Team-BHP - My Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R : Dreams do come true

This write up was written more than 6 months ago but I never really got down to posting it.

Dear all this is my first thread on any forum and thus request you to please excuse me incase I unintentionally flout any guidelines.

As far as I can remember, I had always been fascinated with cars and they always ranked highest in my list of things I'd gladly slog for. Motorcycles never did anything for me back then. Sure I liked ogling at super bikes but never had that, i'd give a limb to have one of those feeling, which i always had upon seeing gorgeous Italian, German and American cars.

Growing up I didn't really fancy motorcycles and since my parents were against me riding two wheelers in any case, i only learnt how to ride a bike in my late teens, during my college days in Pune. My learning of how to ride motorized two wheelers came about due to a compulsion of sorts as all my friends had bikes and i did not have any vehicle, and neither my friends nor I wanted that dependency of being ridden around for errands.

As i started to gain confidence with motorcycles, i started to fall in love with them. Pune's almost year around awesome weather played cupid to my falling in love with bikes. I learnt how to ride on a CBZ, a bike that I fell in love with instantly. My flatmates had Pulsars and Avengers, so those were the bikes I spent riding most of my college life.

Many months before my 19th birthday, I started pestering my parents to gift me a bike. I used every possible excuse, from expensive auto-rikshaw fares, to difficulty in commuting for the CAT classes that I would take next year, to how sad my life would become if my friends dis-included me from outstation plans as I didn’t have a mode of transport. Somehow my parents gave in and agreed to let me have a motorcycle. I decided on the Pulsar 180 in blue and was literally counting days to my birthday.

As luck would have it, 3 weeks before my birthday I met with an accident on a friends motorcyle, when a cabbie trying to overtake a car suddenly came into my lane on a road without a divider and hit the bike head on. Thankfully I got tossed off the bike and managed to escape the accident only with a hairline fracture on my leg. However the bigger casualty was my dream of owning a bike. My parents sent over our Santro from Delhi and the talk of me owning a motorcycle was never entertained again.

Cut from 2006 to 2011, I had just completed my MBA and somehow managed to do well and the college refunded a portion of the fee for students who scored above a certain CGPA. Parents were even more pleasantly surprised than me, and decided to let me have the returned money as a reward. To their unpleasant surprise, I told them that I decided to use it to pre book a silver Honda CBR250R. Thus started a long and painful tug of war, between me trying to convince them about the bike and them trying to dissuade me from getting it. In the end, and just in time for when the deliveries started, they somehow agreed.

I absolutely loved my CBR250R ABS. After riding my friends Pulsar’s, Avenger’s and Karima’s, the CBR250R rode and handled like a dream. I was extremely happy with my purchase and rode the bike frequently. The only add ons that I had on the bike were an HID kit and much later a Leo Vince slip on exhaust. I sold the bike to fellow TBHPian Rahul Bangia in May 2016 with approx. 18K Kms on the odo.

Pros
+ Great Styling
+ Amazing brakes and optional ABS
+ Healthy Power
+ Great handling. I felt telepathic with the bike.
+ Great seating position. Ideal compromise between sporty and comfortable.

Cons
- Horrible stock tyres. Upgraded to Pirelli sport demons.
- Limited paint schemes at launch.
- Unsatisfactory fit and finish in the first few lots.
- Overworked and understaffed ASC.
- Stock exhaust note.

The 2012 Auto Expo was an important event in my life, I was starry eyed upon seeing the Triumph street triple/Daytona and the Ducati monster 795. Also given both companies' conviction to after sales support and competitive pricing, I vowed to get a higher capacity motorcycle in the near future. In 2013 I was looking to add another bike to my garage, and had decided against a Ducati as after sales support and peace of mind were paramount to me. I was itching to get a Ninja 650 but decided to hold off until Triumph announced its prices. I was keener on the street triple over the Ninja 650 solely because of that sweet sounding triple engine, the rider obviously was that both bikes be priced closely.

November 2013 came as a rude shock, when Triumph announced their prices and the street triple turned out to be much more expensive than the Ninja 650 and thus way out of my budget. In Dec 2013 I decided to get the Ninja 650R and started the loan process. I got the delivery of the bike during end December 2013 and the registration date was early January 2014.

