2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R First LooK article and learn all about the new features and technical specifications of this motorcycle.
After putting in so many laps that I can barely walk right now (Road Atlanta is a very physical racetrack, think California’s Infineon Raceway but way faster—top gear 186 mph on the dash) I now have a reasonably good impression of it.
The biggest thing that stands out in my mind is how well the traction control system works. I spent the majority of the day in Level 1 which is the least amount of electronic intervention and designed specifically for riding at the track.
It is quite a bit different feeling than the production TC systems employed by Ducati 1198S and BMW S1000RR sportbikes. As opposed to their systems which cut in rather aggressively at times and can penalize your drive off corners, the Kawi set-up works much more unobtrusively. It actually felt similar in some ways to the ultra-expensive Magneti Marelli wheel spin system employed on Mat Mladin’s championship winning American Superbike we tested last year in the 2009
