Day two of our test was cut short by wet weather so we were not able to refine the base set-up of our new 2019 Ninja ZX-10RR – but first impressions were positive after back-to-back tests with the 2018 machine. It is clear that the potential of the 2019 bike is much higher. To achieve that potential we need to delve into more set-up changes and that will require more time. Its need a bit more of a base setting because the new engine character has more power and more potential, especially under acceleration and on the brakes. That requires a little bit of a different riding style, so I need to understand that together with all my crew, in the next weeks. It was a simple back-to-back test here but in Jerez we can start to test more items with the chassis, electronics and some engine components. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/jonathan-rea-completes-first-winter-test
The latest model releases from the two recent motorcycle shows in Milan and Cologne prove that power is still king in the two-wheel world.
A new road leader has emerged and some older models have been pushed down the order.
The list of the most powerful is still dominated by the track-only Kawasaki H2R at 240kW.
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New road king
However, the new king of the road-registered bikes is the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4R.
With 162kW of power it leapfrogs Honda’s RC213V-S which rates 158kW with a track kit, equal to the MV Agusta F4RC.
The V4R has been homologated so Ducati can go World Superbike racing again, so it is 998cc, not 1103cc.
Despite having fewer cubes, it has more poke.
Two bikes joining the top 10 are the updated BMW S 1000 RR with ShiftCam technology and 152kW, plus the 2019 Suzuki GSX-R1000 R1 in 10th place with 150kW.
2019 BMW S 1000 RR
Anyone who says power isn’t everything hasn’t twisted the throttle on a powerful sports bike.
Unfortunately, the only places left to experience these bikes is on unlimited-speed roads, at track days and in that all-important 100m traffic light drag.
There may not be many places left to experience the full power of some of the world’s most powerful bikes, but it’s always good to know the power is there.
So we’ve complied three lists of currently available new sports bikes with the most power, the most torque and with the highest power-to-weight ratio.
We have used factory supplied power and wet weight figures for Australia. The figures may vary slightly for some other countries.
For interest’s sake, we have also included at what revs they achieve peak power and torque to give you an indication of where they get most of their thrust.
Talk the torque
Gruntmeister Yamaha V-Max
While the kings of power are important, torque is that thrust in the chest at the starting line that we all love.
The king of grunt is still the brawny Yamaha V-Max. Kawasaki isn’t far behind with its forced-induction models and the normally aspirated Kawasaki ZX-14R.
If you were to include cruisers, Triumph’s 2.3-litre triple would be the undisputed king with 203Nm of stump-pullling grunt and several other cruisers would also rate high, including Harley’s Milwaukee Eight 114-cube FXDR which makes 162Nm.
Power and torque are meaningless if your bike is a porker like the 310kg V-Max. So we’ve also compiled a list of the best power-to-weight ratio sports bikes.
Again the winner is the Kawasaki H2R track-only weapon which has more kilowatts than kilograms for a power-to-weight ratio of 1.11. That compares with the V-Max at 47ptw.
So if you want a lithe sports bike with a good mix of heady power and gut-crunching grunt, Kawasaki should be your first port of call, or go to your local performance shop for a supercharger or turbocharger.
Bit of an unplanned trip to Barcelona this afternoon but thanks Dr Lapuente and Albert our performance manger Kawasaki Racing Team for getting me seen to and treated so fast! #keeppushing Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Many thought the retro-styled Kawasaki W800 would be killed off by the tougher European emissions regulations, but the bike has made a surprise return at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.
Fans of the bike will be glad to see it has managed to clean up its act without having to resort to liquid-cooling like its nearest competitors, the Triumph Bonneville range.
Surprise return
There was wide speculation that Kawasaki would scrap the W800 or bring out a water-cooled W900 model.
But somehow the engineers have managed to lean down the air-cooled 773cc engine to meet the Euro4 emissions regulations.
Kawasaki says the engine is 90% new, yet it retains the bevel-drive camshaft.
No more technical details or how this has been achieved are yet available, but the bike will arrive next year.
Modern tech
And for the first time it gets a disc brake on the rear and modern LED lighting, yet it manages to retain its beautiful heritage looks.
It will be available in a range of colours and Street and Cafe (pictured top) models.
Street model
The Street is the traditional naked model with straight bars and a sit-up-and-beg riding position.
Like the Z900RS and Cafe version, the W800 comes in a second Cafe version that brings back memories of the Ace Cafe in London.
It features a bubble fairing, a hump-backed seat and clip-on bars.
W800 revival
In recent years the W800 and the former W650 has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence among younger costumers wanting to modify it into a cafe racer, scrambler, street tracker or bobber.
The original W1 was first Kawasaki’s first four-stroke sports model and the largest capacity Japanese motorcycle at the time.
Kawasaki revived the W series with the W650 in 1999, well before the 2001 retro Triumph Bonneville was reborn and Ducati introduced the SportClassic series (2003-2010).
