Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

photomike666 wrote:It's going to be completely revolutionry

The swingarm will be bolted to the back of the gearbox with a large pivot going around the output drive. This will allow a tighter chain and less taking up of slack pulling away and on gear change.

The motor is being turned around. The idea of having the exhaust at the front was to stop dirty air entering the carbs. With the invention of ram-air the engine can turned around and leaned backwards. The airbox will be in the gap behind the radiator, feeding small downdraft EFI units. The exhaust baffles will take up the presently empty void behind the engine allowing an output feed just behind the footpegs. Having the exhaust behind the block and over the gearbox allows the engine/gearbox to be lower slung thus lowering centre of gravity.

Both headlights will on all the time and two additional bulbs will provide full beam from both sides.

There will be no cam chain rattle

redline will be set to 14,000rpm with peak power of 200bhp at 12,500. Torque will be up 20% on the 07 model and peaking at 9,000rpm.

Diemags will be standard wheels dropping some 15Kg from the unsprung mass of the bike improving cornering stability, braking performance and lowering the overall weight of the bike.

And extra layer of paint will be added to all pained components, except the swingarm with will be polished.

Fly by wire throttle, clutch and brakes will be controled by a unit sold by Tamiya

Metzler M3s will be standard tyres

programable PC III, speedohealer and TRE will be standard fitments. There will be a simple switch to change maps on the go. It will have 4 options, each reprogramable 1) standard exhaust economy riding, 2 standard can twisties/track, 3 aftermarket exhaust economy riding, 4 aftermarket exhaust twisties/track. This should allow miminum fuel used to ride to the twisties and maximum fun once there.

photomike666 wrote:It's going to be completely revolutionry

The swingarm will be bolted to the back of the gearbox with a large pivot going around the output drive. This will allow a tighter chain and less taking up of slack pulling away and on gear change.

The motor is being turned around. The idea of having the exhaust at the front was to stop dirty air entering the carbs. With the invention of ram-air the engine can turned around and leaned backwards. The airbox will be in the gap behind the radiator, feeding small downdraft EFI units. The exhaust baffles will take up the presently empty void behind the engine allowing an output feed just behind the footpegs. Having the exhaust behind the block and over the gearbox allows the engine/gearbox to be lower slung thus lowering centre of gravity........etc etc...........

Gosling1 wrote:

photomike666 wrote:It's going to be completely revolutionry

The swingarm will be bolted to the back of the gearbox with a large pivot going around the output drive. This will allow a tighter chain and less taking up of slack pulling away and on gear change.

The motor is being turned around. The idea of having the exhaust at the front was to stop dirty air entering the carbs. With the invention of ram-air the engine can turned around and leaned backwards. The airbox will be in the gap behind the radiator, feeding small downdraft EFI units. The exhaust baffles will take up the presently empty void behind the engine allowing an output feed just behind the footpegs. Having the exhaust behind the block and over the gearbox allows the engine/gearbox to be lower slung thus lowering centre of gravity........etc etc...........

I recently read that Kawasaki are going to change the configuration on their motors (models not specified), and have the cylinders placed *almost horizontally*, with the gearbox located *underneath* the motor......in order to both lower the CoG and make the bike as narrow as possible...

so maybe there is more than meets the eye about next years models ??