Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hi all,im interested i buying a ninja 10r and need some feedback on how they ride/perform,etc.ive had a,wait. for it...(woops)cbr 954 previously which was stolen,so am keen to go back to the kwakas as ive had zzr250,zx6r,z750(rip) before.also considering 07/08 z750 but prob rather the ninja.is it worth the extra for 06/07model as opposed to 04.the 954 was light,very flicable, with fairly steady power curve,not bad on fuel 240 -270/tank.is the thou more peaky with not much in the low rev range or i suppose ya cant class 1000cc as slow...

An 04 zx10r will make your 954 feel like a barge.

The 04-05 zx10's were a real raw weapon. They weren't smooth and refined. They were noisy, snappy and completely awesome

The 06-07 was ever so slightly heavier, had a better top end, but power was smoothed out more. Still fast but not so snappy. The 06-07 zx10r was also a bit slower to turn.

Hope this helps. Oh btw a bit of a tip for you on here, 04-05 zx10r is nicknamed "the crim" and the 06-07 is nicknamed "the gumby"

Goodluck

Also you'd be looking At 200kms a tank on either of them. You can get more but that is on the freeway and without flogging it.

Love my 05 10. Last weekend got 225 before the fuel light came on snd thst was through the twisties. Just need to set it up right.

Have you changed your gearing. Speedo's are out straight from the shop floor

04/05 can have an issue with cracks in the rear cowl, worth checking.
06/07 have had some issues with charging, stator/rectifier again worth checking before buying.

Generic mods
-1 tooth on front sprocket
Steering damper on 04/05
TRE on 06/07 due to weak map used in lower gears

Cheers for comments folks now I think I've narrowed it down to a green crim with 25k or a red 06 with 9 k 04is about 7500 and 06 is a grand extra!whatcha think????...Not sure if the underseat pipes get too hot for city on the 06..p.s.is it ok to have a red kwaka?black and /or green seems more apt..even thuogh the red does look good...ha so much to worry about..

Only time I ever felt the heat on the 07 was in 40+ in town and just on my right ankle where the pipe comes up behind the peg - and it wasn't uncomfortable. Don't know about the pillion seat as it doesn't get used.

I found you could feel the pipes on the Gumby when sitting at a set of lights with your leg down. other than that it was fine

I would buy the Green Crim more flickable in corners .. Less money to do mods on seems single exhaust plus a lot lighter than the 06 07 Gumpy so wont need expensive titanium parts to make up for it

Best mods for both is

07 up ZX6R Calipers or ZX14 Calipers ( Nissin )
- 1 tooth front sprocket
Rifleman's 1/5th throttle insert http://doublezracing.com/

do both models have issues with the front brakes?and is the 05 same as 04 eccept for blinkers?also do the zx 6 calipers bolt straight on?

I found my 04 model had better brakes than the 07, but both are still ridiculously hopeless.

As others have said, the Crims are a lot more raw in their power, the Gumbys are a lot smoother, however I disagree with the handeling side, I reckon the Gumby's handle better than the Crims... Personal opinion i guess

cheers for all the input folks,i finally decided to go for the crim,took her for a blat thru the nasho yesterday,mmm she rides nicely,seems heavier than my previous 954,but will get used to that.ive been looking for some zx6 calipers to sharpen up the front brakes,will 2009 6r ones do the trick and can i use 10r lines?also seems to have a bit of vibes thru handlebars at 4500rpm in top gear,is this normal?or does this justify keepin her above that range..

Vibrations are normal but I never noticed it that bad

Yep the 09 brakes fit straight on with the standard lines but better off get braided ones if your doing the swap

its a vibey noisy bike. The 04 zx10 loves new tyres. especially the likes of pilot powers or Q2's for the road with the taller 55 profile. to make them hadle sweetly , try 5 mm of fork gold showing through the triple clamp. Also it needs ride height added to the rear under the shock. I think I added a 15 odd mm nut and took the stock spacer but other people can reccomend that. -1 on the front helps as well. I just went 1 up on the rear and moved the chain back in the swingarm for more stability. Ill keep you posted how it feels.

Brake upgrades are good as well. Ive got the brembo mc, braided lines and nissin callipers and its two finger braking at the track.

Other than that, the forks are good and you can upgrade suspension as you see fit and want . Ive got a revalved resprung rear shock and a gp suspesnion cartridge kit which works great on the trackie.