The Ninja 650R was very different to the CBR250R. It showed me completely different sides of a motorcycle, one that was torquey, very comfortable and ideal for long distance riding. I used the Ninja for weekend rides and even for commuting to work on some days. It was also one of the only bikes where having a pillion was okay with both, the pillion and me. This was also the only bike that my wife didn’t mind me taking her on a ride on, she found the seats of all other bikes uncomfortable and high set, thus scary. The only add ons to this bike were projector headlamps, radiator guard and paint protection coating. I sold the Ninja 650R to fellow TBHPian Bhawani Singh in June 2016 with around 7k Kms on the odo.

Pros
+Amazing VFM at the price
+ Amazing midrange and really helpful torque
+ Sufficiently powerful engine
+ Supremely comfortable seats for both rider and pillion
+ Very comfortable seating position, great for long rides
+ Better handler than one would expect
+ Good build quality
+ Amazing experience with ASC

Cons
- Brakes did not inspire confidence. Lack of ABS.
- Not meant for enthusiastic riding or corner carving.
- Twin cylinder engine not the smoothest. Has inherent vibes.
- Stock exhaust note.

My Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R : Dreams do come true-13095878_10156753095490468_7577506580590200214_n.jpg

After owning the Ninja 650R for two years, the bug to upgrade started creeping up again. Since my primary use for a motorcycle was for spirited weekend rides, and since I had never used the Ninja 650R for long distance rides, I decided that my next upgrade would definitely be a super sport bike. My requirements were simple, fun to ride, good service support, ideally with a triple or in line four for the exhaust note and most importantly ABS enabled as after having the CBR250R i really missed it on the Ninja 650R and found it to be a glaring omission.

I started my search in early 2016 and considered all possible bikes with over 600cc displacement. My requirements were for a fully faired super sport, ABS enabled motorcycle that would be a significant upgrade. Me wanting a significant upgrade on a tight budget meant that I could only consider used litre class bikes. I considered a lot of bikes, but due to one reason or another kept striking them off from my option pool. I finally narrowed down my choice to 2010-12 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. I saw and test rode a couple of Fireblade’s and absolutely loved them. I had made up my mind about getting a Fireblade, but at the back of my mind I always wished I could stretch my budget and go for a more recent bike, which would ideally have electronic aids as well.

A few months into my search I decided to increase my budget and ignore my guilt of spending more on getting a bike. I considered the following motorcycles but finally chose the ZX10R as it suited my needs best.

1) Triumph Daytona: Lovely engine, sound and good service support. However the lack of electronics and the psychological barrier of the displacement and power not being a significant jump meant that this was quickly crossed off the list

2) Crossplane Yamaha R1: This was the 2009-10 onwards gen. While 2009 to 2012 models did not have any electronic aids, the 2012-15 models came with traction control but no power modes. I had a soft corner for the R1 and this gen looked particularly mean, however TDing the bike was a case of never meet your heroes. The bike felt big and heavy, the riding position was very committed and the clutch was heavy and the clutch release was tricky. Overall I was very intimidated by the bike.

3) BMW S1000R: To be honest, I wish this were a serious choice and that i could've afforded this. This was my dream bike but the resale value of these holds amazingly well and was way beyond my budget.

4) Hayabusa: This was never really a bike that I was considering, but given the price reduction due to it not being a CBU anymore, meant i couldn't ignore it anymore. I TD it but didn't find it as comfortable as all the reviews made it seem to be, plus i wasn't a fan of the image or the styling of the bike.

5) Fireblade: I was originally looking at the 2010-2012 model but after increasing my budget i was looking at 2013-14 models which had revised looks and showa BPFs. I had test ridden a 2011 model and was very impressed by the ergos and the tractable engine. However it also made me realize that with so much power it's probably a better idea to have some sort of electronic aids. Had the fireblade had electronic aids i would have probably gone for it without thinking twice.

