Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR Launched In India

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR has been launched in India with a price tag of Rs 21.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

If I had to compare the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R with a bird, it'd definitely be a falcon (the evil birdy from Stuart Little 2, if you are wondering). Lean, fierce, and fast, very fast. How much? Well, it can dive towards its prey at more than 320kmph. Beat that! However, I have no intention of turning this article into an Animal Planet rant. All I have to say is that Kawasaki is all set to bring an even faster version of the aforementioned bike to India on March 11, which is known as the Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Or might I say, the same falcon attached with another tiny set of wings to allow it to dive even faster! The bike in question is a limited production machine with only 500 units available globally and was first launched at the 2016 INTERMOT show. The bike is only available in a special Winter Edition matte black paint scheme and we are not complaining -- I mean just look at that thing!

Apart from the menacing paint scheme, the ZX-10RR packs enough witchcraft to wow you with its performance. Thanks to features like Kawasaki’s KQS quick-shifter, mounted on the 6-speed gearbox, that will allow you to upshift and downshift without needing you to pull the clutch lever or slow down the revs. But why? Lap times, my friend, and the less often you let go of the throttle the less time you're going to lose. Speaking of revs, the 998cc inline four-cylinder unit can spin up to a mindboggling 13000rpm with ram air induction, all the while producing 210PS! To transfer the figures to the track/road the RR uses a set of super sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres wrapped around ultra-lightweight seven-spoke forged aluminium wheels.

Coming back to the kit, the motor uses ultra-hard DLC (Diamond Like Coating) carbon coating and a more rigid crankcase. The bike is also available with more race kit parts globally and those may be offered in India as well. The race kit comprises of high-lift camshafts (offering 0.7mm more valve lift that the standard ZX-10R’s) and modified cylinder heads to accommodate the increased lift. Kawasaki also narrowed down the coolant passages between the cylinders to allow increased material thickness at the bottom of the cylinder so as to accommodate race-spec pistons, which can withstand high-rpm stresses.

What all of this has added up to is a bike that is 2 seconds faster than the standard ZX-10R around Kawasaki's Kumamoto test track in Japan.

It doesn’t end here -- the Japanese manufacturer has added features like a 6-axes Bosch inertial measurement system unit (IMU), a 5-mode traction control system and a three-stage launch control along with ABS. Clearly, the bike will cater to serious racers or bike enthusiasts looking for something exclusive.