2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R Features

From Kawasaki's press material:

NINJA ZX-10R MAJOR FEATURES

Engine Crankcases/Cylinder

The upper crankcase and cylinder are a one-piece casting, which is more than two pounds lighter than using a separate cylinder and offers increased rigidity. A slanted casting process rotates the piece during casting to eliminate imperfections and excess casting material
Channels in the case mounting surfaces route oil to various parts of the engine, eliminating oil lines and saving weight
Crank axis, input shaft and output shaft create a "stacked" triangular layout that is compact, reduces engine length and lowers the center of gravity
Specially shaped breathing passageways between the chrome composite plated aluminum cylinders reduce pumping loss to help increase power
The high-speed generator is located behind the cylinder, atop the transmission. Although small in diameter it is wider and is driven at twice the crank speed by the clutch to generate ample output at lower rpm
Partitions and an internal structure in the oil pan keeps oil away from the crank during hard braking
A high-efficiency, liquid-cooled aluminum oil cooler uses specially designed internal fins to dissipate heat and cool the oil

Cylinder Head

Intake ports and coolant passages developed using flow analysis for efficient cylinder filling and more power, and maximum cooling efficiency
Camshafts are carved from forged chromoly billet, which is more than one-half pound lighter than cast cams. The cams and tappets are treated with soft nitriding to prevent galling and seizing with the aggressive, high lift profiles
Single valve springs with oval cross sections are light and lower to reduce overall cylinder head height
Forged sintered aluminum spring retainers are half the weight of steel retainers and allow higher rpm
Forged pistons are lighter, stronger and more heat resistant than cast versions. Flat-top design matches the compact combustion chamber and improves combustion efficiency

Exhaust

All-titanium exhaust provides the ultimate in light weight
Butterfly valve in the collector is controlled by rpm, throttle position and gear position to improve low-end response and help smooth overall power. Optimum exhaust tuning is attained at all engine speeds to prevent blowback that can occur with high overlapping valve timing. The valve also quiets the exhaust so a smaller muffler can be used and fully opens at 6,000 rpm
Muffler consists of titanium internal parts, including honeycomb catalyzer, wrapped in an oval, 1mm thick aluminum canister

Electronic Fuel Injection

43mm Keihin throttle bodies with sub throttles provide optimum performance and rideability. The sub throttles, located behind the main throttle valve, are controlled by the ECU so that the EFI system retains more precise throttle response, similar to a constant velocity carburetor. Atomizing fuel injectors produce a fine fuel mist for better combustion and fuel consumption
High speed 32-bit ECU provides precise engine management
Central Ram Air Intake duct produces a straighter path to the airbox for maximum intake efficiency and provides the mounting surface for the instrument panel, eliminating brackets and weight
Flow analysis used to design efficient ducts to the airbox that also prevent water from reaching the air filter
Compact airbox and air cleaner are highly efficient and contribute the compact riding position

Transmission

Close ratio six-speed transmission is geared for quick lap times on the track
A back-torque limiting clutch automatically disengages the clutch under hard braking and deceleration to prevent rear wheel hop during corner entry. Optional springs, spring retainers and shims are available to fine-tune the clutch for specific conditions

Chassis

Combination of pressed and cast aluminum components are welded to form the twin-spar backbone-type frame. By combining cast and pressed pieces frame weight is kept to a minumum while still providing high strength and stability with responsive handling.
Twin-spar backbone design provides 600cc class width

Uni-Trak Rear Suspension

Gull wing aluminum swingarm is highly rigid and very light, more than two pounds lighter than the braced aluminum swingarm on the ZX-9R
Short, compact frame allows the swingarm to be longer, which makes it easier to control rear wheel powerslides
Rear shock is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping
Ride height can be adjusted by adding/removing optional 1mm shims at the upper shock mount
Equipped with top-out spring that allows the rear wheel to better follow the road surface when the rear end is light due to hard braking
Small piggyback shock reservoir is designed to save weight

Front Fork

Kayabe 43mm inverted cartridge fork provides exceptional rigidity.
Equipped with top-out springs which allow the front wheel to better follow the road surface when the front end is light due to hard acceleration
Stiff settings suitable for track use
Fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping
Cutouts in upper triple clamp help reduce weight without sacrificing stiffness

Aluminum Wheels

Six-spoke cast aluminum wheels are practically as light as race-specific wheels. The six-spoke design requires much less material between spokes so that rim thickness is thinner and lighter

Brakes

Radial mounted 4-piston front brake calipers. Instead of mounting the calipers with threaded tabs cast near the top of the caliper, the radial design utilizes integrated mounting points at both the top and bottom of the caliper, with the mounting bolts inserted through the rear of the caliper instead of the side/front. This makes the caliper more rigid, which improves brake feel over a wider range of operation
A separate brake pad is used for each piston. One large pad tends to deform with the heat generated by hard track-style riding, resulting in a loss of brake feel at the lever
Individual pads provide increased cooling efficiency and can absorb more heat without deforming so that they maintain consistent brake feel lap after lap

Bodywork/Ergonomics

3-D computer analysis used to design the optimum riding position
Front cowling is narrower and has less frontal area than the ZX-6R. Designed for circuit use, the ZX-10R cowling provides optimum aerodynamics when the rider is tucked in
The fuel tank has a unique concave top that allows the rider to tuck in further and improve aerodynamics
Three-piece front fender designed for aero efficiency. Different color panels create a sporty, aggressive image
Inner rear fender flows off of the swingarm and provides a laminar flow of hot air from the engine over the rear wheel
Aggressive-looking seat cowl continues the styling flow off the back of the machine
Flush LED taillight is positioned for visibility to high-profile vehicles

LCD Instrumentation

Single gauge has radial tachometer with LCD bars at outside edge and digital speedometer redout across the center. The digital temperature redout, odometer, tripmeter, clock and stopwatch functions are also displayed on the speedometer screen. Lap timer/stopwatch function can record up to 99 laps
Shift indicator lamp has 3 settings-off, high and low illumination intensity-and can be set at 250 rpm increments above 12,000 rpm

Available colors

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