Kruz:

Wish you were doing some of the shootout comparisons and reviews for the magazines. Great information here... -bg

Ya, thanks, Kruz. If you get to feeling too much guilt let me know....I might be able to take the 10 off your hands(conscience).

Maybe it's my 225 lbs working but the suspension felt great, taut and firm but compliant. ....... I got an occasional kickback from the rear end over a pothole but overall the suspension feels great.

Sounds just like how i would describe the 14's rear suspension. Better for a heavier payload, a bit jumpy with a light rider.

Initial turn in is not as quick as my CBR, the CBR is 20 lbs lighter with steeper geometry and feels more flickable. I wasn't pushing the cornering envelope though so my initial impressions may change when I get some more time in the saddle.

We all have 14s around here. Can draw any comparisons directly between the 10 and the 14? I can almost guess from what you have written about comparison to the CBR but it might be helpful to hear how it stacks up against the big machine.

* Last updated by: Rook on 12/15/2009 @ 12:39 PM *

Power delivery felt eerily similar to my 14 back when it had flies in, i.e. soft bottom end with a big hit starting around 7000. Very smooth stepless power delivery down low. If I remember correctly, the 14 used to hit hard around 6000 with flies in. Front brakes are not as good as the 14 or maybe I need to bed the pads in. They're strong but have less initial bite than the 14 does, more initial pressure required. The first thing I did was pull the tool bag out from under the seat. It must weigh 3 or 4 lbs. I'm not kidding! I may leave this bike stock for a long time and just enjoy it as is. A couple of quick niggles, the Diablo Black has that goofy metal flake sparkle stuff in the paint that looks like overspray when the sunlight hits it. I didn't know this on the showroom floor as the flourescent lighting hid it. It gives it kind of an 80's look. There is only one turn signal indicator on the instrument cluster and it's on the right side. It feels like you are always indicating a right hand turn even when you're turning left. Weird and I don't think it's a safe design. The license plate holder is typical DOT approved stuff and will be the first thing to hit the bin. A good tail tidy will sort that nicely. The gear indicator is hard to see but I never look at that thing anyway. Lastly, the pipe is an atrocity, looks like a squashed traffic cone and I imagine it weighs 30 lbs. That's about it for quibbles, I think it's going to be a great bike.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/15/2009 @ 2:41 PM *

Romans wrote:

Congrats Kruz, I too have bike fever. I just wish I could figure out why.....? These threads maybe.... or maybe it's the wifes 6R making me nuts(I should have stayed off it)Also, Just backed out on BMW 1000RR. Was the right thing to do....Right? Anyway I'm glad you have a new horse in your stable cheers

Thanks Romans, why did you back out on the BMW? I heard that the new Beemer is going to destroy all the liter bikes including the Aprilia RSV4 but who really knows until the bike actually hits the street?

BG wrote:

Kruz:

Wish you were doing some of the shootout comparisons and reviews for the magazines. Great information here... -bg

Thanks BG, I just try to call em as I see em. My impressions may change a bit as I gain more experience on this machine and the "shock and awe wear" off but I think overall I'm pretty close. I think I now know why Sport Rider gave the 10R the overall win two years running even though the new CBR 1000 spanked it on the track...it all comes down to smoothness and refinement and that intangible "fun" factor that doesn't show up in the performance charts or lap times.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/15/2009 @ 2:53 PM *

i haven't seen a honda ever spank anything at the track...

* Last updated by: blue07 on 12/15/2009 @ 4:36 PM *

Power delivery felt eerily similar to my 14 back when it had flies in

So flies will have to come out after the tail gets trimmed up. Good luck figuring out what to do with those turn signals. They're a part of the rear fender. I'm sure you can rig something up but i would be thinking of a way to get them in the tail fairing unless you are going to use the bike on the track...then just take them off.

Front brakes are not as good as the 14 or maybe I need to bed the pads in. They're strong but have less initial bite than the 14 does

the Diablo Black has that goofy metal flake sparkle stuff in the paint

Lastly, the pipe is an atrocity, looks like a squashed traffic cone and I imagine it weighs 30 lbs

Kruz:
Wish you were doing some of the shootout comparisons and reviews for the magazines. Great information here... -bg

Now we're getting carried away IMHO

Kruz, do you not own a camera? I got back to this thread to see the pics of the new bike.

MAnnnnnnnnnnn I will just sH!t if he is pulling our leg. I mean really, I'll sh!T.

