The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R for 2012 gets some updates as seen in this preview pic from VisorDown. The new Ninja gets more black detailing on the chassis, fairing and tank parts, as well as blacked-out wheels and exhaust. The new glossy black gives the ZX-10R an even racier look - in case we needed convincing. We’ll have more as it comes officially from Kawasaki on any other updates to the 2012 Ninja range.

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This video shows rider Tim Röthig take on the Nurburgring with a Kawasaki ZX-10R and a set of Battlax Racing R10 Bridgestone tyres. Along for the ride is a gyrocam, so we can really see what it means to ride a superbike around the ‘Ring. The video claims an “almost standard” ZX-10R, and a lap time of 7′50″. There could be a few lessons in this video for the track riders amongst you, otherwise just enjoy the gyrocam superbike lap of the Nurburgring.

Source | HFL

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Chris Vermeulen decided to skip not only testing but the first World Superbike round of the season at Phillip Island, which would have been not only his home race, but his first race after the very long post-op rehabilitation because he wasn’t fit enough, but now the Aussie rider is ready to return to action for the upcoming Donington round.

Vermeulen has been nominated Motorcycling Australia’s new ambassador to promote the sport and writing his first of a series of exclusive blogs for them said: “I had my heart set on racing at Phillip Island in front of a big home crowd and all of my friends and family. Unfortunately my knee wasn’t quite right, but to know that I will be closer to 100 per cent fit for the round at Donington gives me great confidence, so when I get back on my Kawasaki I will be competitive from the first lap.”

The Kawasaki rider will certainly have his work cut for him because he’s had only one day of pre-season testing at Sepang to get to know his all new ZX-10R.

Source | bikeracing.it

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As we reported yesterday Chris Vermeulen cut short his debut test on the 2011 Kawasaki due to pain and swelling in his knee and has also decided to skip the official Portimao test that takes place later this month to continue his rehabilitation, and try to get back in shape for the Phillip Island test on February 21 and 22, before the WSBK season opener on February 27th.

“Chris rode on day one of the Sepang tests and was very impressed with the performance of the new bike,” said team manager Paul Risbridger. “He has made great progress with his knee recently, and his recovery is well on schedule. After day one we all decided that he did not need to run on track any more at this stage and it was better for him to go home and carry on with his rehabilitation. We also came to a consensus that there was no point in him coming all the way back to Europe for the Portimao tests, as it would just interrupt his overall recovery. Riding the bike is not assisting his recuperation at this stage, so Chris will carry on with his very effective programme of physiotherapy and exercise so that he is ready when it matters most, at the start of the new season.”

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Gabor Talmacsi may be at a crossroads in his career, but not wanting to leave any stone unturned and despite revealing that the World Superbike championship is hardly known in his native Hungary.

Talmacsi is still deep in talks with Pedercini, and has decided to give superbikes ago, pending a test with the Kawasaki ZX-10R. The Hungarian rider will be joining the platoon of Kawasaki superbike and superstock riders (Tom Sykes, Joan Lascorz, Chris Vermeluen, Stuart Easton, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Roberto Rolfo, Marco Bussolotti, Leandro Mercado and Bryan Staring, who’ll all be at the Malaysian track from January 10th to 14th.

According to Lucio Pedercini, Talmacsi asked to join the test session at Sepang in order to get the feel of a 1000cc 4-stroke superbike on track, as his previous experiences with a four-stroke has only been with a Moto2, before deciding if his future, wanting to be sure that he could also be competitive in this category.

Source | moto.it

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After the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja not-a-recall technical hold for the US, we thought we’d check out a couple of the exhaust and muffler options for the new Ninja, available for when you can get yours back on the road. First up is the Arrow accessories range for the new ZX-10R. The company has produced a full range of silencers/mufflers and exhaust options in the Race-Tech, Works and Pro-Racing lines, that can be assembled on the original version or combined with other Arrow exhaust units.

The Race-Tech line includes a silencer of either titanium or aluminium/stainless steel costing about 440 and 270 euros respectively. The Pro-Racing series offers Nichrom steel with carbon at about 430 euros, while the Works line includes a titanium-carbon combination for about 450 euros. The Race-Tech series goes on to include everything from more stainless steel options to titanium.

LeoVince has gotten to work for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R with its SBK GP-PRO Evo II in stainless steel which you can hear after the jump. It follows the SBK Factory R full titanium slip-on, and there’s a video of that, too. Finally, you can also get an Akrapovic exhaust for your ZX-10R. The full Evolution system for racing is made from titanium and comes with optional carbon fibre muffler, while the street-legal system offers a titanium option. We’ll have to wait for more details from Kawasaki, scarce on transparency in its recall, to know when the ZX-10R will be back on the market, hopefully fulfilling its potential.

