The weather hasn’t really been kind to MCN Senior Tester Michael Neeves and his 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R long-termer so far this year – with wet or damp roads pretty much all the way up to the initial 600-mile service.
Taking it easy for the first few miles he’s managed to squeeze to fuel economy right up to 49mpg, and throw in a trip to the final MCN Live show at Skegness for the festivities and ride-out to Cadwell Park.
The new Kawasaki superbike may look similar to the old model, but it’s completely different underneath. That being said, Michael is still making a n umber of modifications including a new screen and Akrapovic parts to undo the enforced Euro-4 changes manufacturers now have to comply with. He’ll get chance to see what difference these changes make at both Rockingham and Oulton Park in the coming months – some people have all the luck, eh?
Despite being the sportiest of Bridgestone’s road tyre range, the OE rubber has performed well in the wet and damp conditions we’ve had since he picked up the bike from Kawasaki with Michael stating:
“The standard Bridgestone RS10 tyres offer decent grip, despite having only a few token slots for tread. In the rare times it’s been dry they’ve hung on admirably, but in all this time, I still haven’t leaned it right over yet. Just call me Mr Chicken strip.”
Pick up this week’s copy of MCN for Michael’s full update on the bike so far.
Launched in 2015 the Battlax RS10 is Bridgestone’s Racing Street tyre for fast road and track day riding. It now also comes in a H-rated version for hard ridden smaller capacity sportsbikes, whose riders demand big bike tyre performance.
You can view the full range of sizes here.
