The 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R

These are the first official pictures of Kawasaki’s ultimate sports bike, the 160bhp Kawasaki ZX-10R.

An all-new 998cc engine is housed in a GP-derived chassis, and the whole thing weighs just 165kg. The dimensions are tiny, and the claimed power-to-weight ratio is close to 1bhp per kilo. And the price is likely to be a competitive £8500.

MCN, August 27, examines the new Kawasaki over four pages, with technical analysis of the chassis, engine and styling. Plus, the updated ZX-6RR, and the first official look at both the Z750 and the VN2000. The Z750 is the smaller capacity version of the Z1000 roadster, while the VN2000 cruiser is the largest capacity production V-twin which makes more torque than a Hayabusa. The smaller VN1600 Mean Streak also gets some changes for 2004, with a stiffer swingarm and ‘chameleon’ tank graphics which change colour depending on the angle they’re seen from.

Also in MCN:

First pictures of the new Yamaha XT660-R, Kevin Ash’s column, save money on a new Triumph, Be an expert on the Suzuki GSX-R750, Shoei Kato tribute replica, Premier Style lid tested, Leather jackets under £250, BMW K1200GT travels to Italy long term report, Supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa tested, MCN’s seven-day What’s On guide, Shane Byrnes BSB title and full Cadwell Park report, Safety fears raised by Kagayama’s horror crash, the verdict from the inquest into the death of David Jefferies, An exclusive look at a disassembled Ducati Desmosedici V4 MotoGP bike, latest GP testing news, Hodgson moving closer to GPs, Win an R6 plus prizes with a total value of £9500, European Supermoto, and an exclusive first ride on the new DR-Z-powered CCM 404 Dual Sport.

All this is in MCN, out now.