Bike

History

Ninja ZX-10RR

The Ninja ZX-10RR has been through many stages of development, first as the Ninja ZX-10R and most recently in the RR version. Extensively updated ahead of the 2021 season, the latest Ninja ZX-10RR has been updated again for 2023 with direct development input from the KRT riders.

 

Based on the 2021 Ninja ZX-10RR featuring a plethora of road and race oriented improvements, such as Pankl connecting rods, pistons and piston pins, the new iteration of the RR has been the result of extensive testing trying a variety of parts and then focusing on a specification that takes this already supremely competitive racing thoroughbred to the next level.

 

The purposeful front profile features a large intake area for the ram-air system and internal front winglets that provide approximately 17% of extra downforce making corner entry more predictable while aiding straight-line stability. The rear aerodynamic package, including slots on the reshaped seat unit, also contribute to the sleek look lowering drag coefficient.

 

In the engine, Pankl titanium connecting rods, pistons and even individually matched piston pins save weight, allow freer revving and increase durability under demanding conditions whether in a racing environment or being used on a track day.

 

A finger follower valve actuation system (also used on Kawasaki’s top motocross bikes) incorporates a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) on the followers reducing friction and enhancing durability. Added to that, “ride-by-wire” style 47mm throttle bodies are coupled to lightweight pistons with their attendant reduction in reciprocating mass.

 

In chassis terms, a 1mm lower stock swingarm pivot point was adopted in 2021, allowing more adjustability for race use plus a wider handlebar stance and new footpeg mountings. (For the RR this pivot point is adjustable via special mounting plates).

 

In historical terms, the original ancestor to the latest RR model, the ZX-10R, reached a new career zenith in 2013 when Tom Sykes and the Kawasaki Racing Team won the WorldSBK championship. During that year the Ninja ZX-10R was the bike to have in WorldSBK, achieving ten victories over fourteen hard fought rounds of racing.

 

Jonathan Rea’s championship win in 2015, in his debut year as a Ninja ZX-10R rider delivered total domination and with the two official KRT machines inside the top three finishing places, the bike proved versatile in the extreme. In fact Rea won on his first outing on the machine at the Phillip Island season opener, a sign of what was to come.

 

The 1-2 result in 2016 for Rea and Sykes on the all-new Ninja enhanced the reputation of the ZX-10R, while podium success also followed the path of the new bike into the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup class. Cut to 2017 and Rea delivered a stunning third championship in a row, cementing his relationship with the mighty Ninja and securing his place among the Superbike elite.

 

Subsequent championship wins in 2018 and 2019 for Rea re-confirmed his and this machine’s legendary status. Even early season threats in the form of a serious new challenge from Ducati could not deflect Rea or his Ninja ZX-10RR from their winning championship trajectory. 17 race wins for Rea and two more from eventual independent riders’ champion Toprak Razgatlioglu served to double underline that once more Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-10RR was the bike to beat.

 

In 2020 the KRT Ninja ZX-10RR riders, Rea and new signing Alex Lowes, each scored a race win in the opening WorldSBK round in Australia. Global pandemic concerns led to a long interruption thereafter, and finally a shortened season. The intense European-based restart saw Rea maximise the bike’s potential to win his sixth successive title and get to within one win of the magic total of 100 career race victories.

 

Rea used the revamped bike to great effect in 2021, scoring as many race wins as the eventual champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and only missing out on a seventh championship crown by 13 points. Rea became the first rider to breach the barrier of 100 WorldSBK race wins in the very first meeting of the 2021 season. He finally lifted his pre-2022 career victory total to a remarkable 112.

 

 

Kawasaki and KRT race in 2023 with a determination for the Ninja ZX-10RR to retain its status as the most successful contemporary WorldSBK machine and one that shares much of its DNA with the machines now on display in Kawasaki dealerships promoting the ethos of this street motorcycle based racing series.