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2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS

More photos and information: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... 10RABS.htm







2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS

Passion and Speed Meet Advanced Technology

The highly advanced 2012 Ninja® ZX™-10R has just met its match: The 2012 Ninja ZX-10R ABS. Built with the same cutting-edge sport bike technology, much of it right off the MotoGP circuit, the ZX-10R ABS has an important advantage: anti-lock braking.

At first, anti-lock braking might seem a touch out of place on a purebred sportbike. But this system was designed from the start to provide maximum performance. And when you consider the many safety- and control-oriented benefits provided by the amazing electronic and hardware technology available today, it begins to make a lot of sense.

Think of it: You’re braking for a blind, decreasing-radius corner after a long day of sport riding. Shadows are long and you’re tired, so you don’t notice a patch of sand until it’s too late to correct. But instead of tucking as you continue braking through the sand, your front tire maintains most of its traction, as the anti-lock braking system intervenes until the surface improves – allowing you to arc gracefully into the corner, a little wiser and a lot more intact physically than you might have been riding a non-ABS motorcycle.

Kawasaki calls its anti-lock system KIBS – or Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System. The use of “intelligent” is apropos, too, considering just how smart the new KIBS is. It all starts with the smallest and lightest ABS unit ever built for a motorcycle, one Bosch designed specifically with sport bikes in mind. It’s nearly 50 percent smaller than current motorcycle ABS units, and 800 grams lighter, adding only about 7 pounds of weight compared to the non-ABS machine, a pound of which is accounted for by the larger battery.

KIBS is a multi-sensing system, one that collects and monitors a wide range of information taken from wheel sensors (the same ones collecting data on the standard ZX-10R for its S-KTRC traction control system) and the bike’s ECU, including wheel speed, caliper pressure, engine rpm, throttle position, clutch actuation and gear position. The KIBS’s ECU actually communicates with the bike’s engine ECU and crunches the numbers, and when it notes a potential lock-up situation, it tells the Bosch ABS unit to temporarily reduce line pressure, allowing the wheel to once again regain traction.

Aside from this system’s ultra-fast response time, it offers a number of additional sport-riding benefits, including rear-end lift suppression during hard braking, minimal kickback during ABS intervention, and increased rear brake control during downshifts. The high-precision pressure control enables the system to avoid reduced brake performance (sometimes seen on less advanced systems), maintain proper lever feel and help ensure the ABS pulses are minimized.

The rest of the 2012 Ninja ZX-10R ABS is equally advanced. Complete with a powerful engine and lightweight chassis, it also boasts a highly advanced and customizable electronic system that allows riders of all skill levels to harness and experience the ZX-10R ABS’s amazing blend of power and razor-edge handling. The system is called Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control.

Motorcyclists have forever been challenged by traction-related issues, whether on dirt, street or track. Riders who can keep a rear tire from spinning excessively or sliding unpredictably are both faster and safer, a tough combination to beat on the racetrack. And when talking about the absolute leading edge of open-class sport bike technology, where production street bikes are actually more capable than full-on race bikes from just a couple years ago, more consistent traction and enhanced confidence is a major plus.

Key Features

• Engine and chassis allow for linear power delivery
• Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC) continuously monitors wheel speed, throttle position, engine rpm and a host of other data to help ensure the optimal amount of traction
• Advanced Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-lock Braking System monitors a wide range of data, and allows optimum wheelspin while enhancing rider control
• Power Mode selector allows riders to select power level and power delivery
• Aluminum frame has ideal strength and rigidity
• Big Piston Fork (BPF) helps maintain composure under braking
• Horizontal back-link rear suspension helps deliver smooth suspension action
• Slipper-type back-torque limiting clutch helps corner entry handling
• Race-oriented instrumentation offers riders a wealth of information


2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS - Specifications/Technical Details
Canada MSRP Price: See Canadian Kawasaki Dealer for pricing.
US MSRP Price: $14,999.00 USD


Type 4-stroke, In-Line Four
Displacement 998cc
Bore and Stroke 76.0 x 55.0 mm
Cooling Liquid
Compression Ratio 13.0:1
Valve System DOHC, 16 valves (4 valves per cylinder)
Fuel System DFI with 47 mm Keihin throttle bodies with oval sub-throttles, two injectors per cylinder
Ignition Digital TCBI with S-KTRC (Sport-Kawasaki TRaction Control)
Lubrication Forced lubrication (wet sump with oil cooler)


DRIVETRAIN

Transmission 6-speed cassette, with positive neutral finder
Final Drive Sealed Chain
Primary Reduction Ratio 1.681 (79/47)
Gear Ratio: 1st 2.600 (39/15)
Gear Ratio: 2nd 2.053 (39/19)
Gear Ratio: 3rd 1.737 (33/19)
Gear Ratio: 4th 1.571 (33/21)
Gear Ratio: 5th 1.444 (26/18)
Gear Ratio: 6th 1.348 (31/23)
Final Reduction Ratio 2.294 (39/17)
Clutch Wet multi-disc, manual


FRAME

Type Twin spar, cast aluminium
Wheel Travel: Front 120 mm (4.7 in.)
Tire: Front 120/70-ZR17
Wheel Travel: Rear 140 mm (5.5 in.)
Tire: Rear 190/55-ZR17
Caster (Rake) 25º
Trail 107 mm (4.2 in.)
Steering Angle (Left/Right) 27º/27º


