GREEN WINNER

Cruise control can save your licence on any bike, but on a 200hp sports missile like the new fifth-generation Kawasaki ZX-10R, it could save you from being locked up. The bike’s ability to mask the speed you’re doing — 110km/h is so effortless for this bike you almost feel like you could get off and walk faster — that using the cruise control on highways and freeways makes so much sense.

It’s crazy easy to find yourself 30 or more km/h over the speed you thought you were doing, and the penalties for doing so these days are harsh, so Kawasaki’s inclusion of a cruise control on this machine is a very smart move, and something I think owners will use a lot.

Of course, the ZX-10R’s natural home isn’t highways or freeways, but racetracks, so if the occasional track day is your idea of fun, the sharpest Ninja should be on your wanted list.

For 2021, Kawasaki has given the ZX-10R a carefully considered update. The outgoing Gen 4 model was an impressive machine, delivering the company six World Superbike Championships on the trot. That got under the competitor’s skin and they’ve responded, closing the gap. As good as the Gen 4 still is (Gen 4s still race in WSBK), the bike needed tweaking by Kawasaki to stay ultra-competitive.

For some context, Kawasaki doesn’t contest MotoGP,