Head 2 head: Honda CBR1000RR-R SP vs Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja
We pitch the new 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R SP against one of the most successful sports bikes of the modern age, the Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja
WITH the influx of +200bhp sports bikes, development has pushed many machines beyond the ceiling of 1,000cc. Likewise, manufacturers have had to come up with evermore innovative methods of eking all the power they can from their engines.
From cross-plane cranks, as found in the R1 for some time now, to Ducati’s Panigale V4 with its over-square V4 configuration, manufacturers are pushing the boundaries and the rule book even further.
Two bikes that for now are sticking to the classic layout and conventional firing order are the new 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R SP and the Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja.
With each machine producing over 200bhp, featuring advanced electronics and, in the case of the new Fireblade, aerodynamic winglets, both a clear statement of intent for both on-road sales and on-track glory.
But will the older and more experienced Kawasaki be able to hold its own on the road and track against Honda’s latest, fastest and most powerful Fireblade ever?
Find out in our latest head to head.
Honda CBR1000RR-R SP vs Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja quick specs
Honda CBR1000-RR-R SP | Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja | |
Price | £23,499 | £21,199 |
Engine | Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC Inline- | Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke In-Line Four |
Power | 214bhp | 204bhp |
Torque | 83.35ft-lb | 84ft-lb |
Weight | 201kg | 206kg |
Brakes | Brembo (IMU-controlled) | Brembo (KIBS-controlled) |
Suspension | Öhlins EC semi-active | Showa F/R |
Seat height | 830mm | 835mm |
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
