2011 Ninja ZX-10R Race Bike First Photo Released

The first official image of Kawasaki's 2011 ZX-10R racer has been released by the Japanese manufacturer today, offering us the view of an unpainted race bike that will be put to test at the Suzuka race track. This will help the Kawasaki R&D department gather info about setting up the bike for race conditions.

According to the manufacturer, the 2-day test will be used to further refine the base package for the 2011 World Superbike Championship. If the bike proves to be as aggressive as it looks, then the team is off to a good start.

Getting back to the newly released picture, we see an image closer to the ‘real thing’ prepared by Kawasaki for the year to come than the teaser sketch released back in June. This will be the basis for the 2011 road bike, a machine that will come with an all-new engine and chassis and a rumored power of around 200 bhp.

The new Ninja starts to take shape, and we can only hope for a worthy rival on the 1000cc market. Kawasaki fans can only hope the changes that come with the new superbike will make it a serious competitor for the Yamaha R1, Honda Fireblade or the Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles.

Meanwhile, the official Kawasaki Racing Team continues development on their 2010 machine. At recent Imola tests, Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen had new Showa suspension settings, new Pirelli tires and a few other new features. Both riders were impressed by the modifications brought to the current race bike and have declared themselves pleased with the results.