2005 ZX10 vs 2007 ZX10

[wideopen1]

I've got both bikes sitting in my garage right now, they are both mine. I bought the 2007 new and I just recently bought this 2005 because I don't like much about the 2007.
I had a 2004 back when these bikes first came out. I loved the bike, other than the fact that it had the shifting problem that SOME of the early builds had. It was very hard to shift at full power, I mean many times I'd have to try 2 or 3 times to go from 1st to 2nd under hard power. This got to the point where I was going home from the track with a bloody toe on my left foot and nearly a hole worn in my boot. It really made me mad, and how did I fix it? I sold the damn bike and bought an 07.
The 07 is a pig...it's a softly suspended, top heavy, homely pig. I thought i liked the dual exhaust, but I really grew to hate it, especially once I found out the cost to replace them. The front end is ugly, the headlights I mean. When you're sitting on the bike it looks like 6 feet from the tank to the windscreen which drives me nuts. And you don't sit ON this bike, you sit IN it. That's not desirable at the track.
As far as engines, the 07 is a bit smoother and revs a little quicker, but doesn't feel like it pulls quite as hard. Could be the 15-20 lbs of extra weight this bike carries over my 05 model. And most of that extra weight must be up high, cause this thing is top heavy like I really can't believe.
07 shifts better, slightly. I bought the 05 because the tranny was revised over the 04 to fix the shifting problem I spoke of, and this one does shift better.
Vibration on both is about the same, but the 05 is easier to ride long distance, which we do sometimes. It puts less weight on the wrists.
In summary, the 05 feels like a GP bike, the 07 feels like a highly modified cruiser. I'm a racer, I've had both bikes to the track, and that's my opinion.
I think Kawasaki went VERY wrong in terms of the ZX10 in 2006 and 2007. I can find quite a few guys to agree with me too. Sorry if I offend anyone.

[tached1000rr]

I think most would agree with your assessment

[racedoll]

Does any of that sound familar tached? :)

[tached1000rr]

Does any of that sound familar tached? :)

It sure does, now go massage hubby's toe lol....

[wideopen1]

Hmmm......if I didn't know better, I'd say you guys have talked about this subject before:?:

[racedoll]

No way!!! That was 4 bikes ago. He has had plenty of time to recover.

Yes, we have talked about this before.

[TYEster]

No problem with mine.

Don't understand the top heavy problem, my bike sits next to an 05 GSXR750 that can be a bitch to get off the kickstand. You can push mine completely over with your pinky.

Only wieght reduction I have is a single can exhaust(which was $200 used) that replaced my stock system up to the headers. But how much do you expect to pay when upgrading dual undertails? Have you priced R1 or Ducati exhausts lately? But I can agree the plastic and look of the bike is a tad bulky, it doesn't feel horrible to me, but it wouldnt be my choice of racebike.

[zed]

yeah, the 04/05 handled a lot better than the 06/07 and the new one is ugly as hell but handles better then the 06/07 too. I just don't like the power of the new one. not enough on the bottom end. it's been a while since I rode a Gen 1 so don't remember the power it had.

[wideopen1]

I ALMOST bought an 08, cause at the time they were almost giving them away. But my God it's really ugly!! I mean it is really ugly in person and even my wife said so. So instead, I decided to go with what I knew I liked which was this 05.
I hear guys are winning races right and left on the 08 model, does anyone know if this is true? I've not actually raced for a few years now and don't keep up on it like I used to.
I don't ever remember reading anywhere that that the 06/07 was a bad handling bike back when it came out, but I sure don't get along very well with mine. A guy is supposed to come and get it tomorrow....says he has the money. I been trying a good many weeks to sell it. Hopefully he shows up.
I plan on getting this 05 dynoed as it is. My 04 dynoed at just short of 159 HP. I'm sure this 05 is somewhere around there too. I think the 07 probably has a couple more than that, but it's more evenly spread. Seems to have a bit more grunt than the 05, but doesn't bust out on top like the 04/05, and that's what I like.

[TYEster]

I ALMOST bought an 08, cause at the time they were almost giving them away. But my God it's really ugly!! I mean it is really ugly in person and even my wife said so. So instead, I decided to go with what I knew I liked which was this 05.
I hear guys are winning races right and left on the 08 model, does anyone know if this is true? I've not actually raced for a few years now and don't keep up on it like I used to.
I don't ever remember reading anywhere that that the 06/07 was a bad handling bike back when it came out, but I sure don't get along very well with mine. A guy is supposed to come and get it tomorrow....says he has the money. I been trying a good many weeks to sell it. Hopefully he shows up.
I plan on getting this 05 dynoed as it is. My 04 dynoed at just short of 159 HP. I'm sure this 05 is somewhere around there too. I think the 07 probably has a couple more than that, but it's more evenly spread. Seems to have a bit more grunt than the 05, but doesn't bust out on top like the 04/05, and that's what I like.

