Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019]

Name: Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019]
Brand: Kawasaki
SKU: 702
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.7 (4 reviews)

4.7

4 Reviews Rate & Win

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Key specs

998 cc
6 Speed Manual
204 kg

Last known Avg. Ex-showroom price

₹ 13,95,694

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] is now discontinued in India.

Discontinued

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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] Summary

Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] key highlights
Engine Capacity	998 cc
Transmission	6 Speed Manual
Kerb Weight	204 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity	17 litres
Seat Height	835 mm
Max Power	197.3 bhp

About Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019]

The 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R has been launched in India. The new model has been given a host of technological and aerodynamic updates inspired by Kawasaki’s WSBK-spec race machine.

When it comes to the design, Kawasaki has played safe and continued with the old layout albeit with modern, more aerodynamic design cues. In terms of visual upgrades, Kawasaki has added more volume to the fairing for better high-speed stability and widened the tail section as well.

The new ZX-10R is powered by a new 998cc inline-four liquid-cooled engine that produces 197bhp. This engine gets a 20 per cent lighter new cylinder head, new Euro 4 titanium exhaust and an electronic throttle. The new ZX-10R is loaded with electronics like the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which operates through five measured axes plus a calculated programme which allows the bike to know what is going on in terms of lean angle, pitch and yaw, acceleration and braking. It also features Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System, Kawasaki Launch Control Mode, Kawasaki Quick Shifter, Kawasaki Engine Brake Control and the new Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control.

Kawasaki will bring the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R as a completely-built-up (CBU) unit and it will be sold only through Kawasaki dealerships and not Pro-Biking showrooms. It takes on supersport motorcycles like the Yamaha R1, as well as the Aprilia RSV4 RF, BMW S1000RR and Ducati 1299 Panigale.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] Review

What is it?

If you are stuck in the city amongst crawling traffic with the ambient temperature over 37 degrees and you having donned full leathers, well the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R can be quite a pain. I know what you are thinking – any big bike in such a situation would be awful, and I agree. But, when you add a seating posture, which puts your behind in the sky and your face in the ground, and a seat that’s just an upmarket and fancy excuse for a plank, not to mention a turning circle that’s large enough to round a city, pain is an understatement. Okay, we might have exaggerated a bit here, but the point is, a Ninja ZX-10R in the city is pointless.

How does it ride?

It is hopeless in the city we have established that. Therefore, one must either head to a race track – which Kawasaki insists the Ninja ZX-10R was designed for (or from, since there’s endless talk about World Superbike lineage and stuff) – or like us to a twisty road early in the morning before the ‘selfie couples’ on scooters arrive. Because once the road starts curving the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R transforms into a machine you’d sell your soul for.

It’s terrific! So good, so well sorted, so well engineered and so smart, it tricks you into believing that you have actually acquired the riding skills you have been dreaming about all this while, overnight. That front-end has so much grip and feedback, the chassis is so responsive, and the turning ability of the ZX-10R just allows you to be a lot more committed around a bend.

And here’s the sweet bit: You might think that you are entering a corner too hot on the 10R, but there’s always room to tighten the line. There’s enough cornering clearance and the way the front – the tyre, the suspension and even the brakes for that matter – communicates the endless levels of grip available, just soothes you into making a corner without panic or stress levels shooting through the helmet. The bike simply shrinks around you, and the faster you go, the better it gets! And lest I forget, this is one of the few big, fast, and racy motorcycles that doesn’t get dramatically upset by mid corner bumps, further adding to the rider’s confidence.

All of this is made possible courtesy the changes that have been brought to the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R compared to the older model. It now gets balance free front forks (BFF), a revised chassis and swingarm, and a new steering geometry. The new forks use gas charging for more consistent feel and discerning adjustment; the chassis is lighter and the swingarm longer for both added agility and stability; and the geometry now with the steering head closer to the rider, is supposed to add to the bike’s flick-ability. And flick-able it most certainly is.

And of course, if it’s a litre-class supersports, handling is only part of the menu; equally important is the engine and electronics that govern its performance. For 2016, Kawasaki has revised the engine. The liquid cooled, inline four still runs the same bore and stroke and with it an identical 998cc, but the internals have been heavily reworked. The new engine gets a lighter balancer shaft, newly designed cylinder heads, a revised combustion chamber design, lighter pistons and titanium alloy headers.

