October 5, 2009
News
KTM quits GP racing
KTM has announced that it will not field a factory team for the 2010 125GP season, effectively ending its involvement in GP racing. KTM will continue to participate in the Red Bull Rookie's cup, largely because those machines require no further development and are largely funded by sale of energy drinks made from extract of bovine testicle. The money saved by quitting 125GP will be redirected to c...
05 October 2009
News
2010 Kawasaki Z1000: 136bhp, aluminum frame
The 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 is the biggest news in the company's new lineup and the most powerful Z1000 yet. That's thanks to a supposedly all-new 1,043cc inline-four that makes 136bhp and 81lb/ft of torque. There's no official weight for the new bike, but its the first Z1000 with an aluminum frame, so we hope to see a significant drop from last year's hefty 198.2kg (dry) figure. That cast aluminum fr...
05 October 2009
Design
2010 Kawasaki Versys: even stranger headlight
No major mechanical changes to the 2010 Kawasaki Versys, but it didn't need any, it was already one of our favorite small-ish bikes. The biggest change has been to change the bizarre Mitsubishi Zero-inspired headlight for a stacked item that's equally weird, yet less distinct. Other cosmetic upgrades come to the fender, hugger, engine covers radiator shrouds and muffler, all intended to highlight ...
05 October 2009
News
2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R gains ZX-6R fairing, little else
The 2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was scheduled to receive a complete refresh, but since the economy's in the shitter, Kawasaki is playing it safe with minor tweaks only. Most noticeable is the slightly more svelte bodywork, lifted wholesale from the 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R. Kawasaki claims the 6R's bodywork is more aerodynamic, but it's also more spartan, revealing more of the engine and improving the a...
05 October 2009
Design
2010 Kawasaki KLX110, 110L: now for big kids
Research showed that more adults than kids rode the old KLX110, so the 2010 Kawasaki KLX110L has been designed with larger riders in mind. That means a 2-inch higher seat thanks to a fork that's 2.4 inches taller and a shock with 5.2 inches of travel. Those suspension components also receive revised spring and damper settings to better accommodate beefy adults. That leaves the 2010 Kawasaki KLX110...
05 October 2009