Been a fair old while since we wrote about a Kawasaki on this site. Since the demise of the 750 they have been heavy old sheds with few sporting pretentions, but suddenly Kawasaki have got into gear and brought out a decent sports bike.

In Tet's view, the ZX10R is the best of the bunch from the 2004 breed of litre sports bikes.

Now anyone who has read the press reports about the ZX10R will have heard it's a bit of a beast, but I found it to be great. The riding position is what sealed it for me though as the best all rounder. It feels just like my Blade with a nice reach to the bars and the seat high enough for my knees not to get cramped.

The engine is a stunner and everything else about the bike seems to be just right and falls to hand easily. The one I rode was fitted with an Ohlins rear shock and a Hyperpro steering damper and these certainly help. The Ohlins shock is good, but it's no WP unit that's for sure, but some careful tweaking could put that right.

The front forks are what seems to let it down a bit. It's a shame I didn't get time to really try and set these up better, but I did wind in some more compression damping to help give it feel when turning and this seemed to help, I'm sure a bit more fine tuning of the forks would help it even more.

However, I reckon the biggest problem is the Dunlop tyres, they pick up every single variation on the road surface and this can make the bike feel a bit unnerving on the back roads, but you have to try and forget all that and just sling it into corners and it then seems to be very happy indeed. I didn't want to get off it.

The last Kawasaki I owned was a KH250, it may be time to try another Kwacker soon!

I took it for a lap of the Ring. The short chassis and quick steering certainly allow you to hustle through the tight stuff, and the steering stays light through the faster bends. Bike feels very racey, which is nice.

Front end does go airborn all the time, which is a nuisance at the Ring with so many cresting bends - you do need a top flight steering damper with this bike. Unfortunately I didn't understand the complicated thing on the bike I tried and seemed to have done the lap with just about zero damping, which explained the tank slappers.

Rear end was a bit rock-hard for my taste, but the bike was fitted with an Ohlins so there must be a decent bit of adjustment available. Front end was a touch soggy and not helped by constantly leaving terra firma. Some setting up or perhaps a revalve needed. First thing is to fit some decent tyres; I bet it's unbeatable with Rennsports on.

One thing, I felt a lot less knackered after a quick lap on this than on the R1, and the fact that it was able to get past John and Tet without being fully set up says a lot about the basis rightness of the bike.

This new Kwacker definitely has a lot of potential, and is easier to hustle than the R1 or 'Blade. It is a bit front endy which may put some people off - not unlike the new Aprilia, very quick steering and nervous with it. What does MCN say?.. not for novices, and they could be right.

Engine

- Liquid-cooled, 998cc four-stroke, inline four-cylinder engine utilizes stacked layout used for compact dimensions, contributing to the ZX-10R's narrow profile

- One-piece cylinder/crankcase saves weight and is more rigid

- Forged pistons have flat top for compact combustion chamber

- Cams machined from chromoly steel billet and surface treated with soft nitride for light weight and durability

- Tappet surfaces treated with soft nitriding to help prevent wear

- Intake and exhaust valves use single springs with oval cross sections to lower overall engine height

- Flow analysis used to design cylinder head, maximizing engine breathing at high rpm

- All-titanium four-into-one exhaust system includes butterfly valve to enhance low-rpm power

- Oval-shaped aluminum muffler with internal titanium parts reduces noise and includes honeycomb catalyzer to reduce emissions

- Electronic fuel injection with sub-throttle assembly and 43mm throttle bodies provide best power characteristics and ridability

- High-speed generator is clutch driven and is positioned behind the cylinder bank to reduce engine width

- Liquid-cooled oil cooler helps to maintain consistent oil temperatures

- Sloshing analysis used to design internal structure of oil pan, reducing windage and helping to maintain low oil temperatures

- Magnesium engine covers reduce overall dry weight

Transmission

- Close-ratio six-speed transmission optimizes on-track performance

- Multi-plate wet clutch with back torque limiter prevents rear wheel hop under hard braking and deceleration

Chassis

- All-aluminum, twin-spar backbone frame utilizes thin-walled castings and pressed sheets welded together for light weight – provides high-speed stability and responsive handling, yet is no wider than most 600cc sportbikes

- Frame arches over the engine rather than around it, giving the ZX-10R the narrowest possible profile for excellent riding position and ride "feel"

- Fully-adjustable 43mm forks and internal aluminum parts feature circuit setting for competition

- Top triple clamp features "lightening holes" to reduce weight

- Gull-type aluminum swingarm with oval pipe brace, UNI-TRAK® linkage and fully adjustable shock is lightweight and torsionally rigid

- Rear suspension includes ride height adjustment

Brakes & Wheels

- Dual 300mm front disc brakes feature radial-mounted four-piston calipers and single 220mm rear disc brake – the first petal discs in the liter bike class – enhance cooling and prevent warpage

- Cast-aluminum wheels utilize six spokes in place of the traditional three-spoke design, so rim thickness is reduced, yet the wheels are stronger and lighter

Bodywork & Ergonomics

- Front fairing is narrower than most 600cc sportbikes

- Central ram air duct provides the induction system with the coolest, densest air possible

- Pop nuts make disassembly quick and easy

- Three-dimensional computer-assisted design used to develop ergonomic and aerodynamic layout

- Three-piece front fender increases aerodynamic efficiency

- Top of the fuel tank is concave so the rider can tuck in more tightly behind the windscreen

- Fuel tank bottom is flat to provide engine with stable fuel level

- Compact rear fender is slim and light

- Inner fender's flowing design matches the shape of the swingarm to achieve unity of function and style

- Five-piece W-shaped seat cowl flows from the tank the rear tail section for an aggressive, high-quality image and is easily removed for maintenance

Additional Features

- Forged aluminum handlebars are strong and gun drilled to further reduce weight

- Powerful dual multi-reflector 55W headlights provide best possible nighttime visibility

- Digital LCD instrument panel includes tachometer, speedometer, water temperature gauge, shift indicator, clock and stop watch function

Specification

Engine: Four-stroke, DOHC, inline four, 16 valves
Horsepower: (PS) 184*
Displacement: 998cc
Starting: Electric
Bore x stroke: 76.0 x 55mm
Compression ratio: 12.7:1
Cooling: Liquid
Induction: Electronic fuel injection with four 43mm throttle bodies
Ignition: TCBI with digital advance
Transmission: Six-speed, close ratio with multi-plate wet clutch and back torque limiter
Frame: All-aluminum twin-tube backbone
Rake / trail: 24 degrees / 4.0 inches
Suspension, front: 43mm inverted cartridge fork with DLC coating, adjustable preload,compression and rebound damping
Suspension, rear: Gull-type aluminum swingarm, UNI-TRAK® linkage system, fully adjustable gas-charged shock with stepless compression/rebound damping, adjustable spring preload, adjustable ride height
Tyre, front: 120/70ZR17
Tyre, rear: 190/50ZR17
Brakes, front / rear: Dual 300mm hydraulic petal disc with radial-mounted, opposed four-piston caliper / Single 220mm hydraulic petal disc with radial-mounted caliper
Seat height: 32.5 inches
Dry weight: 375 pounds
Fuel capacity: 4.5 gallons
Wheelbase: 54.5 inches
Colors: Candy Thunder Blue, Lime Green, Pearl Blazing Orange, Black