10R though in any trackday or racing sense is the fact it has a cassette gearbox, which essentially means if there’s an issue you can remove it out of the side casing without the need for stripping the engine, which saves time and money. Gearbox issues are relatively common with any track or race bike, purely by the nature of the fact you’re pushing the bike harder and working the gearbox more, so that’s a real advantage for the ZX-10R over its rivals. Sure, it’s not the fastest, lightest or the easiest-handling bike on the market. But it is a great all-round package, and one you shouldn’t look past if you’re in the market for a litre track toy!