SUSPENSION

Suspension, Front 43 mm inverted Showa Big Piston front fork with top-out springs, stepless compression and rebound damping, fully-adjustable spring preload
Suspension, Rear Horizontal Back-link with gas-charged shock, piggyback reservoir and top-out spring, stepless, dual range (high/low speed) compression damping, stepless rebound damping, fully adjustable spring preload


BRAKES

Front: Type Dual semi-floating 310 mm petal discs, 10-button aluminium rotor carrier
Front: Calipers Dual radial-mount, opposed 4-piston
Rear: Type Single 220 mm petal disc
Rear: Calipers Single-bore pin-slide, aluminium piston


DIMENSIONS

Overall Length 2,075 mm (81.7 in.)
Overall Width 715 mm (28.0 in.)
Overall Height 1,115 mm (43.9 in.)
Wheelbase 1,425 mm (56.1 in.)
Ground Clearance 135 mm (5.3 in.)
Seat Height 813 mm (32 in.)
Curb Mass** 201 kg (442.9 lbs.)
Fuel Capacity 17 litres (3.7 gal.)
Fuel Consumption 5.8 L/100 km (49 MPG)
** Includes all necessary materials and fluids to operate correctly, full tank of fuel (more than 90% of capacity) and tool kit (if supplied)


PERFORMANCE

Maximum Power‡ 131.7 kW {179.1 PS} @ 11,000 rpm
Maximum Power with Ram Air‡ 138.3 kW {188.0 PS} @ 11,000 rpm
Maximum Torque‡ 112 N.m {11.4 kgf.m} @ 11,500 rpm
‡ Power / Torque figures measured at the crankshaft.

More photos and information: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... 10RABS.htm

The heavy-weight of the Kawasaki sportbike line. So many features I couldn't post it all here so you'll have to go here to read about it: More photos and information: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... 10RABS.htm

Is it all too much? Or the perfect balance of science and technology?

You decide.

I am not overly a big fan of all the wiz bang gee golly high tech thingies they have been putting on bikes, personally I think Satnav (GPS) is for chartreuse too afraid to explore roads uncharted or for simpletons that can't read a map. Traction control on high end RR bikes I can just about tolerate. Floppy paddle semi-automatic transmissions belong in cages and are only meant to be used by those too uncoordinated to master a clutch and gear shifter. Launch control is for total n00bs and wankers.

However, ABS is the one piece of high tech kit I do like and want. Can't count how many times I have applied a dab of rear brake and had the sodding wheel lock up on me due to an oily road surface. I like this bike very much, apart from the green and black paint scheme, thankfully it comes in solid black and red and black. I give it a cool rating.

+1 bump.... not a popular of a model? If so, Kawasaki's flagship sportbike might be in trouble!

Mike

Honestly I like that they have the tech available. The styling on the other hand? Ehhhh not so much.

I went with: COOL

The look and color of the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS is awesome in my opinion, it's more out of a video game and art stundent's design class than out of Kawasaki's R&D department as I just can't ever see being comfortable on it for more than a 30-60 mins ride. Which is a shame as it had a lot of technology, power and style to offer to the rider for much longer than that. Typical of supersports is a thinly padded seat, low bars, rear set pegs and minimal wind blocking unless you are right on top of the tank.

Also in the uncool catagory (for me at least) is the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS's technology package, I can only imagein how difficult it would be to work on this bike in your garage, how much extra cost it will be to service and fix and rather than adding to the rider's fun factor I could see so much technology starting to tell the rider how to ride rather than the rider telling the bike how to go. Call me a traditionalist I guess.

A great example of what a high-technology motorcycle can be but I just wouldn't want to own one.

Mike

totalmotorcycle wrote:+1 bump.... not a popular of a model? If so, Kawasaki's flagship sportbike might be in trouble!

Mike

I voted awesome....it's a decent looking incarnation of a ZX10R with ABS to boot, what else can it be.

totalmotorcycle wrote:I could see so much technology starting to tell the rider how to ride rather than the rider telling the bike how to go. Call me a traditionalist I guess.

Mike

My point exactly, too much high tech craap creeping into the motorcycle world, at the rate they are going modern bikes will be like the F-22, for every hour of riding/flying you will have to spend 35 hours doing routine maintenance. ABS has been around for a long long time, if I am not mistaken Royal Enfield experimented with a mechanical ABS for bikes back in the late 50's. Too much high tech and computerized doohickies means just that much more can and will go wrong, often requiring an expensive "technician" in stead of a grease monkey to fix it. The best thing about bikes is that they basically still adhere to the KISS Principle, although for how much longer is any ones guess.

Wow, yet another close vote! But in the end, 1 vote broke it all:

Your Coolness Factor of the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ABS is...

Awesome 50% [ 8 ]
Cool 44%
Uncool 6%
Fail 0%

Next Cool Wall bike now up!

Mike

I voted Awesome. I love Kawasaki motorcycles anyway but, they have come out with a lot of Awesome bikes lately. The ZX-14R, Ninja 1000, Z-1 and the ZX-10R are either best or at least close to best in their class. I would love to own a 10R as a second or third bike, but my wrist and injured shoulder could not handle it for very long.