2011 Kawasaki ZX-10
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very interesting. nice straight shot into the throttles. lower CG. I fear it would have to be to far back in the chassis though.
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Kawasaki actually had patents on an engine of this type before Husaberg made their engine. I assume the 'berg is different enough not to infringe. I'm not sure the CoG would be lower, as the crank would be up higher than normal. Maybe it is the same theory as the Husaberg, mass centralization and putting the gyroscopic forces (crank spinning) in an optimal place for handling.
One question would be whether the crank rotates CW or CCW.
I wonder if this engine is a remnant of the screamer ZX-RR they tested in 2008? If it sounds half as good as Ant West's ride below, they won't be able to make enough of them.
One question would be whether the crank rotates CW or CCW.
I wonder if this engine is a remnant of the screamer ZX-RR they tested in 2008? If it sounds half as good as Ant West's ride below, they won't be able to make enough of them.
Haven't you heard though, apparently no one wants screamers. I have it from a reliable source (uh, ok, not reliable,... not even sane, ....but a source nonetheless, lol) that EVERYONE wants "droners".....
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Kawi probably has the best saying ever, "Let the Good Times Roll" but their liter bike efforts (for racing at least) have been anything but "Good Times".
I love to pull for an underdog, but gawd dammit they make it hard to be a fan.
Its like they get some type of compensation for just rolling around at the back of the grid with a big ass green bike.
COME ON KAWI... PULL YOUR FREAKIN HEAD OUT :wtf
I love to pull for an underdog, but gawd dammit they make it hard to be a fan.
Its like they get some type of compensation for just rolling around at the back of the grid with a big ass green bike.
COME ON KAWI... PULL YOUR FREAKIN HEAD OUT :wtf
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Interesting patent but I would not put it into production...
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Kawasaki recently filed patents for an in line four cylinder
motorcycle engine with an uneven firing order. While similar to the
design from Yamaha in the latest R1, the Kawasaki engine design steps
things up a bit by adding some electronics to aid the uneven firing
order. The Kawasaki design would traditionally have had problems, in
that the radical nature of the firing order would have made the engine
incapable of running at low RPM, due to a lack of momentum in the
crank on the long 540° revolution. The second problem would have been
the requirement for a very heavy and almost impractical crankshaft,
which would have made the engine slow to rev, and would have limited
high end RPM. Kawasaki have solved these problems by using clever
electronics. An electric motor operates only on every second
revolution, during the compression stroke, and only on cylinders one
and four. This tiny electric motor operates only long enough for the
motor to gain momentum, and then switches off again. Engine sensors
are used to monitor crank angle, degree of throttle opening, vehicle
speed and gear position. The new electric motor will also be used as a
generator to charge the battery when it's not boosting the crank, and
that means it can do the job of the traditional alternator too. What
does this all mean? Well to you and me, probably nothing other than a
bike that sounds like the Yamaha M1, but if you are a really good
rider, you will now be getting more traction and therefore better
feedback from the rear tyre under acceleration, meaning faster corner
exits, and ultimately better drive out of corners which means better
speed down straits and hopefully an advantage for the green team (and
don't they need one right now?) The radical 540° gap in the firing
order is double the gap that the new R1 uses, and means that the
ZX-10R motor turns a full one and a half revolutions without any
cylinders firing. The gap in the R1 firing order is only 270° which in
itself was considered rather long. However the most significant
benefits from the Kawasaki design are that the crankshaft retains the
natural balance as found in a traditional (screamer) in line four.
This in effect reduces production costs, improves reliability, and
also enables the normal high rev limit found in screamer engines,
which means that the peak power output will not be adversely affected.
It seems like next year the major brands will all be making V4's or
'Big Bangs' if they want to stay competitive. Aprilia have already
gone the V4 route, so we still need to find out what Suzuki & Honda
have planned. Honda could easily build a V4, and Suzuki have the GSVR
in MOTOGP which is a V4, so they know how to do it too. It looks like
2010 is going to be another one of those years with amazing technology
coming to the consumers because of racing... Latest Update On This
Story Kawasaki recently announced that the new ZX-10R will only be
released at the end of 2010, due to the fact that it's a total
redesign, so they are still aiming at a 2010 release, but later in the
year. Those who bought the original ZX-10R in 2004 when it was
launched, will remember that the bikes were only in dealer showrooms
in May of 2004. So its not an unusual situation. At least Kawasaki's
comments have confirmed the rumours that the next gen ZX-10R will be
radically different to what we have now.
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I love a good screamer. :woot:
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thanks for this!
should be quite a machine!!!!!
thank god!if kawasaki were not going to make a new ZX10r things would be pretty bleak on the Japanese bike scene
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Am I the only one thinking this is a Honda-style stunt?
