Sonsky's No Treat Himself,...
Sonsky's No Treat Himself, But The ZX-10R Is A Real Squinter.
Dave Sonsky: Editor
Miles Ridden: 400
Modifications: Nada
What're the odds of landing a new longterm test bike, only for it to be exactly the same color as my Hayabusa from last year? I should probably start playing the lottery. But really, what's the deal with the orange color? Was there a surplus of the stuff going extra cheap or something? Oh well--if that's the biggest complaint I can conjure then my relationship with the ZX-10R should be pretty good.
But...it's not. Since early spy shots of the redesigned ZX-10R surfaced I've squinted and grimaced at each glance. She's an ugly old thing indeed. But, she goes like stink on a monkey. So, aside from the fact that it looks like something from Attack of the Orange Alien, the ZX-10R is a blast.
The total mile tally to this point has consisted mostly of uneventful commuting, but I actually had it at "the spot" for a few parking lot wheelies. To my surprise it did really well, stock gearing and all. Which leads me to believe that I can pretty much leave the gearing alone, save for maybe adding a tooth to the rear sprocket. This'll give me the chance to add a colored chain too perhaps.
If it were my own bike I'd have the hacksaw out immediately to take care of the mirrors. I think some small billet mirrors would look cool, but then the turn signals would have to be relocated to the body. If any 10 owners have done this mod already we'd love to see it. I'll bet it does wonders for its appearance.
The aforementioned parking lot session exploited the big Ninja's weakest link perhaps--the brakes. It could be that all of my perspective has been ruined from the eye-popping Beringer setup that I used on last year's Hayabusa, but I'd definitely like some better initial bite. The affordable approach would be to start with grippier pads, then move onto rotors if need be.
Otherwise, this monster doesn't need much else in the immediate future. A slip-on pipe and fender eliminator are en route of course, but those mods go without saying `round these parts.
Coming next month: Fender eliminator kit and slip-on exhaust