6) Aprilia RSV4: I absolutely had my heart set on the RSV4 and if I had to make a decision without using my head, this is the bike I would have gone for, it looked and sounded gorgeous, and who wouldn't want to own an Italian superbike! I spoke to a few people whose views I respected and could trust blindly, and all of them warned me against the RSV4 as Aprilia had only one service centre in Pune, didn’t have great service and spares support and had abysmal depreciation and resale value

7) Kawasaki ZX10R ABS: The ZX10R was my second choice, it had unanimously great reviews, a refined electronics package, great local ASS and was a surprisingly comfortable and usable super sports. The things that went against it were that it weren’t Italian and didn’t look as gorgeous as the RSV4. stupid: I test rode a ZX10R and found it to be revelation. It was much more comfortable and had a much better ride than I expected. I also expected it to be intimidating like a crossplane R1, but it was surprisingly friendly. Alteast in the Low power mode. lol:

Buying Experience
I fell head over heels in love with the ZX10R upon riding it. My search for a well maintained piece, from a trusted seller, led me to the bike I now own. It’s a 2014 ZX10R which was registered in 2015. Since this was the first time I was getting a used vehicle and since I had never owned and thus had no technical knowledge of superbikes, I chose to take Mr. Dayaram, who is the trained technician for Kawasaki big bikes, with me to check the bike. We went to see the bike on his off day and I had made it clear to the owner that only once Dayaram gave it a thumbs up, would I proceed with the purchase.

Dayaram checked the bike extensively and apart from small issues like the bike requiring a service, air filter change etc. the bike was in perfect order. The engine, chassis and electronics all were okayed by him. The transaction was handled professionally and within no time all the documents were attested and complete and the process of transferring ownership with the RTO was initiated.

Specifications and features
998cc, liquid-cooled, in-line four, 16-valve, DOHC
197 HP @ 13,000 RPM and 112 Nm @ 11,500 RPM
Wet weight of 201 Kgs
0 – 100 KMPH in 2.8 seconds and electronically limited top speed of 299 KMPH
Öhlins-Kawasaki electronic steering damper to avoid tank slappers and such
Cast aluminum wheels and a titanium exhaust to keep reduce weight
Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC) and Advanced Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-lock Braking System (supplied by Bosch)
3 Level power Mode selector and 3 level traction control
43 mm Showa Big-Piston Fork at the front and gas charged monoshock at the rear
Slipper clutch to prevent wheel hop or lock under extreme deceleration
Adjustable footpegs/rearsets

Aftermarkets that the bike came with
• Akra shorty with mid pipe
• R&G sliders
• R&G Tail Tidy
• R&G radiator and under radiator guard
• R&G front fork sliders
• R&G rear spools
• Puig dark smoke windscreen
• Luimoto seat

I have ridden the bike for around 2000 kms now and I couldn’t be happier. I have ridden the ZX10R in scorching heat and in pouring rain, and I can’t imagine any other litre class bike, that could handle such a wide variety of conditions with such ease. The engine runs so much cooler than most other litre bikes, so it’s so much more comfortable to ride it on hot days. In the rains I switch the ZX10R to Low Power mode and Full Traction mode and the bike is so manageable. I can’t possibly imagine riding a Fireblade, R1 etc. in pouring rain. Also I think the ride with Showa BPF is amazing and the ergos are not as extreme as most other super sports, infact i have done more than a couple of 300+ kms rides on the 10r, which I think is saying something for a litre class bike!

Looks and build quality

A lot of things can be said about the looks of the ZX10R, it looks menacing, purposeful, aggressive, striking etc. but in my mind it certainly can not be classified as beautiful (Like the RSV4) or eccentric and characterful (like the S1000RR). The ZX10R is a classic case of a Japanese superbike, attention grabbing but not art.
The things I love about the design are the compact, almost 600cc-ish dimensions, the aggressive air intake between the head lights, the sculpted fuel tank which has enough leg room for even tall riders, the integration of the rear view mirrors and I love the integrated rear brake light and indicators.

In terms of styling, I wish the bike came to India in more than one color. I don't like the lime green paint scheme, I would have been really happy with the metallic paint scheme of the Ninja 650 and ZX14R. I do not like the 3 spoke wheels, I wish they came with a nicer design. My other gripe with the styling is that the smaller Kawasaki bikes look very similar to the ZX10R. I am not a fan of the whole family look concept, I think it takes away from a companies halo models, but I guess that's pretty much where automotive design is heading.