LOL the only people winning on Kawasaki's ride dirt. Seriously, some guys might be winning at the local race club level, but the only professional I see near the podium on a Kawasaki is Hacking, and he's on a ZX6R.

The 3rd gen is an ok looking bike in track skins(removed lights) but ya it looks like a bugeye'd freak in street trim.

[Homeslice]

Handling, shmandling...........Change the tire size and the suspension setup to suit your preferences, and any bike can improve.

[Antwanny]

i don't haev the shifting problem with my 04. It runs like a raped ape on crack I LOVE IT. -1 on the front sprocket and it takes off. Only complaint is the calipers little squishy, i wanna get some nissins of a newer zx14 for little more bite.

I rode an 05 before i bought mine and loved it, but this one was black : ).

The newer zx10s dont do much for me 2nd or 3rd gen

[wideopen1]

Ya know my buddy had an 04 too. It was a later build date than mine and it shifted fine. Mine was terrible and the hotter the engine/trans/clutch got the worse it got. Other than that, no complaint about that bike. I think the 04/05 are one of, if not the best looking sportbikes ever made. Kaws don't need graphics all over them to make them look good. The lines of the 04/05 gen are just about perfect.
And Homeslice, you're right that you can change tires, bike geometry and whatever to improve handling. But some bikes just don't work for some riders no matter what you try. I did a lot of tweaking on suspension settings, spring rates, tires and ride heights, etc and it just never felt good. At the moment it's the best it's ever been though, for me.

[Banana Hammock]

If you big boys cant handle to power beween your legs then maybe you should gize up the bikes and leave it to the real boys like me

[Antwanny]

does your gen 1 run hot in town, mine heats up whenever not doin 50+
Imma add some engine ice or water wetter

[jtemple]

I liked my Gen 1 a lot, except for the cracked engine block (got screwed by the dealer and Kawasaki both, long story). I wasn't even going to buy another Kawasaki, but I got a good deal on my Gen 2 that cut some of the sting out of the cracked Gen 1.

To avoid the costs of cans, I went with A&R baffles. That is the cheapest way to get a good sound out of a Gen 2.

The Gen 1 was a bit more "raw" feeling. The Gen 2 feels a little more refined. As far as weight is concerned, I can't really tell the difference. Maybe it feels heavier just because the power delivery is smoother? I dunno.

In a nutshell, I'm happy with either bike. But, I'm still pissed off about the raw deal I got on my Gen 1, and wish that bike ended up being a keeper. It is better looking, IMO.

[deals gap dragon slayer]

comfort is more of a personal preference than anything.. some will like the feel of the 04/05, some will like the 06/07... my last track bike was a ZX7R... you want to talk about PIG...

when I purchased my 07 Zx10 in april of 08, I was happy with it.. or else i wouldbt have bought it... I had ridden plenty of other bikes in comparison including an 05 model... for me... the 07 actually feels more comfortable.


Power is decent... smooth delivery.. but a little flat under 6k...

and handling??? well I don't see any problem with that...I've had the stock suspension set for me, running good rubber... and it handles just fine... i have no problem puttin thr screws to the 600's in the tighter sections of the tracks at trackdays...

[wideopen1]

I don't remember how hot my 04 ran, and I haven't had this 05 in town much so far, plus it's been kinda cool temp wise in Ohio.....
Jtemple, what in the hell caused the block to crack on your old bike???

[jtemple]

I don't remember how hot my 04 ran, and I haven't had this 05 in town much so far, plus it's been kinda cool temp wise in Ohio.....
Jtemple, what in the hell caused the block to crack on your old bike???To make a long story short, I bought an untitled Kawasaki demo bike from a dealer. It had 4400 miles on it and was otherwise in perfect condition. I got it home, and discovered a coolant leak. I took it to an expert, who said it was a casting flaw in the block and most likely came like that from the factory. Both the dealer and Kawasaki told me to get lost, since I bought the bike as-is. I fought with them for probably 2 months, including hand-written letters and a report to the BBB. Rather than fuck with it, I traded it back in for an new '06 and ended up eating most of the cost of replacing the block on the '05.

