The ZX first proved it had the goods when we rode it on the street, then backed up those impressions with the best dyno chart of the group. This power surplus of the 6R is readily apparent on the racetrack. The Streets of Willow has two areas in which a rider can accelerate at full throttle through a couple of gears, and the ZX consistently achieved higher speeds than the others. But just as impressive is the Ninja’s pull throughout the rev range.
“The abundant grunt from the engine means a rider can be a little lazier with gear selection, knowing full well the bike will pull cleanly from a slow-speed corner,” said Pete. “With these bikes so evenly matched in so many ways, a machine that exits a corner quicker without tap dancing on the shifter can mean the difference between a race winner and first runner-up.”
An example of how closely matched this group was revealed in our first sessions on the 6R. Its suspension, including the new technology of its Showa Big Piston Fork, was unable to suck up The Streets numerous bumps as well as the CBR and Gixxer, and a few of our testers weren’t confident lapping the track quickly. But thanks to the seasoned skill set of pro Kawi tech (and caterer extraordinaire), Joey Lombardo, the ZX tracked much better over uneven surfaces. A few carefully chosen clicks resulted in Duke’s lap times dropping by nearly 2 seconds!
Add to the Ninja’s best-in-class mill a transparent transmission/slipper-clutch combo, excellent Showa BPF sticks, a responsive chassis and Nissin radial-mount brakes that rival many Brembo units we’ve tested, and we arrive at a total-package supersport – the overall winner of our 2009 Supersport Shootout.
Having finally wrapped up one of two of the most important comparisons we do each year, we can’t wait to see what Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha will be doing for 2010 to catch the Assassin!
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