I was really happy with the quality of my Ninja 650. It had great paint quality, instrumentation, fairing and body work. When I sold the bike 2 years later, it looked almost brand new and nothing rattled or gave away. I expected the same quality, if not better from the 10R and thankfully it doesn't disappoint. The plastics and fairing are of high quality, most of the screws and fairing clips are hidden and they are of high quality. Quality of the fairing and clips is super important in a motorcycle, because everytime the bike needs a service, or every time you need to clean a performance air filter (which is pretty often), bits of the fairing and the tank needs to come off.

The quality of instrumentation and switch gear is top notch too. The instrument cluster is always legible, and displays massive amounts of information without being overcrowded. It displays info like lap timer, reading of litre per 100 kms (current and consumed), clock, intake air temperature, engine temperature, two trip meters, gear position indicator and much more. However it does not have a fuel bar, only a low fuel light, which is annoying. The quality of the grips and switch gear is robust and great. I like the fact the a single switch is used for cycling through power modes and another for cycling through traction control, thankfully making changes of the fly very easy.

Engine, gearbox, braking and handling

The engine is the real star here and thankfully it shines bright not only because of it's brutal performance, but also because of how versatile and tractable it is, and how the power delivery is dished out to make it not too intimidating in the lower part of the rev range. The bike is equally happy in the mid range or while pulling crazily to the red line, or even while doing 60 KMPH in 6th gear.

Acceleration is savage, savage enough that in full power mode, going flat out, you feel the bike getting away from you, as it's accelerating faster than you can comprehend what's happening. The bike does 155 KMPH in 1st gear which is insane.

One thing i really love about the bike is that the power delivery is almost segmented, so that one can use the relevant part of the power band as per ones needs. The bike has a healthy mid range and almost friendly power delivery till around 7000-8000 RPM, this is the part of the powerband that one gets to use during city and even highway use. It helps the power be approachable, friendly and gives enough room for error in terms of feeding in to much power or feeding in power too suddenly. Above 8000 RPM the bike is a different beast altogether, the power delivery from 8000 RPM to the redline is immediate, savage and always induces power wheelies. The part of the powerband is a blur and is best reserved for trackdays or should be used with caution. Redlining the bike is an almost impossible task on city roads and is best avoided.

The gearbox is precise and every gearshift is accompanied by a reassuring clunk. While the gearbox does not have a quick shifter, i almost always do clutchless upshifts, as they are faster and end up not stressing the clutch. The bike comes with a slipper cluth, which is so helpful when using engine braking to slow down and also helps avoid bliping while down shifting.

The brakes were a dividing factor with reviewers, some people thought it lacked initial bite, while others thought the braking to be progressive so that it's friendly and approachable for novice riders and more friendly for a wider range of consumers. While i agree with both, i tend to lean more towards the latter school of thought. Being a novice to super sport bikes, i was very careful with my use of the brakes, knowing how powerful they can be. Thankfully the brakes are progressive, they have a friendly bite during the initial lever pull and then when one pulls the lever firmly, it braking power is massive and comes as surprise. With my increased confidence on the bike, I plan to get a few upgrades to improve braking and the lever feel. One thing that is very disappointing is that the bike does not come stock with braided stainless steel lines.

The handling is telepathic, it is light, nimble, flickable and the turn ins are so much faster than any other litre class bike that I have personally ridden till date. The amazing handling is down to the chassis, geometry, showa BPF, gas charged rear monoshock and the brilliant Ohlins steering damper, which has a separate ECU which makes the bike so much easier to ride at city speeds and feel super stable at higher speeds. The ZX10R handles like a dream and maybe it's a comfort factor thing, but everytime i ride another bike, I can't wait to get back on my 10R.

Riding Experience

I had never owned a super sport or a litre class bike before this and was mentally prepared for the sore bake and the aching wrists. I had TD-ed bikes like the crossplane R1, the Daytona etc. and had gotten a taste of the ride quality of these bikes. I expected the ZX10R to have a similarly harsh ride but thanx to the Showa big piston forks the ride quality is really good, obviously its not soft and cosseting but it's much better than you would imagine. Infact it is better than the Ninja 650R and that is saying a lot as the 650R is sports tourer.
I was also mentally prepared for a very committed riding position but thanx to the handlebars not being too much of a stretch, the adjustable rearsets and a very roomy and pretty comfortable seat, the bike is reasonably comfortable to ride.

