Kawasaki updates Ninja ZX-10R for 2026
Like the Ninja ZX-10R but dislike its wings? Kawasaki’s got good news for you.
A “radical new aero package featuring large winglets” is among a host of updates and changes coming to the iconic Ninja ZX-10R for 2026. Along with its even more track-loving RR sibling, the Ninja ZX-10R has been around for yonks but still holds a very warm spot in the hearts of people who like to go fast.
Kawasaki says the new winglets increase downforce by “approximately 25 per cent.” Compact projector/reflector hybrid headlights and a repositioned Ram Air intake join the winglets in giving the Ninja ZX-10R a new “face.”
In terms of power, there’s no boost for next year but 204 bhp is nothing to sniff at. Kawasaki says the bike’s 1000cc inline four “balances stunning on-demand power with manageability,” and says that “great care” was taken to ensure that the bike offers “ideal engine response during all parts of the corner.”
Circuit-focused settings for the WorldSBK-developed BFF (Balance Free Front Fork) and BFRC lite (Balance Free Rear Cushion) shock apparently make it easier to go harder. While chassis geometry has changed slightly to accommodate the effect of the wings.
Braking is taken care of by dual Brembo M50 monobloc calipers gripping 330 mm discs.
And the bike’s TFT screen is larger – now 5 inches. Kawasaki says it offers additional features unavailable on the previous model.” Some of those features are:
- KCMF – Cornering Management Function
- S-KTRC – Sport Traction Control
- KLCM – Launch Control
- KIBS – Integrated Braking
- Kawasaki Engine Brake Control
- Power Modes
- KQS – Quick Shifter
- Integrated Riding Modes
- Electronic Cruise Control
And, as you would expect, there’s an app: the incredibly oddly named Rideology The App Motorcycle, which, Kawasaki says, “allows the rider to link their machine via wireless connection to their Smartphone revealing a comprehensive suite of information and adjustments.”
“Always a stand-out motorcycle, the Ninja ZX-10R and its track twin, the ZX-10RR naturally demand attention,” says Kawasaki.
Pricing has yet to be announced. The new ZX-10R and ZX-10RR models will be available from spring 2026.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
