We did wonder if we’d actually see this – a brand new Kawasaki ZX-10R, updated for 2026 with an EU-compliant Euro 5+ engine. The litre bike class looked like it was for the off for a while, when first Suzuki and then Yamaha dumped their superbikes, in road-legal form at least, in the UK and Europe.
But firms like Honda, Aprilia, BMW and Ducati have stuck to the plan, and have updated their 1000cc+ fours religiously, keeping them eligible for WSBK and BSB racing.
Suzuki relaunched its GSX-R1000 earlier in the summer, to some surprise, and now Kawasaki has updated the Ninja superbike, leaving Yamaha looking a little out in the cold (as an aside the firm now has a legitimate Euro 5+ engine for its Bimota Rimini superbike too).
Having said all that, the 2026 ZX-10R and superbike-homologation racer the ZX-10RR have had a bit of an evolutionary update, like the Suzuki, instead of a bigger redesign as you’ve tended to get with the European litre superbikes of late. The most obvious change is to the bodywork: the Ninja gets wings at last, to give a modicum of aerodynamic performance to the fairing for the first time.
Of course, Kawasaki has previous here – who remembers the winglets on the 2000 ZX-12R, and the little spoilers on that bike’s fork leg bottoms? Awwww. The 2026 bike is much less subtle, especially on the green ZX-10R which has a blue winglet – nice. The winged fairing also has a new top nosecone arrangement, with sleeker projector/reflector hybrid headlights and a repositioned Ram Air intake.
There’s not much detail on the new engine at the moment, with only a second Lambda sensor in the exhaust listed as an update. More on that when we get it for sure. As an aside, the race-homologation ZX-10RR keeps its Pankl titanium rods and forged race pistons, which let it rev higher in race trim while sticking with engine modification rules in WSBK and BSB.
Chassis tweaks are apparently aimed at matching the aero performance: the Showa BFF (Balance Free Front Fork) and BFRC lite (Balance Free Rear Cushion) shock have new settings, and there are updates to the chassis geometry too, tuned to match the effect of the new winglets.
Kawasaki says the result is ‘improved rear-wheel traction and enhanced secondary cornering force’. Brakes are updated with new Brembo M50 monobloc calipers and beefy 330mm discs, plus a radial master cylinder, and an adjustable Öhlins steering damper with twin-tube design is fitted as standard equipment to both the ZX-10RR and ZX-10R. Tyres are a brand new Bridgestone fitment – the Japanese firm’s latest RS12 supersport tyre.
The electronics see a new bigger 5” TFT LCD dash, which controls the updated rider aids package: KCMF – Cornering Management Function, S-KTRC – Sport Traction Control, KLCM – Launch Control, KIBS – Integrated Braking, Kawasaki Engine Brake Control, Power Modes, KQS up/down quickshifter, Integrated Riding Modes and Cruise Control. There’s also navigation and phone functions, as well as Kawasaki’s voice-control interface.
Prices are TBC, but the bikes will be available next May, with the ZX-10R available in Lime Green or Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray / Metallic Spark Black / Lime Green, and the ZX-10RR in Lime Green only. More info: www.kawasaki.co.uk