Thanks to a comfortable ride, pretty decent riding position, a flexible engine and electronic aids, I think the ZX10R is easily amongst the most easy to live with litre class bikes available. I think this is really important as this makes the bike easy to live with and ride frequently. A lot of people end up not riding their bikes enough and maybe end up selling them because riding some bikes is too much of an effort and getting them for a ride becomes an occasion.

Pros
+ Supremely powerful in pull power mode
+ Really flexible engine. Pulls cleanly from 60-70 kmph in 6th gear
+ Intoxicating exhaust note
+ Power modes and traction control make the bike so much more usable
+ Progressive and powerful ABS enabled brakes
+ Relatively cooler running engine
+ Relatively comfortable ergonomics and ride, feel the ride is better than my ninja 650R
+ Goodies like Ohins steering damper, slipper clutch, adjustable rear sets, Showa Big Piston Forks etc.
+ Telepathic handing
+ Reasonable service cost and decent service support before the Bajaj-Kawasaki split fiasco

Cons
- Lack of a quick shifter
- Not a fan of the lime green paint scheme
- Tall first gear and not the lightest clutch make riding in stop start traffic difficult
- Misses on top of the line components from brembo and ohlins that it's more expensive European rivals have
- Bajaj-Kawasaki split is causing issues with service and availability of parts

Ownership Experience

I had a great experience owning the Ninja 650R and that made me prefer owning a Kawasaki again. Unfortunately the bigger Kawasaki's are only serviced by one outlet in the whole of Delhi/NCR and the experience with them is average at best. I much preferred the Suman Bajaj in Noida where I got my 650R serviced. Also for my last service, Kawasaki did not have oil filters in stock and didn't know when they will be getting them, which was pretty annoying. Thankfully filters of other reputable makes are very easy to come by in the open market.
Apart from the Kawasaki-Bajaj split issue, I have had an amazing experience with the bike so far. The bike was well maintained by the previous owner and was in good condition when i got it. Also it came with a good selection of aftermarkets, infact the bike came with most of the expensive aftermarkets than one would like to install on a bike, so now I only have to get the slightly cheaper mods going.

Thanks to a plethora of websites selling all the possible aftermarkets one can imagine, and thanx to cousins, friends and family who occasionally travel abroad, getting accessories and mods is much easier than it used to be. So here's hoping that slowly and steadily the bike will be becoming even more of a beast!!

I know it goes without saying, but I would highly urge anyone riding a motorcycle to wear as much protective gear as possible. The following is my gear.
Helmet: Bell RS1
Jacket: Alpinestars TGP air and Dianese Air frame mesh
Boots: Dianese Nexus
Gloves: Alpinestars S1 and Puma/Dianese Racing glove

I am extremely happy that i upgraded and got a bike which suits my riding requirements perfectly. I am also really thankful to have a group with whom not only do I ride on Sunday's, but a bunch of friends and brothers I love to hang out with. They have taught me how to be a better rider, have more control on the bike and have tremendously increased my knowledge of working on my bike. Before getting a bike a lot of people think about loosing time that they will get to spend with their families, however i think people should take into consideration the prospect of meeting new people, making new friends who became family!

I will keep updating this thread regularly about my learning and observations and photos.

Thank you everyone for the congratulations and good wishes. I've now had the bike for around 10 months and done approx 8000 kms and it has been an amazing journey. While I have not taken her to the track yet, my friends and I intend to participate during the next Rajni Academy of Competitive Racing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by narula123 (Post 4167146)

Get the braided lines IMO. I also see you have removed the Cat con with the Akra, suggest you get a PC5 or a Bazzaz unit asap and tune the bike with it or you risk running the bike lean on the stock map with the exhaust.
Ride safe. Happy miles ahead !!