What this means is that when you aren’t in a tearing hurry, the ZX-10R can be pretty docile. Upshift early and even if you don’t have a great right wrist, the bike won’t take off from under you or spit you under oncoming traffic. It pulls cleanly even from 3,000rpm and you can get to 6th gear even before you hit 100kmph. And it remains ride-able throughout. It does heat up in slow moving traffic though.

But, when the yellow lights on the tachometer turn red (read 8,000rpm), the Ninja ZX-10R turns savage. There’s the typical inline four scream with an underlying note of violence that can scare the wits off bystanders, animals and even the rider himself. Actually, the ZX-10R’s performance – if you call upon it as its makers intended by riding it only in the red zone – can comfortably put the fear of god in you. It certainly scared me. It just charges ahead with such unrelenting rage, within seconds, you are out of road and equally out of options but to get hard on the brakes. And pray. Thankfully, the brakes are equally powerful and you are down to survival pace in no time.

Anything else I should know?

As with any litre-class supersport, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R comes with a heavy dose of electronics. So much so that Kawasaki has split it into different headers. Under Power Technology, there’s the IMU, launch control, engine brake control, quick shifter, and power modes - F (Full) gives you 100 per cent, M (Middle) limits the power to 80 per cent, and L (low) cuts it down to 60 per cent.

Under Handling Technology, the IMU makes reappearance along with traction control, intelligent ABS, cornering management and an electronic steering damper.

For a more detailed understanding of these technologies, head here.

Should I buy one?

If you are going to be using the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R on a race track regularly, ABSOLUTELY, BUY IT! It will make a hero out of you. And it doesn’t matter whether you are a track god or just downright terrible on a track, it will be immensely satisfying for both. But, if you are buying one because you want a fast litre-class bike that you will end up using in the city or on straight highways, it’s pointless. And painful. And if you are a Kawasaki fan, you already have the 14R for all of that.

Where does it fit in?

The 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R retails for Rs 18.2 lakh on the road in Mumbai. Its competition includes the Yamaha R1, which at Rs 26.9 lakh is quite pricey. The Honda CBR1000RR is bit more affordable (compared to the Yamaha) at Rs 20.3 lakh while the Suzuki GSXR1000 is almost at par with the Ninja at Rs 18.9 lakh. These are hardcore too, and almost equally track friendly and city phobic. There’s also the likes of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory and the Ducati 1299 Panigale that you might want to consider. However, you better have deep pockets for both these Italians are eye-wateringly expensive.

Photography by Kapil Angane

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Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] Specifications & Features

Specifications

Power & Performance

Fuel Type Petrol

Max Power 197.3 bhp @ 13,000 rpm

Max Torque 113.5 Nm @ 11,500 rpm

Cooling System Liquid Cooled

Transmission 6 Speed Manual

Transmission Type Chain Drive

Emission Standard Emission standards indicate the output from the exhaust that is permissible in a country. --

Displacement 998 cc

Cylinders 4

Bore 76 mm

Stroke 55 mm

Valves Per Cylinder 4

Compression Ratio 13.0:1

Ignition Digital CDI

Spark Plugs 1 Per Cylinder

Gear Shifting Pattern Gear Shifting Pattern --

Clutch Wet Multiplate

Fuel Delivery System --

Fuel Tank Capacity 17 litres

Reserve Fuel Capacity These are estimated figures 4 litres

Riding Range Maximum distance a petrol bike can travel on a full fuel tank and an electric bike can travel on a full charge --

Mileage - ARAI --

Mileage - Owner Reported BikeWale collects mileage information from bike owners to provide you with the actual mileage that you might get. --

Top Speed These are estimated figures --

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Brakes, Wheels & Suspension

Braking System CBS, IBS, SBT, UBS, HBS - Combined braking of both front and rear wheel | ABS - Anti-lock braking system which can be just for front wheel (single channel) or both wheels (dual channel) or can be switched off (switchable) | E-ABS - Electronic assisted braking system | Standard - Cable operated --

Front Brake Type Disc

Front Brake Size 330 mm

Rear Tyre Size 190/55ZR17M/C (75W)

Tyre Type Tubeless

Radial Tyres Yes

Rear Brake Type Disc

Rear Brake Size 220 mm

Calliper Type --

Wheel Type Alloy

Front Wheel Size 17 inch

Rear Wheel Size 17 inch

Front Tyre Size 120/70ZR17M/C (58W)

Front Tyre Pressure (Rider) --

Rear Tyre Pressure (Rider) --

Front Tyre Pressure (Rider & Pillion) --

Rear Tyre Pressure (Rider & Pillion) --

Front Suspension ø43 mm inverted Balance Free Front Fork with exter

Rear Suspension Horizontal Back-link with BFRC lite gascharged sho

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Dimensions & Chassis

Kerb Weight 204 kg

Overall Length 2,090 mm

Overall Width 745 mm

Wheelbase 1,440 mm

Ground Clearance 145 mm

Seat Height 835 mm

Overall Height 1,145 mm

Chassis Type Twin spar, cast aluminium

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Manufacturer Warranty

Standard Warranty (Year) --

Standard Warranty (Kilometers) --

Features

Odometer Digital

DRLs (Daytime running lights) --

Mobile App Connectivity --

Low Battery IndicatorYes

Pillion BackrestNo

Pillion GrabrailYes

GPS & Navigation --

USB charging port --

Front storage box --

Under seat storage --

AHO (Automatic Headlight On) --

Speedometer Digital

Fuel Guage Yes

Tachometer Digital

Stand Alarm Yes

Stepped Seat Yes

No. of Tripmeters 2

Tripmeter Type Digital

Low Fuel Indicator Yes

Low Oil Indicator Yes

Pillion SeatYes

Pillion FootrestYes

Digital Fuel GuageYes

Start TypeElectric Start

Shift LightYes

KillswitchYes

ClockYes

BatteryMaintenance Free

Headlight TypeHalogen And Bulb Type

Brake/Tail LightLED Tail Lamp

Turn SignalYes

Pass LightYes

Additional features--

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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] User Reviews

4.7 26 ratings 4 reviews

4
Visual Appeal
4
Reliability
4
Performance
4
Service Experience

5It is a paisa wasol bike 4 years ago by Abhishek, Varanasi
This bike is cheapest in this series and it had a very good performance on race tracks. It is also good in city drives. It maintenance was not so high and excellent handling, superb brake and mind-blowing speed. It is also very comfortable in city rides as its comfort i
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- Used it for
  Daily Commute
- Owned for
  6 months-1 yr
- Ridden for
  < 5000 kms
- Got mileage of
  12 kmpl
5Zx10r the super bike king 4 years ago by Raff
I've owned both the bmw s1000r and the kawasaki zx10r and all i can say is there is no comparison. The zx10r looks better, sounds better, handles better and accelerates better. And to back it up, the zx10r has dominated all other superbikes in the world superbike champi
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- Used it for
  Leisure Rides
- Owned for
  > 1 yr
- Ridden for
  < 5000 kms
- Got mileage of
  8 kmpl
5The beast zx10r 5 years ago by Kirtirajsinh, Surat
My zx10r is my brother and it is looking like a beast. And it is flying in air superb exhaust and many more features than other bike.Superb led headlights and tail lights. And engine sound is awesome and fabulous. And it have good mileage and nice looks and digital spee
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- Used it for
  Everything
- Owned for
  3-6 months
- Ridden for
  < 5000 kms
- Got mileage of
  39 kmpl

3Great bike 5 years ago by Vinay Kumar Singh, Singrauli
I've own this bike for nearly a year now.It was good on the paper.I mean its feature reviews and it's price.I bought this from kawasaki delhi. Since then i have never been disappointed by this bike.It handles great on the corners,mileage is relatively nice.Although i ha
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- Used it for
  Leisure Rides
- Owned for
  > 1 yr
- Ridden for
  10000-15000 kms
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- Got mileage of

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R [2018-2019] News

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From the spy shots of the 2021 KTM 390 Duke to the launch date of the Hero Xpulse 200, most of the updates got us at the edge of our seats. Here’s a quick round-up of all such stories from the last week.
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2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R announced for India
26 April 2019
Anuj Mishra
The biggest change which comes in the ZX-10R for 2019 is the slight bump in its power. The motorcycle now produces 200bhp from its 998cc, in-line four, liquid-cooled motor.
Read more
2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade vs Yamaha YZF R1 vs Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R – Competition Check
15 December 2018
Anuj Mishra
The CBR1000RR Fireblade continues to be one of the most potent litre-class bikes in India, however, it faces tough competition from the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and the Yamaha YZF R1.
Read more