Continue reading: 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja exhaust tuning options

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“Let the good times roll” Kawasaki’s motto apparently won’t apply, at least for the moment to their 2011 ZX-10R Superbike as the Japanese manufacturer has put the model on ‘technical hold’ (in my books that’s a recall, no matter how they call it).

At the present it seems that only US dealers that get the technical hold, as the press release comes from Kawasaki Motor Corps, U.S.A., which states without clarifying, what teething problem or problems (safety issues according to rumors are not the question) that are afflicting the highly hyped new Ninja, but the company is withdrawing all unsold units and are asking that those who have already received their bikes to return them and they’ll get a refund and these customer will be the first to get a new unit once the technical hold has been lifted.

Press release after the jump.

Continue reading: Teething problems for the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R

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Right on schedule, Joan Lascorz finally got his long awaited debut test (a couple of demo laps in Qatar doesn’t count) on the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R at the Almeria race track in Spain, despite wind, cold temperatures and rain disrupting the three day test session.

The Spanish rider was seriously injured during the Supersport race at Silverstone, is almost back to full fitness according to his team, but he admits he’s just lacking some strength that he’ll get back as soon as possible which will make riding easier in taking the bike to the limit.

“I felt very good at this test but I must get a little more strength back to push the bike to his limits. My first impression of the bike is very positive and it delivers power in a good way. On the first day I made a few laps, on the second day a few more and on the last day I felt much happier, and did even more laps than before. I had a much better feeling from the bike also. For the moment I have to ride around my lack of strength but otherwise it all went OK. I have a few weeks to go before the Sepang test so I am working on improving my condition to let me go faster on the bike. For sure I will be ready for the first race.”

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With Aprilia and Yamaha set to do their testing at Phillip Island, six teams (Honda Ten Kate, both BMW teams, DFX Borciani, Alstare Suzuki and Supersonic Ducati who’ll be testing at Portimao today and tomorrow, the Kawasaki team just finished another three days of intense testing at the Spanish circuit of Aragon, after last month’s unofficial test.

Tom Sykes and test rider Katsuaki Fujiwara continued testing the new 2011 Ninja, with Sykes working on lap times and set-up, with a best lap of 1’58.5, while Fujiwara tried out some new parts. Also present were the other two official riders Chris Vermeulen and Joan Lascorz, who still are working on regaining fitness, even if Lascorz did a couple of laps at the Losail track in Qatar earlier this month for the world launch of the ZX-10R.

Tom Sykes: “We were pleased with the test and to be this close to the front at this stage was promising. Overall we had a good understanding of the complete package and we got through quite a few things. Finding a good base setting was the main objective, but at the end we also tried something a bit different on the bike, and again found quite a significant improvement. Overall, I am very pleased with the way things went.”

Continue reading: WSBK: Kawasaki completes another 3 days of testing at Aragon

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Chris Vermeulen expects to be able to return to the track to begin testing Kawasaki’s 2011 ZX-10R early January. So far the testing of the new racing superbike has been carried out by Tom Sykes and Katsuaki Fujiwara.

The Aussie who is still on crutches, decided to pull out of the championship after the Brno round to undergo a second and more extensive knee surgery after his keyhole surgery in April didn’t solve his knee injury sustained during the first round at Phillip Island.

“I’ve had a ten week check-up since my operation in Barcelona and they (the doctors) are really happy and surprised with how my knee looks. It was a major surgery. I got a new piece of meniscus on the lateral side of my knee where it was very badly damaged and I also got a new ligament. It was a very big job and a complete recovery is around nine to twelve months before my body can accept the new parts. But after ten weeks I have over 90 degrees bend in my knee and I’m working hard with my physio doing 20 minutes of work on the knee every hour that I am awake. In three or four weeks time I might be able to throw the crutches away.”

Kawasaki will be testing at the Motorland Aragon circuit next week and four days in January at Sepang, Malaysia.

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The 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R underwent another two days of intense testing this week in very hot conditions at the Valencia race track. Having received a second Ninja from Japan Tom Sykes and Katsuaki Fujiwara took the new superbikes through their paces after taking care of new geometry and suspension settings and apparently the laps times were very good with laps around the 1′34 mark on fresh race tires. Skyes Superpole lap at Valencia on qualifiers was 1′34.894.

The next test will be be held at Magny-Cours, after the final race of the current season and hopefully before that date the team will let us know who will be Chris Vermeulen’s team mate next season.

Heres what Skyes and team manager Paul Risbridger had to say about the test.

Continue reading: 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R tests at Valencia

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Kawasaki is revealing bit by bit their new 2011 Ninja superbike ZX-10R and after their test at Autopolis circuit with Tom Sykes, they’ve posted this video footage that has some great close-ups of the bike and with Skyes in action.

Source | oliepeil.nl

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