Nobodies pulling your leg here Rook, I've got the bike.

Sorry Mass, it's cold here again and I haven't been motivated enough to roll it outside and take any pics. I'll see if I can get off my keyster and take some photos this afternoon after work.

You're right about that pipe Rook, it is quiet and a slipon will gain almost nothing except weight loss. The Akro Race 4 into 1 is supposed to make this bike come alive though, low, midrange and topend all increase dramatically. This engine has mucho go fast potential.

Nobodies pulling your leg here Rook, I've got the bike.

^^That would have been a good one though.

Naaah.... I don't operate that way Rook. I may change my mind when new evidence points out that my initial preconceptions were wrong (only a fool does otherwise) but I will never intentionally mislead you. The suns starting to poke out, I'll run home during lunch and take a couple pics.

BTW, look what a difference just pulling that ugly tail light assembly does for the bike.... this will be my first order of business. He also left the stock pipe on there but blacked out part of the can...looks much better IMHO! Why didn't somone at KHI think of this? Acres of stainless steel just don't look good.

Something looks different about my midpipe area. I hadn't noticed this before but it looks like part of the plastic cover is missing on mine exposing the slipjoint between the end can and the midpipe. When I get home I'l take a closer look at it.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/16/2009 @ 2:55 PM *

Here ya go!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/4/2010 @ 1:08 PM *

Thanks, Kruz. Looks completely awesome. You have the best color. That matte/gloss black is wicked! The gold accent of the forks looks great and I love the blackened lower part of the front suspension.

I just did a quick search and it looks like the heat deflector is only on the top of the exhaust on the 08. That bike in the first pic you posted must be an 06-07?? The half black muffler does improve the look a lot. Of course, the fender just looks like its hanging there waiting to get taken off. Hope there is some easy aftermarket rear directionals that will fit in close to the tail somehow. Otherwise, you have to figure out some way to cut into the tail fairings and place some lights there or maybe cop the OEMs off and mount them right under the tail. Same goes for the front. The mirror lights don't look too bad on a black bike but it would be much better with some skinny mirror stems and directional lights in the fairing. You'll get to it some day. No sense in bothering about it until you feel like this bike is a part of you. You gotta promise to leave that rock deflector on the back tire. Man, I just love that. I'm sure a lot of guys would want to take that off but I would leave it for at least a year. The passenger peg brackets also add to the sleek look. I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get rid of those either.

Here's an exhaust I thought looked cool. We want max performance though. I'm sure you've done the homework there but have a look at this just for fun.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.superbiketoystore.com/sport/images/uploads/leo_vince_gp_zx10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.superbiketoystore.com/sport/products/exhausts-air-filters/exhaust/leo-vince-exhaust/leo-vince-gp-pro-slipon-exhaust-kawasaki-zx10r-20082009/&h=600&w=600&sz=210&tbnid=w0T7J7ubALqCQM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzx10%2B2008&usg=__Z1ZhLknz88s2LwOENri2LJOjhGE=&ei=AIYpS-_uBtKCngeiwfCcDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&ved=0CAwQ9QEwAQ

* Last updated by: Rook on 12/16/2009 @ 6:53 PM *

I just did a quick search and it looks like the heat deflector is only on the top of the exhaust on the 08. That bike in the first pic you posted must be an 06-07??

* Last updated by: Steven14 on 12/16/2009 @ 11:23 PM *

Kruz great looking bike looks like a stealth fighter. Be safe and have fun

yea kruz that rear fenders got to go if you want the clean look they sell aftermarket tail light with intergrated blinkers in them

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-09-KAWASAKI-ZX10R-LED-SMOKE-TAIL-LIGHT_W0QQitemZ290326508172QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotorcycles_Parts_Accessories?hash=item4398cef28c#ht_500wt_956

* Last updated by: scottjkyl on 12/17/2009 @ 4:12 AM *

^^Nice price too. I paid $80 + shipping for my blacked out busa lenses and that was lust the lenses -- no LEDS included in kit.

Rook wrote:

Thanks, Kruz. Looks completely awesome. You have the best color. That matte/gloss black is wicked! The gold accent of the forks looks great and I love the blackened lower part of the front suspension.

