KAWASAKI HAS updated a load of its exhaust emissions documents with the strict California Air Resources Board as it prepares to release its 2019 models. And while most are unchanged compared to last year there’s a small but perhaps significant alteration to the details of the ZX-10R and ZX-10RR.
On its 2018 emissions documents, also published on the CARB website, Kawasaki listed four separate ZX-10 models. There was the R, the RR, the ZX-10R ABS and the ‘ZXT002CJ’, which is the ZX-10R SE in more familiar terms.
But when it comes to the 2019 model range, just two versions are listed. The ZX-10R and ZX-10RR.
Virtually all their details are identical to those listed for the 2018 models, with one exception. The hydrocarbon emissions are fractionally higher for the 2019 machines, listed at 0.12 grams per kilometre rather than the 2018 version’s 0.1g/km.
It’s an unimaginably small change, but it’s a change nonetheless. And it’s worth noting that Kawasaki has already revealed the 2019 colour schemes for a lot of its otherwise-unaltered models, but has yet to show the 2019 version of the ZX-10R, hinting that maybe there are more than just bold new colours coming.
As a final note, we should point out that ZX-10R’s sold in America have a different spec to those offered in Europe and make less power than ours (185hp at 11,500rpm, compared to our 197hp at 13,000rpm), so US emissions alterations won’t necessarily be carried over to European bikes.
