Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RSince its introduction in 1984, the Kawasaki Ninja has built quite a reputation as a thoroughbred racer. And as the Ninja celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the literbike in the stable – the ZX-10R – has made some huge accomplishments.The two that trump all are the ZX-10R winning the 2013 World Superbike Championship with Tom Sykes at the controls – the first for a Ninja since Scott Russell completed the feat in 1993 (ZX-7RR) – and dominating at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with pilot Jeremy Toye.
But there’s one more task at hand to make for a perfect trifecta of speed – set a land speed record late this month at the Bonneville Salt Flats during the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials.This year, Cathy Butler and ACAT Global – a catalytic convertor specialist company – will pilot an Erion Racing-built Ninja ZX-10R in the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Poduction-Production 1000 (P-P 1000) class.Cathy Butler next to the Erion Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R NinjaButler, a Californian who has a degree in Fashion Design, will ride the Ninja during the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, which occur Aug. 23-29. She has competed at Bonneville in the past, and holds several records.The current SCTA P-P 1000 record stands at 198.24mph (BMW S1000RR, 2012), and the team is confident they can achieve a new speed record after several shakedown runs at the El Mirage dry lakebed in California.Speaking of the class and the Ninja ZX-10R, Erion Racing President Kevin Erion says: “The rules dictate that any part of the motorcycle that can be seen must be stock,“We can remove the mirrors and turn signals, as well as the rear footpegs, provided they don’t support the muffler. This is why the class is so attractive to a manufacturer, because the motorcycle that breaks the record looks exactly like the machine somebody can buy. We’re allowed to make internal damper and engine modifications, so it’s basically a near-stock bike running on Pirelli World Superbike tires, which are mandated by the rules.“We chose the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R because we felt it gave us the best competitive advantage to break the current record. Based on the Ninja’s electronics, aerodynamics and stock power output, it’s the perfect package to get the Production Class record.”
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RSince its introduction in 1984, the Kawasaki Ninja has built quite a reputation as a thoroughbred racer. And as the Ninja celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the literbike in the stable – the ZX-10R – has made some huge accomplishments.The two that trump all are the ZX-10R winning the 2013 World Superbike Championship with Tom Sykes at the controls – the first for a Ninja since Scott Russell completed the feat in 1993 (ZX-7RR) – and dominating at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with pilot Jeremy Toye.