Lessons learned: I'll probably never buy a used bike again, and I am definitely not going back to that dealer to buy anything.

I might also hesitate to own another Kawasaki again. The only reason I got the '06 was because it was a leftover model from the same dealer, and the haggled price on it helped take the sting out of the '05's instant decline in value.

No other dealership would take the '05 in trade, once they discovered the leak. I even had a new '07 about ready to drive off the lot at a different dealership, when they found the '05's leak and told me to get lost.

I don't mind smearing their name around. The dealership is Start City Motor Sports in Lincoln, NE.

[zed]

a buddy of mine got one of the first 04's. he had the same problem. the shop had it forever because like you said, it was a design flaw and they were going to have to pull a new motor off the line to get him another. he ended up getting it lemon lawed because it took too long to get it out of the shop. he did buy his new from the dealer though.

I figured the lesson was not to buy the first year model of a new production bike. I had even told him not to get it yet, let them work the bugs out of it.

[101lifts2]

I had an 06 ZX10r and have ridden a few times an 05 AND an 08. I thought the 06 engine was the best.

I'll agree with everything posted. The 06 was a pig. Turned in slow and felt a tad heavy in comparision to the sharper 05 and 08. However, I put GP revalved forks and a triple clicker Penske shock with some race stickies and it was night and day. The bike was only a tad better turning wise than the 05/08, but it wasn't setup too agressively. I also put a PC3R and a pair of Akras carbon fiber slipons on the beast along with some rearsets. The power was too much as I almost binned it after a nasty tankslapper splitting lanes at 115mph. The bike rocked and was dead stable tho. I also like the fact that your in the bike and not on top of it like my current 600rr. Kawis and Suzukis seem to fit me better than the Hondas.

[Homeslice]

I had an 06 ZX10r and have ridden a few times an 05 AND an 08. I thought the 06 engine was the best.

I'll agree with everything posted. The 06 was a pig. Turned in slow and felt a tad heavy in comparision to the sharper 05 and 08. However, I put GP revalved forks and a triple clicker Penske shock with some race stickies and it was night and day. The bike was only a tad better turning wise than the 05/08, but it wasn't setup too agressively. I also put a PC3R and a pair of Akras carbon fiber slipons on the beast along with some rearsets. The power was too much as I almost binned it after a nasty tankslapper splitting lanes at 115mph. The bike rocked and was dead stable tho. I also like the fact that your in the bike and not on top of it like my current 600rr. Kawis and Suzukis seem to fit me better than the Hondas.

How come you sold it then, foo?

[101lifts2]

How come you sold it then, foo?

It was seriously too fast to enjoy and got me into too many oh shit situations. Seriously...

[BobTheBiker]

You think your bikes run hot, my gen1 ZX10 (86 is technically gen 1, 88-90 is gen 2, and so on. mine will actually BOIL the coolant at lights because of how shitty a design the radiator is. its unimaginable.

I have to admit though, the 06/07 models, kawi REALLY went the wrong direction. they look awful to me, unlike the 04/05s which look way nicer. having rode an 04, I liked it quite a bit. the spongy fronts are a generally shitty thing, but what can ya do? its just how the stockers are on that bike.

[101lifts2]

^^^...See I thought the 06/07 Kawi looked awesome. One of the best selling points IMO, though the exhaust was too fat. The engine/transmission was sweet, but the bike was too heavy and the suspension quite lazy. The bike was refined though.

[pauldun170]

You think your bikes run hot, my gen1 ZX10 (86 is technically gen 1, 88-90 is gen 2, and so on. mine will actually BOIL the coolant at lights because of how shitty a design the radiator is. its unimaginable.



My GPz-900r used to get hot...check these threads out. It's GPz-900r related but I think the only difference between the 900r and 1000r was the radiator area.

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/vintage-motorcyle-info/51461-my-first-bike-85-ninja-gpz900r.html#post739681

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/vintage-motorcyle-info/81989-1984-gpz-900r-overheating-problem.html

[zed]

My GPz-900r used to get hot...check these threads out. It's GPz-900r related but I think the only difference between the 900r and 1000r was the radiator area.

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/vintage-motorcyle-info/51461-my-first-bike-85-ninja-gpz900r.html#post739681

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/vintage-motorcyle-info/81989-1984-gpz-900r-overheating-problem.html

are you on that site?

[pauldun170]

are you on that site?

Nope