SECOND CHANCE SUPERBIKE

Is Kawasaki's unpopular 'wheelbarrow' Ninja ZX-10R now worth considering?

- JON URRY

On the face of it, Kawasaki's first upgrade to its fearsome Ninja ZX-10R should have gone well. The original bike was so nearly on the money, delivering blistering performance with incredibly agile handling that saw it top the litre sportsbike tree and attract an army of fans who loved its brash and unashamedly aggressive attitude. All Kawasaki needed to do in its first update was smooth a few of the rough edges (mainly too harsh suspension and a lack of a steering damper) and then maybe give it a fresh look and a few more ponies. Sadly, it chose another path...

Faced with tightening emission regulations, Kawasaki decided to follow the litre bike trend set by Honda and Yamaha and arm the second-generation Ninja ZX-10R (the D model to give it its correct name) with underseat pipes. Why? If you need to kill emissions, the easiest way (some would say laziest...) is to double the exhaust capacity. But Kawasaki didn't stop there. As well as sticking two huge and rather ugly underseat pipes on the Ninja, it removed some of the agility from the bike's handling and, in a final insult, gave it an unflatteringly bulbous look. The 'wheelbarrow,' as it rapidly became nicknamed, was a crushing disappointment to Ninja fans after the fire-breathing original version. Sales bombed, dealers were forced to heavily discount and add accessories for free in an effort to shift stock, and despite taking the Ninja's first World Superbike win, this generation's reputation was forever tarnished.