2024 Kawasaki ZX10 R KRT

The 200-HP Superbike With Cruise Control

Super sports generally don't have cruise control. They don't have to. Nobody's supposed to tour on them. Kawasaki disagrees. The 2024 ZX-10R KRT gets proper cruise control, a Showa big-piston fork, Brembo front brakes, an Öhlins steering damper, and 200 horsepower out of a 998cc inline-four. At $18,799, it's the cheapest way to get liter-class superbike performance with features that let you actually ride it somewhere useful before you embarrass the track.

Chase's line mid-ride: "Bro, everywhere I'm going, I feel just locked to the ground like with glue here." That's the Showa suspension working overtime. The ZX-10R has been a cult favorite for racers for years, and this version adds the KRT race-rep livery and the right feature set to make it a credible one-bike garage option for a certain kind of buyer. The kind who track-days and also drives himself to the track.

Performance highlights

998cc inline-four, 200 horsepower, 84 lb-ft of torque, 456 lb wet, 4.1-gallon tank, 32.9" seat. Throttle response scores 6 and the knock is specifically the initial tip-in. "There is a little stronger engine braking, though you can change engine braking in the settings, but when I throttle on a little bit, I get a little bit of a hit regardless of how smooth I'm trying to be on throttle." Once past the initial chop, the delivery smooths out and the engine pulls like an inline-four should.

Acceleration earns 8. The 40–80 pull in first gear wheelied and Chase could've hit 80 without ever shifting. "Can you imagine if I would have done that short shift to second? That would have ruined everything." That's the ZX-10R in a sentence. All the power is there, but you've got to be in the right gear for it. Liter-class inline-fours live high in the rev range, which is a trained-rider commitment.

Agility is 8. 456 lb is light for a full-liter super sport. The ZX-10R turns in with commitment rather than flick-ability. It's race-tuned, which means steady and precise rather than playful. On city streets, even at normal speeds, the chassis feels planted in a way superbikes usually don't at slow pace.

Brakes rate 9. Brembo front with Brembo master cylinder, a combination that gives you fine initial feel plus serious stopping power when you commit. "Fantastic, a little bit light power in the beginning, and then if I go past that smooth area, they bite." The rear brake is the opposite problem, Chase had to stand on it to get any meaningful engagement. It's not Brembo back there, and it shows.

Suspension is the standout 9. Showa big-piston front, fully adjustable, plus the Öhlins steering damper stock. "I love the suspension Kawasaki has on this ZX-10. Absolutely fantastic." The ride is genuinely not punishing on the street, which is rare for a race-tuned chassis, and the mid-corner stability is where the money goes.

Rider experience & tech

Comfort is the expected 3. Super-sport ergonomics: high pegs, low clip-ons, firm-ish seat, full race-lean body position. Chase specifically noted that on Kawasakis he normally sits lower in the seat (which is more comfortable); on the ZX-10R the seat is higher and the lean is more aggressive than its Suzuki or Yamaha class peers. "This bike is a race-focused motorcycle. You are supposed to be in the position to be in the most advantageous angles you possibly can." If you want comfortable, pick something else.

Tech scores 7. Solid feature set held back by UX. You get: ride modes (Rain, Road, Sport), lean-sensitive traction control, ABS with modes, quickshifter, cruise control (unusual on a super sport), and an Öhlins steering damper stock. What you don't get: a modern TFT layout. The dash is small, feels far away, and at the time of Chase's ride he couldn't locate a miles-to-empty readout. The screen shows lean angle and throttle/brake inputs (cool), but lacks a fuel gauge at a glance (less cool).

Ease of use is the painful 4 and it's the single biggest usability drag. Kawasaki's menu UX is slow, you have to roll off throttle and press-and-hold the mode button for 2-3 seconds to change rides modes. Chase's direct line: "If rain randomly started coming down and I needed to get into rain mode quickly, I want to be able to just throttle off, boop, rain mode. And Kawasaki is just a little behind in the overall scheme of the motorcycle market." Also, the quickshifter has a big, obvious power cut between gears that chucks the rider forward slightly. On a $18k superbike, that's an uncharacteristic miss.

Versatility is 5. Track: of course. Canyon: excellent. City: workable if you can stomach the body position. Highway: better than you'd expect thanks to cruise control. Chase genuinely said he'd highway an hour-and-a-half to the mountains on this bike. Touring: lighter-duty yes, proper touring no. That 5 is actually high for a super sport; cruise control is what earns it.

Fun-for-the-money is 7. $18,799 for a full-liter Kawasaki super sport with race-spec suspension, premium brakes, cruise control, and a proven engine is a solid proposition against the BMW M 1000 RR ($32k+), the Ducati Panigale V4S ($33k+), or even the Panigale V2S ($17k). The ZX-10R is the track-day bargain of its class.

The Chase Score & final thoughts

With a Chase Score of 66/100, Good Tier, the ZX-10R KRT is a high-ride-score / compromised-usability machine. 40 ride points (elite tier on ride alone) + 26 usability points = a bike where the bones are exceptional and the interface hasn't kept pace with the segment.

Buy it if you're a committed track-day rider, if you want the most ride-quality dollar-for-dollar in the liter-class super sport segment, or if you already own something comfortable and want a weapon for weekend runs. Skip it if switchgear premium-ness matters to you, or if a laggy mode-change button ruins the experience (Chase's primary complaint). Chase's close: "If Kawasaki fixed a couple small things, this thing would be a beast." Agreed. The hardware is there. The software isn't caught up yet.