Unlike a mechanical steering damper – in which the settings, once fixed, must cover all riding conditions and speeds – with the new damper, the damping characteristics are changed electronically according to vehicle speed, and the degree of acceleration or deceleration. At low speeds, the settings were chosen such that damping does not interfere with the bike’s intrinsic lightweight handling. At high speeds, damping increases to provide enhanced stability

The centrepiece of the new instrument panel is the highly visibly LED-backlit bar-graph tachometer – a mass-production first. The multi-function LCD features two display modes: Standard and Race. Switching to Race Mode alters the display as follows: Main LCD: Speed => Gear position Right side: Clock => Speed To switch to Race Mode, toggle the multi-mode display on the left side to Lap Timer.

Like the frame, the swingarm is an all-cast (3-piece) construction. The swingarm’s rigidity balance was designed to complement the frame. Complex design contributes to appearance and a high-quality image.

Compact tail cowl culminates with an elegant LED (9-bulb) taillight.

New exhaust header pipes, formed from heat-resistant titanium alloy, have almost the same length and diameter as their race-use counterparts. (This feature makes it easier for riders to increase exhaust performance (for track applications) without having to replace the entire exhaust system.)

Radial-pump front brake master cylinder operates Tokico radial-mount brake calipers with dual pads for formidable stopping performance, superb initial bite characteristics and a high level of control care of progressive feel after the initial bite.  

The new twin-spar frame traces a more direct line from the head pipe to the swingarm pivot. This delivers more linear behaviour, translating to greater control. Frame twist was designed to be as close to the main pipes as possible, which further facilitates rider control. Frame also offers increases cornering stability and a high level of feedback.

Design of the sculpted fuel tank follows the same theme of “curves.” Fuel tank capacity is 17 litres.

Cowl-mounted mirrors features integrated LED-type (2-bulb) turn signals (a first on a Japanese mass-production model). The turn signals are connected via couplers, facilitating mirror removal for trackday use.

The new BPF with ø43 mm inner tubes is one of the great contributing factors to the new Ninja ZX-10R’s enhanced composure under braking. Compared to a cartridge-type fork of the same size, the BPF features a main piston almost twice the size (ø39.6 mm vs ø20 mm on ZX1000F); oil inside the BPF acts on a surface area almost four times the size. The larger surface area allows the damping pressure to be reduced while ensuring the damping force remains the same. Reducing the damping pressure allows the slide pipe to move more smoothly, which is especially noticeable at the initial part of the stroke. The result is greater control as the fork begins to compress and very calm attitude change as vehicle weight shifts forward when reducing speed, and thus greater chassis stability on corner entry. Compression and rebound damping adjustment are located at the top of each fork tube. Preload adjustment is at the bottom.

The new engine offers linear power delivery right to its heady peak power. Great care was taken to ensure ideal engine manageability during all parts of the corner: getting off the throttle in corner entry, getting back on the throttle mid-corner, opening the throttle on corner exit. Peak torque was moved to the higher rpm range, eliminating the torque peaks and valleys that made it difficult for racers to open the throttle with confidence. Keeping mid-range torque at a level no more than necessary further facilitates getting back on the gas.

Line-beam headlamps enable front cowl to be made shorter, contributing to the sharp, aggressive design.