Lightweight aluminum components are The same engineering techniques were used to design the hollow cast-and-pressed aluminum-hybrid swingarm. An aluminum rear sub-frame also keeps the weight down, yet provides the strength to carry a passenger. Sheets of aluminum alloy are pressed to shape, and then welded together to produce remarkable strength and low weight. The lightweight, aluminum, twin-spar perimeter frame was designed using computer-aided technology.
This system, combined with a steep carburetor downdraft angle and Straight Shot Intake ports, increases volumetric efficiency for more power. A pair of large, aggressive air intakes at the front of the aerodynamic fairing feed the ZX-7R’s Twin Ram Air Induction system. Exhaust gasses are then expelled through a 4-into-2-into-1 system for optimum performance and quiet running. Moderate exhaust-valve timing produces strong midrange for real-world power on the street.
Direct-actuation valve-train components relay the fuel mixture from four 38mm carburetors. The short stroke and large bore help increase reliability at high engine rpm and allow for more tuning capability for racing applications. Keeping this Superbike champion competitive is a 748cc ultra-short-stroke inline-four-cylinder engine. Finally, Kawasaki Drag Racing’s Rickey Gadson is a three-time national champion aboard a Muzzy-prepared ZX-7R in AMA/Prostar Drag Racing. It also carried Chandler and his teammate Eric Bostrom to a number of AMA Superbike victories in 2001, 2000 and 1999.
Featuring racetrack-derived technology, this is the machine behind Doug Chandler’s back-to-back ’96-’97 Superbike titles, which extended Kawasaki’s AMA Superbike Championships to nine, the most won by any single manufacturer. the NINJA® ZX-7R sportbike is the platform upon which Kawasaki’s championship-winning Superbike was built.