I just did a quick search and it looks like the heat deflector is only on the top of the exhaust on the 08. That bike in the first pic you posted must be an 06-07?? The half black muffler does improve the look a lot. Of course, the fender just looks like its hanging there waiting to get taken off. Hope there is some easy aftermarket rear directionals that will fit in close to the tail somehow. Otherwise, you have to figure out some way to cut into the tail fairings and place some lights there or maybe cop the OEMs off and mount them right under the tail. Same goes for the front. The mirror lights don't look too bad on a black bike but it would be much better with some skinny mirror stems and directional lights in the fairing. You'll get to it some day. No sense in bothering about it until you feel like this bike is a part of you. You gotta promise to leave that rock deflector on the back tire. Man, I just love that. I'm sure a lot of guys would want to take that off but I would leave it for at least a year. The passenger peg brackets also add to the sleek look. I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get rid of those either.

Here's an exhaust I thought looked cool. We want max performance though. I'm sure you've done the homework there but have a look at this just for fun.

Thanks Rook, yea on closer look that's not even a ZX-10 in that first pic of the modded bike. At a quick glance I thought it was an '08, looks very similar. I went home and checked the heat deflector and it's made that way with the big gap between the end can and midpipe section. It looks very unfinished to me but that's the way they built it.

The fender thingie has got to go. That is the biggest singular improvement you can make to the looks of this machine....no question.

I thought about doing the same fender eliminator trick I used on my 14 which cost about $1.59 from Home Depot, looks as good as the $100 aftermarket kits and is much lighter to boot. One package of Stanley 25mm corner braces from Home Depot, adjust the angle to get your license plate angle right and drill the holes to match the license plate bolt diameter and your in business. Only problem is mounting the blinkers like you said. There are aftermarket flush mounted lights available that can be mounted to the underside of the seat cowl and a low profile LED license plate light available for $15.95. I'll get creative and come up with something.

I'm with you on the rear hugger, at fisrt I didn't care too much for it but it's now starting to grow on me. This bike is not designed to look pretty, it's form follows function. Compare to my CBR below, I think the CBR is a much prettier bike but the ZX has got that sinister look going for it.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/17/2009 @ 7:09 AM *

CBR was a little tougher to come up with an eliminator for because of the underseat exhaust can. This bike has a really clean tail if you can get all the fenders, reflectors and geegaws off. This was my final solution, a bit of an aesthetic compromise but I wanted to keep the stock blinkers for visibility and safety reasons and left the rear cannister cover off so you can see the cool Yoshimura sticker. About 2 feet of ugly OEM, DOT Approved black plastic are now gone.

Notice no license plate light yet. I'm up for safety inspection at the end of March and will probably use one of those stick on lights to get it to pass.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/17/2009 @ 7:22 AM *

Call me crazy-but I think the CBR looks much better! Would look even better in Black.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 12/17/2009 @ 7:25 AM *

+1 on the sinister. Looks mean!

I thought about doing the same fender eliminator trick I used on my 14 which cost about $1.59 from Home Depot, looks as good as the $100 aftermarket kits and is much lighter to boot. One package of Stanley 25mm corner braces from Home Depot

I just did the same thing to my 14. Existing holes work perfectly but the lic plate isn't back as far as I would like. I imagine you don't have many existing holes under the ZX-10 so you will be drilling if you go that rout. (Just in case anyone takes a notion to grab their Makita and go out and drill, remember, your ECU is up above the mudflap.)

* Last updated by: Rook on 12/17/2009 @ 7:25 AM *

Your CBR kinda has that Aprilla thing goin on-or an MV Agusta-Me likes.

Thanks Scotty, that is cool and it has integrated turn signals....awesome and only $67. I think I'll order one of those, the $15.95 LED license light and the $1.59 corner brackets and start peeling plastic parts off.

Are these turn signals higly visible from the rear and safe? I worry about getting run over from behind. Guys that have tried these, sound off.

I was following a guy on GSXR one day that had the mini blinkers on those short little stalks. I could hardly see the turn signals. Riding bikes is already dangerous enough without taking unnecessary risk.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/17/2009 @ 9:02 AM *

Call me crazy-but I think the CBR looks much better! Would look even better in Black.

I'm hoping that with some trick aftermarket parts, tail clean up, Akropovic exhaust etc. The ZX-10 will begin to look better. It's kind of an empty pallet right now..oh heck it's made to go fast and that it will do.

Now compare these two, with a few tweeks this ZX is in the ballpark with the CBR in the looks department, maybe better.

Rook, I could use some of your help fingering out how to make this sows ear into a silk purse. I know there is a good looking bike hiding in there somewhere!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/17/2009 @ 1:23 PM *