The ZX-RR 800 offers nimble yet predictable handling, turning in nicely while trail-braking, and holds a tight line with good turn speed, though it's important to be on the gas to make it do so. Kawasaki has the engine braking really well dialed in via the mechanical slipper clutch and variable idle-speed program. There seems to be just enough when you need it to help the Brembo carbon brakes do their usual superlative job of hauling the Kawasaki down from speed without any chatter, as I downshifted two or three gears together in a hurry. You must use the clutch for downshifting on the Kawasaki, unlike some of the other MotoGP machines. There's no need to blip the throttle on downshifts, however; the electronics still take care of the rest.
Although the front brake-lever adjuster cable intrudes upon the view of the 2D digital LCD dash, the riders usually use the shift lights atop the dash unit to determine shift points anyway. The horn button on the left clip-on is for the pit-lane speed limiter, while the toggle switch is for two engine maps.
The Kawasaki cockpit is less busy than some of its rivals. The gray button on the left clip-on is the pit-lane speed limiter, which requires you to hold it in until you're clear of the pits. The red button above it offers a choice of two different engine maps, with a softer one available for later in the race when tires are worn. These maps are comprehensive; they encompass traction control, fuel mapping, idle speed for engine braking, antiwheelie control and so on. There are no individual adjustments for any of these available, so you can't dial in a little bit more this or a little bit less that as on many other bikes. Just shut up and ride!
Which is what John Hopkins will surely do, but to a point-he'll have lots of feedback to give Fanali to bring the ZX-RR 800 forward with some serious R&D. The Kawasaki is very much a work in progress. It's a much better bike than the 990 ever was, although the 800 still feels a little unrefined compared with its rivals. But I get the feeling it has lots of potential, and I reckon Hopper is the man to turn it into a contender, with a more settled Westy as his backup. Kawasaki will be the one to watch in 2008. It has the basis of a good bike here, one that just needs to be whipped into shape.
KAWASAKI ZX-RR 800 TECH - Yoda Speaks
When former Yamaha MotoGP project leader Ichiro Yoda joined Kawasaki's MotoGP project for the '05 season he brought with him more than 20 years of Grand Prix engineering experience-never mind dramatically overturning the convention that senior Japanese executives never switch from one manufacturer to another. Yoda is a hardened racing enthusiast and has been the driving force behind the development of Kawasaki's 990cc ZX-RR Ninja. But for the '07 Grand Prix season Yoda took on a new role as race director with the reorganized Kawasaki Racing Team.
Alan Cathcart: What were your priorities for developing Kawasaki's new ZX-RR 800?
Ichiro Yoda: We knew from the start that we would have to rev the 800cc engine harder and higher than before to find enough power to be competitive. We calculated we would need to rev the first evolution of the new engine to 18,000 rpm to achieve our power target, and at this level a conventional valvetrain with closing springs is inefficient. So our first major decision was to run a pneumatic valve system on the new engine. This technology is not widely used in the motorcycle industry, so we had to bring this technology in from an outside supplier. But as a lot of people have discovered to their cost in the past, the technology doesn't transfer directly. A lot of modifications are required to take what is effectively Formula 1 racing car technology and apply it to the very unique characteristics of a racing motorcycle.
Of course we didn't just design the cylinder head first and then think about the rest of the bike afterward. We decided to use a pneumatic cylinder head because of the increased revs, but that had a spin-off effect on the rest of the bike. The pneumatic head is lighter than a conventional cylinder head, and it's also physically smaller. This means the engine is more compact, but it also moves the center of gravity compared to an engine that utilizes a conventional head. So we could achieve improved mass centralization. By centralizing the mass and then positioning that mass in the right place in the chassis, you produce a bike that is more agile and easier for the rider to turn, especially at high speed. Quick and accurate turning is critical to a good lap time, especially with the new 800cc machines. The other advantage of mass centralization is stability under braking, and this is also important in terms of lap time.