|
Kawasaki
ZX6, ZX7, ZX9 Supersport and Superbike |
| ZRX
HANDLING IMPROVEMENTS "Everything we do to our Supersport bikes is pretty much bolt-on," said Mike. "The place we go for suspension is Ohlins. We run an Ohlins Rear Shock, together with an Ohlins Front Fork Internal Damping Kit. For Supersport we have to keep the stock forks, but you can change or modify the internals. We think Ohlins offers the best Fork Kit on the market, particularly with their experience in building racing forks for the majority of factory bikes in Superbike and Grand Prix." For less resticted racing classes, Superbike and high performance streetbike applications, Ohlins also offers its somewhat affordable complete Fork Assemblies which for about $3,000 which will bolt right onto your ZX bolt with the stock Nissin brakes. Mike also recommends using a better feel steel braided brake line kit like from Goodrich which one of the team's sponsors, Lockhart-Phillips provides to them. Ohlins Suspension components are availalbe from any local motorcycle dealer who can order them direct from US distributor Part Unlimited. Parts does not sell retail direct. If you need help setting up your Ohlins suspension, the most knowledgeable Ohlins dealer and race suspension tuner in America is Stig Petersen at PPS Suspension A worthwhile and very cost effective suspension upgrade, though is the Ohlins rear shock. The Japanese have never built a worthwhile production rear shock on a sportbike, and Ohlins is the sport's standard for tuneability and handling performance. We've never riden a stock revalved shock that is as good as a bolt-on Ohlins or Fox Factory Shox. Another serious handling improvement for street or track (but not legal in Supersport) is a set of magnesium racing wheels. Team Kawasaki runs the popular Marchesini wheels which are found on nearly all the top factory superbikes. Some US teams like Honda's Erion Racing use the new Performance Machine cast magnesium wheels, duplicating the stock wheel sizes of 3.50 x 17 front, 6.00 x 17 rear. You can expect to save some 5 pounds with the front wheel, and 10 pounds at the rear. Mag wheels are an important performance gain on any sportbike because they not only reduce weight for better handling, but they also improve braking and acceleration. And the improved
power-to-weight performance gain that magnesium wheels provide for
improved acceleration, braking and handling are more important and
more cost effective, dollar for dollar, than any internal engine modifications
which always come at the cost of engine reliability and rideability.
Marchesini wheels are available in America from T.A.,W. Vehicle Concepts,
Lakewood., Colorado, phone: 888-235-0910. A pair will set you back
about $2,000 plus new Supersport tires and balancing, bringing the
cost closer to $2,500 when your're done. •
Racing
Suspension Setup and Tuning Marchesino
Wheels, Brembo Racing Brakes Akrapovic
Exhaust Systems, Goodrich Brake Lines,
Ohlins
Suspension Components and Setup Factory
Tuning Jetting Kits, Kawasaki
ZX Engine Performance |
ZRX
POWER IMPROVEMENTS "On both our AMA ZX6 and ZX7 SuperSport bikes, and on our factory Superbikes we run Akrapovic exhaust systems," explains Mike for improving engine performance for the ZXers. "Akrapovic exhaust systems also availble through our team sponsor Lockhart-Phillips, who is the sole US importer of Akrapovic." Akrapovic is one of the few avaialble sportbike exhaust systems on the market which feature tapered header bikes, which increase in diameter from the engine's exhaust port header flange down towards the collector. This is a much more expensive exhaust system to build because it requires much more fabrication and welding than other, lower priced systems, but the increasing diameter of the tuned Akrapovic system helps pull burned exhaust gasses out of the combustion chamber, and it sends back a stronger sonic wave to the engine to hold in the incoming fresh fuel charge during valve overlap. There is a reason why every top factory Japanese bike team in World Superbike uses an Akrapovic System. While in AMA Superbike, sponsorship deals and marketing of a team's own proprietarty brand of exhaust sees many different exhaust system brands being run, but you can never be sure that what you see on a factory SuperSport or Superbike is what you, the customer, can really buy. Except in the case of Akrapovic. CARBURETOR
RECALIBRATION The team's advantage in being able to dial in the perfect jetting for each bike, of course, is the fact they have an in-house dyno to run and test the jetting changes on, plus many days of testing and practice out at the track. For the rest of us though, just buy a good jetting recalibration kit and follow the kit's set-uo suggestions for the modifications you are running on your bike. I favor the Factory Tuning Jet Kits because they provide free phone-in tunig assistance, and they keep detailed records on what setting work best with which model bike and it's modifications for your local race track or geographical location. And it works! Visit the Paddock Garage Carburetion Section for complete carb tuning tips and information on where to order Recalibration Kits. KEIHIN FCR41
CARBURETION ENGINE MODIFICATIONS If you are running your ZX in a Superbike or Formula Extreme class, then modifications to the engine or pretty much unlimited. I asked bike if Kawasaki USA offers any performance parts to its customers. "Unfortunately not. Our SuperSport bikes are allowed so few modifications we just run the aftermarket parts I've told you about. For the factory Kawasaki ZX7RR AMA Superbikes that Eric Bostrom and Doug Chandler race, those are complete race bikes sent to us from the factory in Japan, ready to go. All of our spare parts come from the factory and really aren't available for sale." Of course, in theory, some where in the world there needs to be 300 of these factory ZX7RR race bikes or complete kits to homologate the ZX7RR for AMA and World Superbike. But until we can come up with $120,00 to order one for ourself (at twice the price of works Ducati 996RS that wins more races), you'll never know where those other ZX7RRs might be. And the other factory race teams don't throw stones because they also live in glass houses. For those who do want more power, there is Muzzy's, still recognized as America's premier performance shop for Kawasaki bikes. Rob will be able to help you out with more serious modifications including hi-compression and big bore piston kits from Weisco and J&E, plus cams and headwork to get you up to competive factory Superbike power. After all, Muzzy's
is the only team to have given Kawasaki it's one World Championship
and was it 3 AMA Superbike National Championships? |