I service the bike every 6 months/3000 kms and recharge the air filter frequently. Since I've had the bike, I have done the following mods. All the work on the bike has been done by myself, with great help and thanx to the knowledge and guidance of a dear friend. The ideology behind it being that not only does this help with bonding and understanding your machine, but also if you know what you are doing, the quality and care with which you will work on each components, bolt etc. can never be matched by a mechanic for whom it's a everyday, monotonous job.
1) Philips Xtreme Vision +130% H7 Bulbs: The stock bulbs on the bike were severely lacking for night time riding. While the Xtreme Visions are much better, they are still not sufficient for spirited night rides, so I am hoping to get good quality LEDs soon.
2) TechSpec Snake Skin Tank Grip: In a superbike tank grips are absolutely essential if you want your crotch to not be busted. Tank grips help you grip the tank easily, which helps not crash into the tank when braking hard, and also helps to take some weight off your wrists. I chose TechSpec over StompGrip as StompGrips are much more abrasive and tend to eat through denims and leathers, they are better for track days though.
3) Changed ball steering head bearings to roller bearings: My friend pointed out that my steering wasn’t as smooth as it should have been so we decided to swap the stock ball type bearing to higher quality roller bearings in the steering head. Now the steering and handling is super smooth and amazing, and also the roller bearings will probably outlast the bike.
4) NGK Iridium IX spark plugs: Knowing that the fuelling was off before I got the bike, I decided to change the spark plugs a few months back. It was a pretty tough job considering how tightly packed new 1000cc bikes are.
5) K&N Air filter: I swapped the stock air filter for a performance K&N soon after getting the bike. While the increased airflow helps performance, It also means that it requires frequent cleaning/recharging, which means opening up the tail, tank and some fairing section, and gets a bit annoying.
6) Dynojet Power Commander 5: Since the K&N and Akra are performance parts and change the air component of the AFR, it is advised to get a module that helps control the fuelling. The PC5 is easy to install, and we let the USB cable stay connected to the module, and routed it so that it is always under the pillion seat. That way it is easily accessible and we can make changes to the fuelling after every ride, without opening up anything other than the rear seat. The bike not only feels much more powerful and crisper after the PC5 but is also giving better mileage. Since installing the PC5, the bike feels as powerful in Medium, as it did in Full power mode.
7) Brembo 19RCS brake master cylinder: With great power comes great responsibility, which needs great brakes. After installing the PC5, while the stock brakes were not lacking, it still seemed like a good idea to upgrade the brakes too. The 19RCS or Ratio Click System is Brembos patented technology which lets riders switch the brake pressure between 2 points, let’s say one for street riding and much stronger one for track use. The 19RCS has greatly improved the braking and massively improved the brake lever feel. However with consistent usage the master cylinder over powers the brake lines, so that is bound to happen soon.

The following are the things that I plan to install on the bike soon, hopefully within the next 2 weeks. All these parts have already been procured and we just need to find time to install them.
1) Dynojet Auto Tuner: The auto tuner is an add on module to the PC5. It allows the user to define ideal AFR values to different parts of the rev range. The module comes with a wideband O2 sensor which analysis the air for temperature, humidity, density etc. and automatically adjusts the fuelling to try and maintain the ideal AFR value. Over regular usage the module helps develop an ideal fuelling map.
2) Fren Tubo ABS SS lines: Fren Tubo is an Italian company that provided brake lines to various AMA and WSBK teams. They have 4 categories of lines ranging from the basic SS lines with steel bolts and fittings to carbon lines with aluminium bolts and fittings. While I wanted to get the carbon lines, I ultimately got the basic SS lines as I feared the aluminium fittings could corrode much sooner.
3) Replacing the sprockets and chain: While my stock sprockets are in good health, the chain is almost at the end of its life. It is recommended to chain the sprockets and the chain together only. I plan to change the stock chainset with a higher quality and more efficient one, so that we can lay down the power better.
4) Flushing the coolant: My coolant levels are nearing the Low mark and with Delhi’s summers around the corner, I plan to flush the whole cooling system instead of just topping it up.

As of now I think I have all my desired upgrades either installed or already in the offing. It has now come to a point where I have the itch to keep doing small upgrades but can’t think of what to get next. lol: