Adding more goodies and performance to its flagship offerings, Kawasaki has launched the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R and ZX-14R superbikes in India priced at Rs. 16.4 lakh and 17.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively. The 2016 ZX-10R gets a plethora of upgrades in cosmetic and mechanical to add some manic performance, whereas the 2016 Ninja ZX-14R gets subtle cosmetic revisions for the new model year.
Improving its capabilities further, the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R gets an aggressive looking front fascia and a revised chassis that is now lighter. The 998cc in-line, four-cylinder engine has been extensively revised. The motor gets a new cylinder head and crank that has helped reduce the weight by 20 per cent. This has further helped reduce the inertia, thereby allowing the motor to spin faster. The intake ports have been redesigned and made straight to improve the air-fuel mixture, while the power output remains the same at 200PS. As a result of the changes, the new ZX-10R gets a stronger low-mid range, improving acceleration out of corners. The engine is Euro 4 compliant as well.
Furthermore, the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R gets new adjustable Show front forks and the rear gets a monoshock Showa Balance Free Rear Cushion (BFRC). Braking performance comes from Brembo M50 monobloc brake calipers and idle stroke checked radial master cylinder. The latter offers brake force modulability that allows the rider to adjust the braking force on the superbik as per riding conditions. That said, Kawasaki now uses conventional round discs brakes on the 2016 model instead of petal ones units, whereas the front and rear lines are now steel braided.
The safety net on the new Kawaskai Ninja ZX-10R is equally extensive including a six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit, with five axis measurements done in the Bosch IMU and the sixth axis uses a different program that's stored in the Kawasaki ECU. Other electronic aids include launch control, traction control, quickshifter, engine power mode selector, along with the Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control System (S-KTRC), Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM), Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-Lock Braking System (KIBS), Kawasaki Quick-shifter (KQS) and Kawasaki Engine Brake Control (KEBC). The upgrades have pushed the litre-class Kwacker against the offerings from Yamaha, Aprilia and Ducati in the segment.
Coming to the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, the flagship superbike from the house of Kwacker gets an updated ECU while also making it Euro 4 compliant. The suspension is re-tuned coming from Ohlins at the rear and chassis optimized for high-speed stability. Other updates include new Brembo monobloc front brake calipers. The bike also gets ergonomic changes including revised handlebars that are now higher and closer and get wider grips, making them more accessible for average sized riders.
Kawasaki has also added a new seat on the 2016 ZX-14R called the Gunfighter seat for improved comfort. The company says that the new seat provides better acceleration with the throttle completely open. In terms of power, the 2016 ZX-14R continues to use the same 1441cc in-line, four-cylinder engine that produces the same 200PS and 158Nm of torque.