The Big H pulled that stunt to "big up" their up and coming VFR1200F which was anticipated by "teasers", sketches, mock ups and a lot of talk presenting the bike as the hottest thing Honda put on the road since the original Fireblade. People didn't buy into it and luckily so since the end result is an overweight BMW K1200S wanna be with budget suspensions and lots of issues.
Kawasaki dealers around here are full to the brim with brand new 2008 ZX10R and ZX6R (and even a few 2007 to boot) nobody wants. Sportsbike sales in Europe started declining well before the economy tanked (dealers reported this to manufacturers back in 2004-2005) and Kawasaki and Suzuki took the worst of it. Suzuki actually didn't import 2009 sport models hoping to flog the 2008 bikes they still had in the warehouses. To latest notice those bikes are still there awaiting a buyer. Hence instead of, say, try to win a handful of races or the Suzuka 8 Hours to stir up a stale performance image, somebody at Akashi thought a great idea to employ the same tactics that haven't helped Honda shift what is, all things considered, a mediocre bike.
The Big H pulled that stunt to "big up" their up and coming VFR1200F which was anticipated by "teasers", sketches, mock ups and a lot of talk presenting the bike as the hottest thing Honda put on the road since the original Fireblade. People didn't buy into it and luckily so since the end result is an overweight BMW K1200S wanna be with budget suspensions and lots of issues.
Kawasaki dealers around here are full to the brim with brand new 2008 ZX10R and ZX6R (and even a few 2007 to boot) nobody wants. Sportsbike sales in Europe started declining well before the economy tanked (dealers reported this to manufacturers back in 2004-2005) and Kawasaki and Suzuki took the worst of it. Suzuki actually didn't import 2009 sport models hoping to flog the 2008 bikes they still had in the warehouses. To latest notice those bikes are still there awaiting a buyer. Hence instead of, say, try to win a handful of races or the Suzuka 8 Hours to stir up a stale performance image, somebody at Akashi thought a great idea to employ the same tactics that haven't helped Honda shift what is, all things considered, a mediocre bike.
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9,103 Posts
I remember reading about the "helper" electric motor late last year, but it is one of those things that I will believe it when I see it. You have to wonder if, on a production bike, it is worth it. Somewhat risky if they choose to use it, IMO.
OTOH, the market has shown that practicality and even expense are of secondary importance in literbikes if it is the "best" in any given year. If the Kawasaki makes 200 hp, weighs 375 pounds, has ABS and TC, and sounds like an M1...Kawasaki will have a winner even if it somes in at $15k.
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81 Posts
Original Link?
I think this is the original link? Dunno though, didn't look for it too hard...
But here's a few updates to what Larry posted, taken from the above link:
May 2010 - Latest Update On This Story
Chris Vermeulen, who moved to Kawasaki in the SBK championship for 2010, has talked about the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R recently, saying that he has seen the prototype 2011 machine already and that it looks "pretty special". Chris intimated that he will be testing the new model this season, and that the 2011 ZX-10R is what swayed his decision to move to Kawasaki.
The new model is rumoured to have not only variable valve timing similar to that found on the new GTR 1400 but also variable valve lift, a crossplane crank with radical 540° firing interval, traction control, ABS and possibly even electronically controlled suspension. Expect the new bike to begin appearing in the press officially round about October 2010, for release soon thereafter. We wait with baited breath...
end quote
And, for what it's worth, I'd like to thank Larry for seriously trimming back the RC45 comparisons/diagrams etc. I really haven't noticed too much of it lately, and since we've seen all the articles he has on his lovely bike like 5 million f*ckin times....it's more pleasant this way.
:rockon
I think this is the original link? Dunno though, didn't look for it too hard...
But here's a few updates to what Larry posted, taken from the above link:
May 2010 - Latest Update On This Story
Chris Vermeulen, who moved to Kawasaki in the SBK championship for 2010, has talked about the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R recently, saying that he has seen the prototype 2011 machine already and that it looks "pretty special". Chris intimated that he will be testing the new model this season, and that the 2011 ZX-10R is what swayed his decision to move to Kawasaki.
The new model is rumoured to have not only variable valve timing similar to that found on the new GTR 1400 but also variable valve lift, a crossplane crank with radical 540° firing interval, traction control, ABS and possibly even electronically controlled suspension. Expect the new bike to begin appearing in the press officially round about October 2010, for release soon thereafter. We wait with baited breath...
end quote
And, for what it's worth, I'd like to thank Larry for seriously trimming back the RC45 comparisons/diagrams etc. I really haven't noticed too much of it lately, and since we've seen all the articles he has on his lovely bike like 5 million f*ckin times....it's more pleasant this way.
:rockon
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My writing is identify by dot dot dot ... thats why I use it and the fact it breaks up the
information into bite size bits... but you're right... we should ID the author...
MotoStar South Africa | 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R
yes, a REAL Big Bang engine, not like that RC 40-something or other......
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